“I love the team I work with at PRHC. The speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are a dedicated and passionate team of therapists with a strong belief in evidence-based practice and patient-centered care,” says Holly Florence, an SLP who has worked at PRHC for 18 years.
“Our group is innovative and very motivated to implement current research in our everyday practice. We get to work with a diverse group of patients and with a number of different services and staff throughout the hospital.”
A typical day for Holly involves triaging newly-referred patients in the morning and providing follow-ups throughout the day, with a mix of outpatient appointments and inpatient visits around the hospital.
The small-but-mighty speech-language pathology team at PRHC includes five (5) SLPs and one Communication Disorders Assistant (CDA), working together to prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive communication, and swallowing disorders in patients of all ages – from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to supporting end-of-life care.
“Becoming an SLP involves obtaining an undergraduate degree with required courses in the sciences and communication, followed by a master’s degree. This profession is great for people who are looking for a fast-paced career with many different areas of speciality. I would highly recommend volunteering or shadowing with SLPs/CDAs in the community and in the hospital to get an idea of the diversity of what a SLP can do,” says Holly.
