ALLENTOWN, PA (July 19, 2022) — Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network has welcomed future physiatrists in training to its South Allentown campus, officially launching a partnership with the Temple University Hospital Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Residency Program.
Good Shepherd’s collaboration with Temple matches nine highly qualified candidates in the field of physiatry for a three-year categorical training program at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital, 850 S. 5th St. in Allentown. The primary aim of the Temple University Hospital PM&R Residency Program at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network is to train physicians who specialize in PM&R. For more than 53 years, Temple has been a highly ranked training program and was one of the first programs in the country to create a formalized residency program in the field of PM&R.
“It truly is an honor to partner with such a high-performing residency program,” said Sandeep Singh, MD, Good Shepherd’s senior vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer. “Temple has produced some of the most prominent physician leaders in our industry, and we intend to carry on that legacy and enhance the program’s existing reputation.”
Through the Temple University Hospital/Good Shepherd partnership, residents will have a majority focus on inpatient rehabilitation experience at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital, including brain injury medicine, stroke rehabilitation, medical rehabilitation and spinal cord injury medicine. The residents also will have the opportunity to experience ambulatory services relevant to chronic disease populations.
“I am anticipating that this collaboration between Temple University Hospital and Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network will bring our already stellar PM&R residency program to a new level of training excellence,” said Sam S. H. Wu, MD, MA, MPH, MBA, professor and chair, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.
“It is our goal to provide an experience where training residents can fully understand the breadth and scope of physiatry,” said Dr. Singh. “We are modeling our training around the future of value-based care and will inspire our future physiatrists to be thoughtful, forward-thinking clinical leaders, who will impact the outcomes of the communities we serve — primarily people with complex injuries and chronic disabilities — for decades to come.”
Several of Good Shepherd’s physicians will serve as faculty within Temple’s PM&R Department and will have direct responsibility for the program’s success and integrity. Many other Good Shepherd departments will collaborate with the residents to explore and enhance opportunities for research, education and quality improvement.
Good Shepherd is building a state-of-the-art inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, that will serve people with complex medical conditions, such as stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury and other serious illnesses or injuries.
About Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network
Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network, a broadly recognized, not-for-profit rehabilitation leader with more than 70 locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, is committed to transforming lives through expertise, innovation and compassion. Good Shepherd provides an exceptional patient experience for people of all ages and stages by developing leading-edge solutions, often for complex medical situations; serving as a test site for the newest rehabilitation technologies; and inspiring hope in all we do. Good Shepherd traces its pioneering spirit for innovation and compassionate care to its founding family, The Rev. John “Papa” Raker and D. Estella “Mama” Raker. In 1908, the Rakers opened the Good Shepherd Home to care for children with disabilities and senior citizens, filling an unmet community need — and setting the stage for Good Shepherd’s continued growth as a rehabilitation groundbreaker. Headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Good Shepherd also partners with Penn Medicine to provide rehabilitation and specialty services in the greater Philadelphia area and New Jersey through Good Shepherd Penn Partners.