INJURED - Shepherd Center

A program supported by
the Marcus Foundation
helps Shepherd patients
transition to a new life.
By Sara Baxter
When the time came for 20-year-old Eli Brown to leave
Shepherd Center, he had made progress in his recovery
from a traumatic brain injury but still couldn’t speak,
move or eat on his own.
A Bridge
to Better
Days
“We freaked a little,” admits his mother, Tanya. “We were totally
unprepared.” Eli, who participated in Shepherd’s pre-rehabilitation
and education program (PREP), sustained his injury in a November
2007 car accident. But because PREP patients are eligible for transition
services under Shepherd’s Marcus Community Bridge Program, Eli and
his family were able to maintain a connection to the hospital through a
videophone installed in their Woodstock, Ga., home.
The videophone allows doctors, nurses and caseworkers to observe
patients after they’ve left Shepherd. For Tanya Brown, it was the
lifeline she needed.
“It was really helpful,” she says. “We could see each other. The nurse
would ask Eli to do certain things and then could assess how he was
doing. She also helped me learn what to look for.”
Launched in January 2000, Bridge is a comprehensive program
to help Shepherd patients make the transition back to work, school,
home and community. The program – which serves about 400 patients
a year – offers post-discharge client education, guidance and referral
information. It also assists families in finding a healthcare team and
identifying resources to support their needs. The Bridge team of case
managers, therapeutic recreation therapists and additional support
professionals is funded by grants from the Marcus Foundation and
long-time supporters Billi and Bernie Marcus.
10 Spinal column