Appointments and Referrals to the Center for Assistive Technologies

We accept new patients with referrals from healthcare providers and specialists for Shepherd Center’s Driving Evaluation and Rehabilitation Program. A doctor’s referral is a prerequisite before scheduling an appointment. 

To initiate the scheduling process, please follow these steps:

1. We accept a doctor’s order requesting a “PT/OT driving evaluation” or a completed Center for Assistive Technologies Referral Form from your physician.
2. If you have a visual field cut or loss of vision in a particular direction/side or if your distance vision is not 20/60 or better, a Vision Exam and Approval for Driving Evaluation will need to be completed.
3. Ask your doctor to send a copy of your medical history listing your chronic (long-term) and acute (short-term) illnesses. Please fax the records to Shepherd Center at 404-350-7356.
4. Upon receipt of all necessary forms, Shepherd Center will contact you to schedule an appointment.

If you are currently receiving care at the Driving Evaluation and Rehabilitation Program at Shepherd Center, you can request an appointment by calling the Shepherd Center Scheduling Department at 404-355-1144 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

Georgia Medicaid requires prior approval before an appointment can be scheduled. Please take the following steps to help us obtain Medicaid authorization for your visit.

1. Call the Shepherd Center Scheduling Department at 404-355-1144 and ask for outpatient scheduling to begin the process.
2. If Medicaid is your only insurance coverage, you must see your primary care physician listed on your Medicaid card or your primary care physician and obtain a referral for “PT evaluation for seating and mobility.” 
3. Your physician can complete the referral form and fax the information to 404-350-7356. Your physician will need to send a copy of your medical history and recent progress note(s) that list your chronic (long-term) and acute (short-term) illness. This documentation must justify a need to be seen by a therapist for a wheelchair or seating evaluation. Medicaid requires that your provider has seen you within six months of the wheelchair appointment.
4. Once we receive this information from your doctor, a request for authorization will be sent to Medicaid. This process takes 2-3 weeks. 
5. If Shepherd Center receives authorization for the evaluation, the scheduling department will contact you to schedule an appointment.

Medicaid only authorizes one visit within a specific time frame.

You must keep your appointment. Please arrange transportation so that you can keep this appointment. If you cancel or miss the appointment, we cannot reschedule another appointment without getting a new Medicaid authorization.     

All new patients will require a referral from a healthcare provider. You can begin the referral process for your patient by downloading and completing our Center for Assistive Technologies Referral Form.

The completed referral form(s) and pertinent medical records can be faxed to 404-350-7356. 

We accept new patients with referrals from healthcare providers and specialists for Shepherd Center’s Wheelchair Seating and Mobility Clinic. A doctor’s referral is a prerequisite before scheduling an appointment. 

To initiate the scheduling process, please follow these steps:

1. Download the Center for Assistive Technologies Referral Form, which must be completed by your physician and faxed to us. 
2. Upon receipt of all necessary forms, Shepherd Center will contact you to schedule an appointment.

If you have not been contacted within three business days after submitting the referral form, please contact Outpatient Scheduling at 404-355-1144 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

If you are currently receiving care at the Wheelchair Seating and Mobility Clinic at Shepherd Center, you can request an appointment by calling the Shepherd Center Scheduling Department at 404-355-1144 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

A face-to-face visit is required for patients with Medicare funding who are requesting a power wheelchair, power assist device, or scooter. Medicare law requires that patients have a face-to-face examination by their physician to determine if a power mobility device is reasonable and necessary. A work order signed by the provider is also required.

The work order, signed by your provider, must include the following information on the prescription for your wheelchair. 

