Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network has welcomed future physiatrists in training to its South Allentown campus, 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. Fifth St., 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 in the United States to create a residency in PM&R.

“It truly is an honor to partner with such a high-performing residency program,” said Sandeep Singh, MD, Good Shepherd 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,” said Singh.

Through the Temple University Hospital-Good Shepherd partnership, residents will have a majority focus on inpatient rehabilitation 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 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,” Singh said.

Several Good Shepherd physicians will serve as faculty in Temple’s PM&R Department and will have 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, Upper Saucon Township, that will serve persons with complex medical conditions, such as stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury and other serious illnesses or injuries.