Faith is a hospital-based SLP who is a speech and swallowing therapist. She helps her patients with swallowing disorders once again be able to eat and swallow safely and comfortably.

In the acute care hospital setting, the Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) plays a key role in the assessment and treatment of individuals who experience difficulty with swallowing, also known as dysphagia. Dysphagia is caused by a wide range of diagnoses including neurological disease, head and neck cancer, stroke, traumatic brain injury and dementia. Furthermore, conditions related to hospitalization, such as prolonged intubation can also contribute to or cause dysphagia. Individuals with dysphagia have an increased risk for pneumonia and malnutrition. As an acute care SLP, Faith’s goal is to use the best available research to support medically complex patients and their families to reach their goals related to swallowing, whether that be tube feed weaning, minimizing aspiration risk, or improved quality of life through recreational eating and drinking.