• Your name
• Description of the item ordered (e.g., power wheelchair/manual wheelchair/scooter)
• Date of completion
  Pertinent diagnosis/conditions that relate to the need for a power mobility device
• Length of need
• Provider signature

The face-to-face examination should include the following:

• List mobility limitations (diagnoses) and their impact on your mobility-related activities of daily living (MRADLs) in your home. Medicare defines MRADLs as bathing, dressing, feeding, grooming, and toileting in customary home locations.
• A comprehensive history and physical examination that includes height and weight.
• Prognosis.
• Physical examination with a focus on functional assessment, assessing difficulty in performing ADLs in standing or with the patient's current device.
• Past use of a cane, walker, manual wheelchair, scooter, or power wheelchair.
• Articulating why a cane, walker, or manual wheelchair cannot meet the patient's mobility needs within the home.
• Documenting the need even if the patient is referred for a PT/OT wheelchair evaluation.

The physician must keep in mind that Medicare requires that the device must be necessary for mobility inside the home to complete ADLs. Medicare will not fund equipment that is needed solely for community use. 

Suppliers will request face-to-face documentation from the physician's chart notes/medical records. The evaluation by the PT or OT does not take the place of the face-to-face requirement.   

Georgia Medicaid requires prior approval before an appointment can be scheduled. Please take the following steps to help us obtain Medicaid authorization for your visit.

1. Call the Shepherd Center Scheduling Department at 404-355-1144 and ask for outpatient scheduling to begin the process.
2. If Medicaid is your only insurance coverage, you must see your primary care physician listed on your Medicaid card or your primary care physician and obtain a referral for “PT evaluation for seating and mobility.” 
3. Your physician can complete the referral form and fax the information to 404-350-7356. Your physician will need to send a copy of your medical history and recent progress note(s) that list your chronic (long-term) and acute (short-term) illness. This documentation must justify a need to be seen by a therapist for a wheelchair or seating evaluation. Medicaid requires that your provider has seen you within six months of the wheelchair appointment.
4. Once we receive this information from your doctor, a request for authorization will be sent to Medicaid. This process takes 2-3 weeks. 
5. If Shepherd Center receives authorization for the evaluation, the scheduling department will contact you to schedule an appointment.

Medicaid only authorizes one visit within a specific time frame.

You must keep your appointment. Please arrange transportation so that you can keep this appointment. If you cancel or miss the appointment, we cannot reschedule another appointment without getting a new Medicaid authorization.     

All new patients will require a referral from a healthcare provider. You can begin the referral process for your patient by downloading and completing our Center for Assistive Technologies Referral Form.

The completed referral form and pertinent medical records can be faxed to 404-350-7356. 

Tips to Prepare for Your First Appointment

• List questions and topics you'd like to discuss with your care team. 
• List of injuries you’ve had. 
• List of current or ongoing issues with your current vehicle. 
• Bring a care partner who can act as a second set of ears, take notes and prompt you if you forget anything.  
• Ask for clarity on anything you don’t understand. Adaptive equipment and medical terms can be daunting, and we want you to feel confident while you're here and after you leave. 

What to Bring for Your First Evaluation 

• Driver's license or photo ID
• Insurance card(s)
• Glasses/contacts if required to drive
• Wheelchair and mobility devices 
• Your vehicle, with or without adaptative equipment 

Late Arrival Policy

• It is very important that you attend all scheduled appointments. We have a strict five-minute grace period. If patients arrive more than five minutes after their appointment, we will reschedule the appointment to a later date.

Tips to Prepare for Your First Appointment 

• List questions and topics you'd like to discuss with your care team. 
• List of injuries you’ve had. 
• List of current or ongoing issues with your current wheelchair. 
• Document any seating-related symptoms you are experiencing and for how long. 
• Bring a care partner who can act as a second set of ears, take notes, and prompt you if you forget anything. 
• Ask for clarity on anything you don’t understand. Equipment and medical terms can be daunting, and we want you to feel confident while you're here and after you leave. 

What to Bring for Your First Evaluation 

• Driver's license or photo ID 
• Insurance card(s) 
• Most current wheelchair and mobility devices provided by insurance

Late Arrival Policy

• It is very important that you attend all scheduled appointments. We have a strict five-minute grace period. If patients arrive more than five minutes after their appointment, we will reschedule the appointment to a later date.