Inpatient Admissions

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Your healing journey is our top priority, and we’re dedicated to supporting you

We understand the road to recovery is not one you travel alone. It’s a collaborative effort involving a team of dedicated individuals working together toward your well-being. We take pride in our role as facilitators, educators, and advocates for you and your loved ones. Beyond navigating the admissions process, we provide comprehensive support and resources, ensuring you feel empowered and informed at every stage.

How to start the admissions process for inpatient rehabilitation

Navigating the path to inpatient rehabilitation care is designed to be a thoughtful and supportive process. Here’s how to confidently begin the process for you or a loved one.

If you’re exploring options for rehabilitation or specialized care, ask your physician, discharge planner, social worker, or insurance company case manager to submit a referral on your behalf.

We also welcome you to contact us directly. Our compassionate team is ready to listen, provide guidance, and help determine whether Shepherd Center is right for your rehabilitation journey.

Begin Admissions Inquiry

Each referral is important to us. Our dedicated admissions liaisons carefully review each referral to assess our ability to provide appropriate care.

We understand the urgency of your situation, and our team can begin reviewing your referral promptly, often within 24 hours of receiving the referral on business days.

Our admissions team can also assist with insurance verification and financial clearance for new patients. In cases where your insurance provider does not initially approve treatment at Shepherd, we can help with appeals or negotiating service coverage, as needed.

We work closely with you, your physician, and the referring hospital to ensure a smooth transition to Shepherd Center.

Inpatients can be admitted from a hospital (including ICU-to-ICU transfer), a rehabilitation hospital, nursing facility, or long-term acute care hospital.

We help families through the admissions process with an action plan identifying critical next steps for families.

Conditions we treat

Shepherd Center provides specialized medical and rehabilitation care to adolescents and adults aged 12 and above, dealing with complex neurological injuries or neurological illnesses. We offer comprehensive services for the following diagnoses:

  • Traumatic spinal cord injury that has resulted in paraplegia, tetraplegia, or high tetraplegia (including patients who use ventilators to breathe)
  • Non-traumatic spinal cord injury, such as a spinal stroke, spinal tumors, or aneurysm
  • Brain injury, encompassing traumatic brain injury, encephalitis, anoxia, and tumors, as well as those who are minimally conscious
  • Stroke (for individuals who are medically and functionally appropriate)
  • Multiple trauma (with or without brain or spinal cord injury)
  • Traumatic amputations (with or without brain or spinal cord injury)
  • Dual diagnosis (spinal cord and acquired brain injury)
  • Neurological demyelinating illnesses, including multiple sclerosis, transverse myelitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy

Services we don’t provide

  • Dialysis

Inpatient admissions criteria

Eligibility for our inpatient programming is assessed based on the following criteria:

  • Meeting Shepherd Center’s medical criteria for admissions, including conditions we treat (see above list) and not requiring services we don’t provide (such as dialysis).
  • Maintaining medical and surgical stability to ensure the best possible outcomes.
  • Demonstrating the ability to participate and tolerate three hours of therapy per day.
  • Possessing a support system to provide the next phase of care upon discharge.

Your path to healing begins at Shepherd Center

Every individual’s journey is unique, and deciding to pursue rehabilitation can feel overwhelming. That’s why we encourage you to begin with an admissions inquiry.

Begin Admissions Inquiry

More inpatient admissions support and resources

A patient in a wheelchair with medical equipment smiles as a caregiver adjusts a device on them. The caregiver is wearing a black shirt and smiling, creating a positive atmosphere in a hospital setting.

Why Choose Shepherd

Choose your path to recovery at our specialty hospital.
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Admissions Checklist

A thorough list of required information and documents for your admission to Shepherd Center.
Outside view of the Shepherd Center building.

Traveling to Shepherd

Resources and tips for patients traveling from near or far to receive specialized care.
A cozy hospital room with wood flooring features a patient bed adorned with plush toys, colorful blankets, and a pillow. The walls are decorated with photos, drawings, and flags. Next to the bed is a green chair with a fox plushie and a bouquet of balloons.

What to Bring

Essential personal items and medical documents to bring for your stay.
A person with red hair sits in a control room, facing multiple computer screens displaying various data and charts. They are seated in a modern office chair, and a landline phone is visible on the desk.

About Our ICU

Specialized ICU care to kickstart your rehabilitation journey as early as possible.
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The First Three Days

What to expect in your first 72 hours at Shepherd Center.
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Your Care Team

The specialists who play a role in your personalized care plan.
Cedric Maddox assists Jakoi Horne, seated in a motorized wheelchair, as he writes a note of encouragement on a large whiteboard filled with various notes and doodles from other SCI adolescent graduates.

The Admissions Team

Help with injury assessment, referrals, insurance, and logistics to ensure your safe arrival.