Good Shepherd Rehabilitation

Good Shepherd Rehabilitation is an independent, not-for-profit rehabilitation network headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Pediatric, adolescent and adult patients receive treatment at Good Shepherd for stroke; brain injury; spinal cord injury; bone and joint conditions; aches, pains and strains; cardiac and respiratory illnesses; chronic neurological conditions; and developmental disabilities.

Types of treatment include inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation for adults, adolescents and children; physical medicine and rehabilitation physician services; long-term care; long-term acute care; and supported independent living for people with disabilities. In all, Good Shepherd operates 30 facilities throughout eastern Pennsylvania.

History

The Rev. John ("Papa") and Estella ("Mama") Raker founded the Good Shepherd Home in Allentown in February 1908 to care for orphaned children with disabilities.While serving as the director of the Lutheran Orphan Home in Topton, Pennsylvania, the Rev. Raker met a local woman who had a disabled son. The woman said she had no way to provide care for her son. However, the Rev. Raker had to turn the mother and boy away because the home's charter allowed only "healthy children."In 1907, the Rev. Raker moved to Grace Lutheran mission in South Allentown but insisted that he be allowed to do mission work among children with disabilities as time allowed. His regular pastoral work with the church, however, did not leave much time initially.Then, his wife gave birth to a daughter, Viola, who passed away in infancy. Following the funeral, the Rev. Raker received a letter from another local minister about a child with a disability named Viola Hunt, who he hoped someone could take in.Seeing it as an omen, the Rakers took Viola Hunt in, and she became the first resident of what is now Good Shepherd.

Expansion

Good Shepherd opened its rehabilitation hospital in Allentown in 1967 and expanded the facility in 1983.In August 1980, Good Shepherd opened Good Shepherd Home - Raker Center on its South Allentown campus, providing a long-term care home for individuals with severe disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida and traumatic brain injuries. Good Shepherd opened a second long-term care home in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 2000.

In 2003, Good Shepherd opened Supported Independent Living Apartments on its South Allentown campus.

Good Shepherd and Penn Medicineformed Good Shepherd Penn Partners in 2008 to provide rehabilitation and therapy services in the greater Philadelphia area and parts of New Jersey. Good Shepherd Penn Partners changed names to GSPP Rehabilitation in 2024.Good Shepherd opened a pediatric inpatient rehabilitation unit in Bethlehem in 2009.

In 2022, Good Shepherd started a training program at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital for candidates in the field of physiatry in partnership with the Temple University Hospital Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Residency Program.

Good Shepherd Today

In 2023, Good Shepherd opened a free-standing, 123,000-square-foot, 76-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Center Valley, Pennsylvania.In partnership with Moravian University, Good Shepherd also opened the Empower+ Makerspace and 3D Printing Lab in 2023 at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital.Good Shepherd also opened the Fleming Center for Robotics in Rehabilitation in 2023.

In 2025, Good Shepherd and Lehigh University conducted a Community Health Needs Assessment to collect information on the needs of autism and other neurodivergent conditions in the greater Lehigh Valley.

In June 2026, Good Shepherd announced it would open the first Autism and Neurodevelopmental Wellness Center in the greater Lehigh Valley region in fall 2026. The center will be located on Cetronia Road in Upper Macungie Township.

