Sonali R. Desai

Clinical Educator: Vanessa Gannon, MS, CCC-SLP

Acute Care - Level I Trauma Center

• Update available upon request due to recent start date and ongoing experience
• Completed speech-language pathology assessment and treatment in a 429-bed, fast-paced Level I trauma center, addressing acute dysphagia and cognitive-linguistic impairments secondary to stroke, traumatic brain injury, and head and neck cancer.
• Participated in 30+ instrumental swallowing evaluations (MBSS and FEES) with clinical analysis and comprehensive documentation, linking physiological swallow deficits to evidence-based diagnoses and treatment planning (projected by May 2026).
• Administered and interpreted bedside and standardized assessments, including ALFA, SLUMS, WAB-Bedside, SCATBI, CLQT+, 3-oz water swallow protocols, oral mechanism examinations, and cranial nerve assessments to inform clinical decision-making.

Clinical Educator: Theresa Weaser, MS, CCC-SLP

Skilled Nursing - Long Term Care, Outpatient Rehab

• Collaborated with assistive technology (AT) specialists and interdisciplinary team members to evaluate and implement appropriate AAC systems supporting functional communication for a patient diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
• Provided patient- and caregiver-centered education on compensatory strategies for cognitive-linguistic and swallowing impairments, emphasizing carryover, safety, cultural responsiveness, and functional communication.
• Conducted speech-language pathology evaluations and treatments to support acute discharge planning for up to 12 patients, while maintaining ongoing therapeutic management for approximately 10 long-term care residents.
• Administered and interpreted standardized and bedside assessments, including MAST, SLUMS, MoCA, EAT-10, BIMS, and AAC evaluations, to inform treatment planning and interdisciplinary decision-making.
• Collaborated with nursing and dietary staff to assess swallowing function, recommend diet modifications, and implement safe swallowing strategies across varied food and liquid consistencies.
• Demonstrated efficient time management and clinical prioritization in a fast-paced medical setting to support evaluation, treatment, documentation, and discharge coordination.

Clinical Educator: Heidi Zamora, MS, CCC-SLP

Skilled Nursing - Long Term Care, Outpatient Rehab

• Conducted comprehensive speech-language pathology evaluations and interventions for adults in post-acute, skilled nursing, and long-term care settings, supporting discharge planning for up to 18 patients while providing ongoing care for approximately 20 long-term residents diagnosed with dementia, Parkinson’s disease, aphasia, and related neurological conditions.
• Designed and implemented functional, patient-centered treatment plans addressing cognitive-communication impairments across domains including orientation, attention, memory, functional recall, medication management, and personal safety.
• Facilitated individual and group therapy sessions utilizing evidence-based cognitive rehabilitation approaches, including spaced retrieval training and semantic feature analysis, to promote generalization across functional tasks.
• Implemented dysphagia management strategies, including swallow trials, compensatory techniques, and clinical monitoring, and recommended referrals for instrumental swallowing evaluations as clinically indicated.
• Utilized the OmniFlow system to support voice intervention for a patient with unilateral vocal fold paralysis, integrating therapy techniques to address functional voice use.
• Observed and clinically analyzed complex FEES procedures under SLP supervision, contributing to assessment interpretation and treatment planning.