For Terry Sheehahn, M.D. ’86, a liberal arts education at Assumption opened the door for a world of helping others in ways he never imagined. His time at Assumption inspired him to study rehabilitation medicine in medical school, then become a caregiver and champion for those with significant physical and mental impairments.
“It was in the Introduction to Rehabilitation class at Assumption that I first learned about the world I now live and practice in,” Sheehan said. “I was driven and pulled toward that area as I went through medical school. Mentors along the way added to what I learned at Assumption and set me on the course to where I am now.”
Since earning his medical degree from State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine and completing his residency in Boston at Tufts University-New England Medical Center Hospitals, Sheehan has become the chief medical officer and director of the amputee program at Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation, an acute rehabilitation facility in Rockville, MD. There, he specializes in the treatment of traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, strokes, amputations, orthopedic injuries and surgeries, and neurological disorders. He was part of the group that opened the rehabilitation hospital, which began in 2001 with six patients and 55 beds and has now grown to 97 beds.
In addition to his professional care of people with diagnoses involving challenging recoveries, Sheehan regularly volunteers his time to advocate for patients who have experienced an amputation. “When I moved down to Maryland, I realized there wasn’t anybody who was championing the care of those with limb loss,” Sheehan said. “I started working with a nonprofit organization called The Amputee Coalition, which is the only advocacy group for those with limb loss. I have been their volunteer medical director since 2007, and I work with them on programs and getting resources out to those with limb loss nationally, as well as advocating for those people.”
Part of that advocacy included participating in Hill Day in Washington, DC, this past April, when Sheehan and his patients were part of a bigger national group who visited the U.S. Senate offices to address issues pertinent to the amputee population.
Sheehan’s impact doesn’t end in the United States; he has participated in several education missions to Haiti and the Dominican Republic sponsored by Physicians for Peace, where he worked with the Walking Free Program to educate and train those taking care of people with limb loss. He also traveled to Haiti with a team of healthcare providers after the 2010 earthquake to care for people with amputations and spinal cord injuries, and to Ecuador in 2012 to provide burn rehabilitation care.
Sheehan credits his Assumption liberal arts education not only with sparking his passion for caring for those with significant impairments and catastrophic injuries, but also with bringing Christian love and compassion to everyone he meets.
“Whether it’s in my interactions with the people I’m fortunate enough to take care of every day, or in some of the other areas that I’ve gotten involved with locally and nationally, it’s all about the light and the joy of Christ that you can add to each and every interaction you have in your life in a very everyday way,” Sheehan said. “It doesn’t have to make a big splash, but it’s important.”
