Shepherd Center to Receive $100,000 Grant

Buckhead's recently announced that it will receive a grant for $100,000 from Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), a non-profit organization whose mission is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. 

Shepherd Center, which is listed by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top 10 rehabilitation hospitals in the nation, started the SHARE Military Initiative in 2008 to provide rehabilitation care for service members who have sustained a spinal cord or traumatic brain injury while serving the United States on active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan.  Over time, the program has come to focus primarily on servicemen and women who have suffered mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries, considered by many to be the "signature injury" of these conflicts.  

As one of only two civilian rehabilitation facilities in the nation to develop a separate and dedicated military patient program, SHARE, which stands for Shaping Hope and Recovery Excellence, provides a comprehensive continuum of care specifically tailored to meet the needs of each patient, including complimentary housing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, vocational therapy, speech therapy, therapeutic recreation and legal, financial and psychological counseling, among many other programs.  Patients in the SHARE Military Initiative receive their care at no cost to them or their families.  

"It has been an honor serving the men and women of our military,” said Gary Ulicny, Ph.D., president and CEO of Shepherd Center.  “This grant from the Wounded Warrior Project will allow Shepherd Center to continue to help these heroes make a successful transition back to the community. We are extremely grateful for the opportunity."

“Wounded Warrior Project’s vision is to foster the most successful and well-adjusted generation of injured service members in our nation’s history,” said Steve Nardizzi, executive director of WWP. “As part of that vision, we want to create a strong network of community resources and encourage collaboration with other organizations supporting these heroes and their families.” 

It is estimated over 48,000 servicemen and women have been physically injured in recent military conflicts, another 320,000 have experienced a traumatic brain injury while on deployment, and as many as 400,000 additional service members live with the invisible wounds of war including combat-related stress, major depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.