Shepherd Center

The Shepherd Center is the nation’s largest catastrophic care hospital specializing in treatment and rehabilitation for paralyzing spinal cord injuries, acquired brain injury, multiple sclerosis and other neuromuscular disorders. It is also a major research center and a Spinal Cord Model Center, as designated by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. Each year, more than 850 patients are admitted with an average inpatient stay of four to six weeks. The facility also handles nearly 30,000 outpatient clinic visits each year. To meet the growing demand for services, the Shepherd Center selected Heery to design a major expansion to double the size of its facilities.

The $53 million project consisted of an eight-story expansion of 105,000 SF and a four-story 66,480 SF vertical expansion on top of the existing building, for a total of 171,480 new SF.  Renovation of the existing Marcus Building encompassed 86,850 SF of clinical and support space. Known as the new Jane Woodruff Pavilion, the addition increased the number of patient beds from 100 to 120. The expansion/renovation provided additional private patient rooms, updated and expanded areas for patient therapy and other programs, new therapy gyms, a new cafeteria and dining area, a larger intensive care unit and additional office and meeting space. It also featured a new lounge for families, a large volunteer workspace and more clinical facilities to expand and centralize Shepherd Centers outpatient services area.

Three major challenges for the project were the constrained and densely developed site, existing structural limitations and the need for minimal disruption of ongoing services. A new, more accessible central energy plant was designed for the adjacent parking deck to house chillers, generators, boilers and other heavy mechanical equipment.