Raquel Emrick

• Provided speech, language, cognitive-communication, and dysphagia evaluations, and evidence-based treatment to adults in a skilled nursing facility, serving both short-term rehabilitation and long-term care caseloads, with a wide range of medical diagnoses.
• Conducted co-treatment sessions with physical and occupational therapists to maximize functional outcomes and promote the carryover of communication, cognitive, and swallowing strategies across disciplines.
• Collaborated closely with dietary staff to determine appropriate diet textures that supported safe intake, while enhancing quality of life, and maintaining the least restrictive diet possible.
• Developed and implemented functional, person-centered SMART goals to support independence, safety, and meaningful participation in daily routines.
• Delivered education to patients, families, and facility staff on communication techniques, aspiration precautions, and safe swallowing practices to maximize patient care and outcomes.
• Participated in interdisciplinary team meetings and care planning discussions to advocate for appropriate therapy services, and effective discharge planning.

Acute Care, Speech-Language Pathologist, 06/2024 - Current

• Provided acute bedside evaluations and treatment for dysphagia, cognition, and speech/language for a variety of patient populations, including stroke, TBI, CPOD, dementia, post-extubation, tracheostomy, cancer, and altered mental status, to maximize patient care and independence.
• Conducted comprehensive bedside swallow evaluations, including chart review, oral motor/cranial nerve exam, PO trials, and patient report, to determine severity, diet recommendations, and plan of care.
• Utilized standardized assessments such as the MAST, MOCA, Boston AM-PAC, O-LOG, COG-LOG, N-DAT, and SCANN to diagnose cognitive communication disorders and speech-language disorders.
• Provided patients and their families with comprehensive explanations of evaluation outcomes, the plan of care, and the next phase of care to promote patient autonomy.
• Collaborated with other hospital staff, such as patient care assistants, doctors, nurses, physical therapists, radiologists, and occupational therapists, to ensure optimal patient care.
• Utilized Epic software to complete all necessary documentation for evaluation and treatment.
• Provide staff education on IDDSI textures, oral care, and the role of SLPs to promote continuity of care.

Acute Care and Outpatient, Graduate Student Clinician, 01/2024 - 04/2024

• Assisted and documented Modified Barium Swallow Studies (MBSS) using the MBS Impairment Profile to interpret results, recommend diet textures, compensatory techniques, and rehabilitation exercises to improve the swallowing mechanism.
• Provided adult outpatient evaluations and interventions for a variety of communication and swallowing disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), aphasia, dysarthria, dysphagia, cognitive-communication disorders, long COVID, apraxia, and degenerative diseases.
• Conducted evaluations using a variety of standardized tests, clinical swallow evaluations, ethnographic interviews, and informal assessments to establish a diagnosis, severity, and functional goals.
• Lead and document Modified Barium Swallow Studies (MBSS) using the MBS Impairment Profile to interpret results, recommend the safest diet textures, and make appropriate referrals
• Utilized Epic software to complete all necessary documentation for outpatient settings, and communicate with other members of the care team.
• Organize a weekly aphasia support group with 10 or more members to foster life participation and teach communication strategies to adults with brain injuries.

• Evaluated and provided intervention for over 60 students spanning 6th to 12th grade, across two separate facilities, to optimize their learning experiences.
• Conducted student evaluations with a variety of standardized assessments, informal assessments, and classroom observations to monitor progress, and determine eligibility for special education services.
• Collaborated with intervention specialists to deliver push-in, classroom-based intervention for special education and emotional disturbance classrooms, to functionally target IEP goals within the curriculum.

Ohio Wexner Medical Center, Acute Care

• Completed cognitive screeners, bedside swallow evaluations, oral motor/cranial nerve exams, and informal observations to determine patient diagnosis and severity level.
• Assessed the anatomy and physiology of the swallowing mechanism by participating in MBSSs and observing fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) to guide evidence-based treatment.

Swallowing Clinic

• Completed a comprehensive swallowing evaluation using a variety of measures, including the Yale Swallow Protocol, Eat-10, oral mechanism exam, cranial nerve exam, and clinical swallow evaluation, to define impairment and guide treatment targets.
• Provided evidence-based dysphagia interventions such as Expiratory Muscle Strength Training (EMST), Surface Electromyography (sEMG), the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI), rehabilitation exercises, and compensatory strategies to improve patients' swallowing function and quality of life.

AAC Clinic

• Provided AAC therapy to a medically complex client to increase the client’s independence and communication effectiveness.

Flaum Center for Stuttering

• Administered standardized tests and analyzed a language sample to determine the diagnosis and severity of stuttering.
• Delivered fluency-shaping strategies and stutter-affirming therapy to improve the patient’s confidence.

Child and School Age Language Clinic

• Delivered teletherapy for a school-age client with ASD to improve pragmatic language skills.

Aphasia Initiative

• Implemented Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST) for 10 or more adults with acquired communication deficits, including aphasia, dysarthria, and apraxia, to improve lexical retrieval skills.