References

  1. ↑ Lehigh Valley Public Media | PBS39 (2015-01-07). The Raker Legacy - Good Shepherd Story. Retrieved 2026-10-29 – via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ TIMES, Special to THE NEW YORK (1941-05-09). "REV. OR. JOHN H. RAKER; Lutheran Minister Founded Good Shepherd Home, Allentown, Pa". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Whelan, Frank (2019-11-16). "History's Headlines: A Good Shepherd for over 100 years". WFMZ.com. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
  4. ↑ "Good Shepherd unveils rehabilitation hospital in Upper Saucon | Lehigh Valley Press". Retrieved 2026-09-09.
  5. ↑ Devlin, Ron. "Good Shepherd chief dies at 90 ** Conrad Raker turned orphanage into famous rehabilitation hospital.." Morning Call, The (Allentown, PA), FIRST ed., sec. NATIONAL, 20 Nov. 2002, p. A1.
  6. ↑ Wlazelek, Ann (August 23, 1999). "Good Shepherd expands its care levels - Rehab unit buys Muhlenberg facility, rents space in LVH". The Morning Call. pp. B01.
  7. ↑ Wlazelek, Ann (July 27, 2000). "Good Shepherd wins and loses in '99 - Allentown health care company extends services, serves more people but faces a $2.6 million loss due to growth and unexpected expenses". The Morning Call. pp. B01.
  8. ↑ Schwartz, John (2005-04-05). "Apartment House Lifts Barriers for the Disabled". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-10-29.
  9. ↑ WITTMAN, BOB. "Good Shepherd gets conditional approval for apartments ** The rehabilitation organization's plan advances for 18-unit complex for low-income disabled people. ** Allentown." Morning Call, The (Allentown, PA), SIXTH ed., sec. COMMUNITY REPORT, 14 Nov. 2001, p. B3.
  10. ↑ HARDING, KELLY. "Independence from dependency -- There's no price on freedom for these - two residents on Good Shepherd's campus." Express-Times, The (Easton, PA), sec. NEWS, 26 Nov. 2004, p. A12.
  11. ↑ Goldstein, Josh. "Penn Health System to buy Graduate - Graduate Hospital will become a rehabilitation and long-term acute-care facility. Penn will run it in a venture with Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network. - Penn Health System announces plan to buy, convert + - Graduate." Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA), CITY-D ed., sec. BUSINESS, 24 Jan. 2007, p. C01.
  12. ↑ Burling, Stacey. "UPSCALE NAME - Penn Medicine at Rittenhouse will open today at the former Graduate Hospital.." Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA), CITY-D ed., sec. BUSINESS, 8 Jul. 2008, p. C01
  13. ↑ "About | GSPP Rehabilitation, Official Therapy Provider for Penn Medicine". GSPP Rehabilitation. Retrieved 2026-09-10.
  14. ↑ Call, Morning (2014-08-04). "Samuel Miranda Jr.: Good Shepherd's pediatric unit reaches milestone". The Morning Call. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
  15. ↑ "Good Shepherd partners for Temple University residency | Lehigh Valley Press". Retrieved 2026-11-05.
  16. ↑ Genelle, Cierra (2023-07-25). "Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Center opens new hospital in Upper Saucon Twp". WFMZ.com. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
  17. ↑ "At new Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital, technology meets patient comfort". The Morning Call. 2023-07-25. Retrieved 2026-10-27.
  18. ↑ Gombocz, Louis (2021-09-27). "Upper Saucon OKs plans for new Good Shepherd rehab hospital". WFMZ.com. Retrieved 2026-11-05.
  19. ↑ Greiss, Leif. "Good Shepherd to use 3D printing, other technology - Health network to team with Moravian University for emerging care at Center Valley facility - new hospital." Morning Call, The (Allentown, PA), FIRST 1 ed., sec. Main, 16 Sep. 2021, p. 1A.
  20. ↑ "Good Shepherd Rehabilitation unveils new robotics center at Center Valley hospital". The Morning Call. 2023-11-16. Retrieved 2026-10-27.
  21. ↑ Backover, Justin (2023-11-16). "New Fleming Center for Robotics in Lehigh Valley aims to help patients using cutting edge technology". WFMZ.com. Retrieved 2026-11-05.
  22. ↑ "Good Shepherd and Lehigh University want to help people with disabilities. Here's how they'll do it". The Morning Call. 2025-09-20. Retrieved 2026-10-27.
  23. ↑ Kise, Jacob (2026-06-19). "Good Shepherd Rehabilitation says it will open region's 1st Autism and Neurodevelopmental Wellness Center". WFMZ.com. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
  24. ↑ "Wellness Center in the works near Allentown specializing autism, neurodevelopmental wellness". lehighvalleylive. 2026-06-24. Retrieved 2026-10-27.
  25. ↑ Greiss, Leif. "'Nothing is easy' Lehigh Valley parents of children with autism frustrated over long wait times, denials of service." Morning Call, The (Allentown, PA), MCALL ed., sec. News, 19 Jul. 2026, p. A6.