Spinal Cord Injury Outcomes

Who we treat

Each year, we provide inpatient treatment for 17 adolescents with spinal cord injuries.

Injury types

• C1-C4: 25%
• C5-C8: 19%
• Para: 44%
• Other spinal cord injuries: 13%

Patient ages

12-17 years old (average age is 16)

Patient genders

• Male: 71%
• Female: 29%

Admission and length of stay

• Average length of stay: 50 days
• Time to admission: On average, adolescent patients begin inpatient rehabilitation 24 days after injury

Therapy and rehabilitation

Our patients receive extensive therapy, typically ranging from 3-5 hours daily. This includes physical, occupational, and speech therapy, tailored to each patient’s needs.

Patient satisfaction

When asked about the likelihood of their recommending Shepherd Center, patients or their caregivers rated Shepherd Center a 100 out of 100.

Where our adolescents go after discharge

• Community: 94.4%
• Other Rehabilitation: 5.6%
• Unplanned transfers: 0% of patients have an unplanned transfer to an acute care facility.

Personal goals and progress

81% of adolescent patients meet or exceed their personal goals during rehabilitation. Patients work with their therapy team to come up with goals. These goals may focus on physical or mental abilities that patients want to return to doing, or it can be something new. A few examples of patient goals include:

• “I want to return to playings sports.”
• “I want to be able to play video games with my friends.”
• “I want to be able to make my own meals.”

Who we treat

Each year, we provide inpatient treatment for 333 adults with spinal cord injuries.

Injury types

• C1-C4: 41%
• C5-8: 15%
• Para: 35%
• Major multiple trauma: 4%
• Other spinal cord injuries: 5%

Patient ages

The average adult inpatient with a spinal cord injury at Shepherd Center is 41 years old. The age breakdown includes:

• 18-25: 23%
• 26-35: 20%
• 36-45: 18%
• 46-55: 18%
• 56-65: 12%
• 65+: 9%

Patient genders

• Male: 77%
• Female: 23%

Admission and length of stay

• Average length of stay: 62 days
• Time to admission: On average, adult patients begin inpatient rehabilitation 23 days after injury

Therapy and rehabilitation

Our patients receive extensive therapy, typically ranging from 3-5 hours daily. This includes physical, occupational, and speech therapy, tailored to each patient’s needs.

Patient satisfaction

When asked about the likelihood of their recommending Shepherd Center, patients or their caregivers rated Shepherd Center a 97 out of 100.

Where our patients go after discharge

• Community: 92.8%
• Other Rehabilitation: 5.7%
• Acute care: 1.2%
• Unplanned transfers: 0.6% of patients have an unplanned transfer to an acute care facility.

Self-care goals

69% of adult patients achieve or exceed their anticipated value of self-care upon discharge from Shepherd Center, compared to 64% nationally.

Mobility goals

65% of adult patients achieve or exceed their anticipated value of mobility upon discharge from Shepherd Center, compared to 66% nationally.

Mobility scores tell us how much help a patient needs with activities like sitting, standing, walking, using a wheelchair, or going up and down stairs. A physical therapist helps patients get better at doing these activities on their own. If the scores go up from when the patient first came in to when they left, it means the patient got better at doing these activities independently.

Personal goals and progress

91% of adult patients reach or exceed their expected personal goals during their rehabilitation. Patients work with their therapy team to come up with goals. These goals may focus on physical or mental abilities that patients want to return to doing, or it can be something new. A few examples include:

• “I want to be able to cook a meal with my grandchildren.”
• “I can manage my household finances.”
• “I want to be able to feed myself.”

Who we treat

Each year, we provide outpatient treatment for 16 adolescents with spinal cord injuries.

Injury types

• C1-C4: 36%
• C5: 7%
• C7-C:8 14%
• T1-T6: 7%
• T7-S5: 36%

Patient ages

12-17 years old (average age is 17)

Patient genders

• Male: 75%
• Female: 25%

Type of outpatient visits

• Day program: 52 visits
• Outpatient program: 9 visits

Patient satisfaction

When asked about the likelihood of their recommending Shepherd Center, patients or their caregivers rated Shepherd Center a 100 out of 100.

Personal goals and progress

90% of adolescent outpatients reach or exceed their expected personal goals during their outpatient experience. Patients work with their therapy team to come up with goals. These goals may focus on physical or mental abilities that patients want to return to doing, or it can be something new. A few examples include:

• “I want to return to playings sports.”
• “I want to be able to play video games with my friends.”
• “I want to be able to make my own meals.”

Who we treat

Each year, we provide outpatient treatment for 486 adults with spinal cord injuries.

Injury types

• C1-C4: 32%
• C5: 12%
• C6: 9%
• C7: 8%
• T1-T6: 15%
• T7-S5: 27%

Patient ages

The average adult outpatient with a spinal cord injury at Shepherd Center is 48 years old. The age breakdown includes:

• 18-25: 18%
• 26-35: 19%
• 36-45: 15%
• 46-55: 18%
• 56-65: 15%
• 65+: 15%

Patient genders

• Male: 70%
• Female: 30%

Type of outpatient visits

• Day program: 47 visits
• Outpatient program: 11 visits

Patient satisfaction

When asked about the likelihood of their recommending Shepherd Center, patients or their caregivers rated Shepherd Center a 97 out of 100.

Personal goals and progress

94% of adult outpatients reach or exceed their expected personal goals during their outpatient experience. Patients work with their therapy team to come up with goals. These goals may focus on physical or mental abilities that patients want to return to doing, or it can be something new. A few examples include:

• “I want to be able to cook a meal with my grandchildren.”
• “I can manage my household finances.”
• “I want to be able to feed myself.”