For those in Georgia and surrounding states, even for those in faraway states looking for top-level care, the Southeastern Regional SCI Model System located at the Shepherd Center is one of the top spinal cord injury rehabilitation centers in the country and it is the largest model system of care for spinal cord injury in the country.
Established in 1982, the Southeastern Regional SCI Model System has a robust research program that makes it stand out among other SCI Model System Centers. It is known for helping grow the National SCI Statistical Center. This database consists of information from more than 28,000 people with a spinal cord injury.
The Southeastern Regional SCI Model System may not be the oldest in the country, but it certainly has the most research and patient services. To learn more about its programs and the research it conducts, continue reading about the Southeastern Regional SCI Model System below.
Services Provided
Like any SCI model system of care, the Southeastern Regional SCI Model System and the Shepherd Center offer some of the best spinal cord injury rehabilitation in the country. Offering both inpatient and outpatient services, patients who come to the Shepherd Center for their spinal cord injury rehabilitation know they are getting some of the best care in the country.
In addition to the standard rehab services one would expect such as sports and recreation, they offer a one-on-one peer support specialist, dietary assistance, mental health support, and chaplain support. And for those in their teenage years, the Shepherd Center offers an Adolescent Spine Program.
For those who have progressed to outpatient status, they have an SCI Day Program to help increase the independence level of their patients. Vocational services are also offered, which was initially a research program. The same goes for their Adventure Skills Workshop, Spinal Cord Injury Prevention Program, Advocacy Program, and their community outreach services.
A whole host of SCI educational materials are also provided by the Southeastern Regional SCI Model System. This includes SCI e-books, SCI fact sheets, and brochures, and their ongoing SCI webinars on a variety of SCI-related topics https://www.shepherd.org/resources-healthcare-professionals/webinars
Research
To be an SCI model system center, the facility must conduct research on a regular basis. As for the Southeastern Regional Spinal Cord Injury Model System Center, a large amount of research occurs. There are dozens of active research projects currently happening here. They occur in all areas of research including assistive technology, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, stroke, pain management, and concussions.
As for their research on spinal cord injuries, their research includes stem cell research, exoskeleton/gait research, whole-body vibration, tracking activity to improve the prognosis of mobility, and bladder research on indwelling catheters (and how people manage their bladder health on a day-to-day basis).
They also have their RESET Trial which is for people with chronic spinal cord injuries. This research is testing a drug called ReNetX and its ability to regenerate neurons, as well as its safety and tolerability. The Shepherd Center participates in FDA-regulated SCI clinical trials, which is a huge boon for new injuries. To see all of their ongoing research projects, click here https://www.shepherd.org/docs/NLRC/Active-Projects-List_Mar-2021.pdf
And finally, if you're seeking podcasts on spinal cord injury-related topics, you'll find several on their site. It’s called Shepherd Center Radio and you can find all past shows here https://www.shepherd.org/about/radio
- Learn more: https://www.shepherd.org/resources-healthcare-professionals/research/model-system-of-care
