“I don’t need a Speech Therapist…there is nothing wrong with my speech!” This is often the reply I hear after introducing myself to my hospital patients. A person’s only exposure to speech therapy may be from knowing a child who receives speech therapy services at school. It is no wonder my patients question why I have been consulted to play a part in their care. The role of an acute-care Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) at a hospital is unlike that of an SLP in other settings.

The role of a Speech-Language Pathologist in a hospital is not always as conventional as one might think. Acute-care SLPs evaluate and treat a wide variety of conditions from speech, language, and cognition to swallowing, voice, and implementation of assistive devices such as speaking valves and artificial larynges.

A large portion of an acute-care SLP’s caseload in a hospital consists of evaluations for two primary reasons. One, the conditions of hospital patients change rapidly, resulting in the need for additional reassessments to identify their current strengths and weakness. Two, a patient may have multiple impairments. When this is the case, the more critical deficits are evaluated and dealt with first. For example, difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) often is assessed before language or talking deficits - dysphagia is more acutely related to a patient’s health, recovery and overall outcome. 

The following is an example of the type of patient frequently seen by a SLP in a hospital setting:

“Jimmy” was involved in a high-speed motor-vehicle accident on I-40 just west of Flagstaff. He sustained a severe head injury in addition to numerous orthopedic injuries. His jaw was wired closed, he had a tracheotomy tube (breathing tube) inserted and was put on a ventilator so he could breath. Additionally, a feeding tube was inserted into his stomach. Jimmy remained sedated and in this condition for eight days.
 
On day nine, Jimmy no longer required the ventilator to breathe. By day 12, he was awake enough to participate with a SLP in an evaluation for an assistive speaking device to fit his tracheotomy tube. Between days 15 and 17 he was able to participate in a swallowing evaluation (done by a SLP) to see if he was ready to begin eating. Finally, by day 18, Jimmy was able to participate with the SLP in a cognitive-linguistic evaluation which helped determine the effects of this head injury on his thinking abilities. This evaluation assisted his healthcare providers in setting up a rehabilitation plan. 

If you are interested in learning more about Speech Therapy or would like to contact a Speech-Language Pathologist, call The Center for Speech Therapy at Flagstaff Medical Center at 928 773-2125.

Nicole Sasser, M.S., C.C.C.-S.L.P., is a Speech-Language Pathologist at Flagstaff Medical Center. Is there a health topic you’d like to know more about? Please write to Mountain Medicine, c/o Flagstaff Medical Center, Public Relations, 1200 N. Beaver St., Flagstaff, AZ 86001.