College of Health and Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Join Forces

“With our commitment to research that improves human health and to experiential learning for students, partnership is essential to the success of College of Health in all sectors,” said College of Health Dean Beth Dolan.

In a new series, the College of Health spotlights six key partners, Good Shepherd Rehabilitation, BAYADA Home Health Care, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Geisinger Health System, St. Luke’s University Hospital Network, and Lehigh Valley Health Network.

Good Shepherd Rehabilitation is a key partner of the College of Health (COH) in the area of disability health equity. A nationally recognized physical rehabilitation services provider based in the Lehigh Valley, Good Shepherd specializes in the treatment of stroke, spinal cord and brain injury, and other complex medical conditions. In July 2023, Good Shepherd opened an expansive rehabilitation hospital in Center Valley, offering world-class care and utilizing technology in innovative ways to help patients.

Emily Lyter, Administrative Director for Good Shepherd Learns, Creates, and Clinical Research, recalls that initial discussions with College of Health leadership began about a year ago. The College of Health and Good Shepherd very much align on their dedication to improving health and health outcomes for individuals living with disability, Lyter said.

Since then, Good Shepherd has sponsored the College of Health’s Colloquium Series focused on disability independence. Additionally, Good Shepherd’s upcoming Leading Disruption: A Health-Care Innovation Summit features panelists from Lehigh University, including Provost Nathan Urban, Vice Provost for Entrepreneurship Lisa Getzler, and COH Dean Beth Dolan.

Other efforts connect Lehigh faculty members with Good Shepherd clinicians and staff to drive collaborative research and innovation projects and create experiential learning opportunities for students. 

Lisa Lindley, COH associate professor, is working with Good Shepherd staff on a community health needs assessment around Empower+. This project seeks to better understand how to tailor education events to meet community needs, focused on technologies and promoting a high quality of life and independence, Lyter said.

Additionally, a new technology pioneered by COH faculty member Vinod Namboodiri to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities is a prime example of shared research and innovation between Lehigh and Good Shepherd. MABLE (Mapping for Accessible Built Environments) is a tool that provides customized real-time mapping and routing information for indoor spaces through a digital app.

“It’s very exciting to be one of the first to have this kind of indoor navigation system that really speaks to our community,” said Lyter, noting that while MABLE was initially designed to serve people with visual deficits it has the power to serve people with other challenging disabilities. “How can we collaborate and combine those perspectives so that we can really help impact the most people?”

Good Shepherd will assist with mapping facilities within their network and within the community, conduct focus groups, provide a clinical consultant from their vision program, and participate in product testing and trialing. The collaboration ensures that community members are equal partners in the entire research process through a community-based participatory research framework.

“Good Shepherd’s immediate embrace of MABLE is a great example of the power of combining Lehigh’s expertise in assistive technology for people with disabilities with a commitment to innovative direct patient care,” said Dolan.

She added, “I am so excited about this strong partnership because of the collaborative commitment to research and innovation that improves the lives of people with disabilities within and beyond health care systems.”