I have been practicing speech-language pathology for ten years. I currently reside north of Indianapolis where I have the pleasure of working in an outpatient hospital setting that provides speech-language pathology services to patients across the age spectrum. Personally, I love to hike, spend time in nature, be an aunt, and travel near or far.
Since I graduated from Texas Christian University with my Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology, I have had the privilege of providing SLP services in outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities, home health, inpatient hospitals, and schools, which equipped me with a unique opportunity to experience the full scope of our practice. Every job experience and patient interaction has inspired me to expand my skills, increase my knowledge base, and utilize evidence-based practices with the aim of maximizing patient outcomes and improving efficiency and productivity in the workplace. As a testament of my dedication and commitment to improving the the profession of speech-language pathology, I pursued a degree as a Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology at Northwestern University. To learn more about the education, skills, and knowledge obtained in the SLP-D program, visit my education page.
Furthermore, I completed my clinical specialty in the area of operations and process improvement by obtaining my certification as a Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma Healthcare. I believe that as a field, we can excel in our clinical, supervision, and leadership practices and outcomes by implementing methods of operational improvement. By pairing these methods with evidence-based practice, our organizations will continue to evolve into the most efficient and productive systems that lead to higher outcomes.
One of my greatest passions as a speech-language pathologist is the evaluation, treatment, and management of pediatric patients with feeding and swallowing disorders. I love helping children and their families navigate this highly complex process while transforming it into a manageable and fun adventure, where they can see their child blossom and gain skills that improve their nutrition, health, and wellness.
Likewise, I am extremely passionate about patients who have a diagnosis of a cognitive-linguistic impairment due to an acquired brain injury. My area of research is focused on creating a clinical care guideline for the speech-language pathologist for children with mild traumatic brain injuries. Using principles and strategies from my Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Healthcare Certification, I implemented a quality improvement project that utilizes evidenced-based practices and objective data to improve outcomes for patients who have sustained a mild traumatic brain injury. I seek to continue my endeavors for patients recovering from mild traumatic brain injury, while utilizing operations and process improvement strategies to expand and advance best practices.
One additional area of interest I have is higher education. I am fully devoted to the clinical supervision and education of SLP graduate level student clinicians. The SLP-D program equipped me to create and enhance my teaching philosophy and take a deep dive into the use of evidenced-based practices for teaching and supervision. As I enthusiastically educate the next generation of SLPs, I am pursing my teaching certificate in higher education to enrich my teaching and supervision skills.
It is my greatest joy to continue to enhance and utilize my skills, knowledge, and research so that others may achieve their desired goals.
