Redefining Rehab

A culture of collaboration like no other

While we may be in the business of recovery, we consider what we do as a launchpad to what is possible.

For five decades, we’ve sought to go beyond conventional limits on rehabilitation and independence for people with spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and other complex neurological conditions. Our model of care is rooted in the prognosis of possibilities, and we consider all resources and solutions: treatments, technologies, adaptive devices, data, and most importantly, optimism mixed with a lot of ingenuity.

We engage clinicians, scientists, educators, engineers, industry partners, community groups and advocates, and importantly, people with neural conditions and disabilities, on a shared mission to challenge what rehabilitation and recovery look like.

Through partnerships with industry and academic institutions from around the globe, we move quickly from clinician insight to a co-designed solution. And thanks to open-source models and real-world usability testing, many of our innovations aren’t just for Shepherd patients — they’re for everyone.

Fifty years of experience and adaptation

With 50 years of applied research and innovation, our recent clinical research continues to reshape what we understand about recovery. Recent breakthroughs include:

• Brain injury research is uncovering how interdisciplinary care and spiritual wellness can better support identity, memory, and community reintegration.
• Spinal cord injury research SCI research is shaping the future by finding ways to drive new neural connections after injury and turning these insights into accessible innovations to improve walking, hand use, and spasticity
• Multiple sclerosis studies show how exercise and fatigue interact, leading to new approaches in home-based therapy.
• Wearable tech and AI from partnerships like Kemtai and Sensoria bring real-time, data-driven feedback to patients and clinicians, optimizing therapy sessions and enhancing standards of care.

Each of these insights helps point the way toward care improvements — helping close the gap between discovery and delivery

Expanding what’s possible

Because of the research and innovation being carried out at Shepherd Center:

• People with disabilities are returning to school, work, sport, and parenting with greater independence than ever before.
• Assistive technologies are more affordable, personalized, and accessible — thanks to our co-design approach and the generosity of the Travis Roy Foundation.
• Rural communities and global audiences receive virtual wellness content in multiple languages through our Best Health Suite.
• Clinicians have access to powerful tools like Shepherd’s analytics dashboards, helping them make smarter decisions, faster.
• New assistive technologies are featured in our Smart Tech Hub so patients and clinicians can evaluate what tools are a good fit for their needs before they invest in new tech.

We’re enhancing quality of life at every stage of recovery.

Looking ahead

We’re just getting started. Our plans for the future include:

• Bringing more patient-informed technologies to consumers at Shepherd, across the country and around the world through the interdisciplinary research and development undertaken in the Innovation Institute.
• Expanding global access to rehabilitation content through virtual platforms and multilingual support.
• Integrating mental health, neuropsychological research, and community reintegration into rehabilitation, ensuring cognitive well-being are treated as essential components of recovery
• Shape new research and collaborations through data transparency and payer education, ensuring equitable access to innovation.

By reimagining rehabilitation, we are changing everyday outcomes that can transform a person’s whole life.