Tag: Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences

NSU’s Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program alumnae, Lauren Tome, M.S., CCC/SLP, was featured in Joe DiMaggio Children’s hospital “Catch the Love this Season” as they celebrate those who have hands that heal and hearts that care.

As part of an inpatient rehabilitation team in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, here are some “wow” moments centered on healing I’ve experienced as a Speech-Language Pathologist.

Lauren stated her wow moment was “Watching a mom and/or dad safely per oral feed their premature infant for the first time using compensatory strategies and identifying their infant’s cues that I was able to teach them as their Speech-Language Pathologist”.

NSU’s Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program alumnae Krista Hadeed, M.S., CCC/SLP, (2015), and Samantha Novick, M.S., CCC-SLP, (2015), were awarded the 2020 Distinguished Early Career Professional (ECP) Certificate by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

This certificate was created to recognize ECPs in audiology and speech-language pathology who are making an impact in the areas of leadership, volunteering, or advocacy at the local, state, and /or national level. Both recipients are well deserving of this certificate and require a highlight of the wonderful work they have done and continue to do, https://www.asha.org/about/awards/distinguished-early-career-professional-certificate/.

 

Krista currently owns a private practice in which she focuses on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and family-centered care. Her love for AAC began when she assisted in the inception and implementation of an AAC pilot program at a local private school during her clinical fellowship. This work eventually led her to co-presenting at the ASHA national convention about AAC.

More recently, Krista’s work has shifted to supporting the identifiable needs of AAC users and their families. As a result, she has provided free in-services to fellow SLP peers, co-founded a support group for caregivers with AAC users, and started a company that creates easy and engaging core word vocabulary activities that “fit into the busy lives of families.”

Samantha is also the owner of a private practice whose contributions and leadership skills shine inside and outside the clinic. Sam’s “passion for communication, equity and justice, and supporting leaders of the future” has led her to collaboratively starting an inclusive literacy program in 2016 with the non-profit organization, The Friendship Journey (TFJ). As she continued volunteering with TFJ, Sam transited from activity director of literacy programs to vice president of operations and then eventually president. In 2018, she mentored and helped a peaceful protest for the Parkland March for Our Lives.

This past summer, Sam served as a camp director for a virtual summer camp for teens and adults with disabilities, called Camp Wings of Friendship. Sam also plans to attend an Apraxia Boot Camp because she specializes in apraxia and “wants to serve her clients and their families better.”

 

 

The Department of Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) is excited to acknowledge alumnus Samantha Novick, who was the recipient of the WPLG Local 10 LIFEchanger Award.

This award recognizes a “hometown hero who has made a positive impact at a pivotal point in someone’s life.” Samantha was nominated by a camper from Camp Wings of Friendship, a free 8-week virtual summer camp for teens and adults with disabilities, that Samantha started and led this summer of 2020. Several NSU SLP Graduate Students served as assistant counselors and supported campers throughout various camp activities.

The Friendship Journey of South Florida, the nonprofit organization where Samantha serves as president, and Dylan’s Wings of Change of Connecticut, co-created Wings of Friendship to foster dialogue, develop friendships and deepen connections amongst individuals of all abilities in a safe, virtual space. NSU SLP graduate students continue to do community work in their ongoing programming.

We are so proud of you, Samantha!

 

 

 

Many people knew and loved Ashley Kaye Hess, a cheerleader, dancer, teacher, and NSU speech-language pathology master’s candidate, before she was killed in a tragic car accident on May 14, 2016 at the age of 28. On May 14, 2020, Brittany Hendrix was awarded the first “Make the Most of the Dash/Ashley Kaye Hess Changing Lives Scholarship”.

Brittany Hendrix is a 27-year-old graduate from Freed-Hardeman University where she received a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Spanish. She is currently a graduate student at Nova Southeastern University pursuing her master’s degree in speech-language pathology with the intent to graduate in December of 2020. She has a special interest in feeding and swallowing and working in early intervention with medically fragile children in the birth to three population.

Brittany Hendrix was born in Tennessee but moved to Aruba at the age of six where she lived for eight years. In 2007 she and her family returned to Tennessee where she completed high school and college. She met her husband, Riley, in college and they were married in Florida in 2014.

Brittany Hendrix has most recently worked as the Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) coordinator at Meadowbrook Elementary School in Fort Lauderdale. She has also worked for the Broward County schools system for the past six years. She has taught fifth grade gifted/high achievers, third grade, and LLI. She has always enjoyed working in title-1 schools with a high ESOL population.

She currently resides in Coral Springs with her husband, Riley Hendrix, her two daughters, 4-year-old Juliette and nine-month old Charlotte, one cat, two dogs and a fish. She especially enjoys traveling, reading, playing board games, and spending time at home with her family.

Brittany met with Ashley’s mother Lisa and Brittany stated, “I am deeply honored to be the inaugural winner of the scholarship and will make Ashley’s legacy part of my career goals and dedication to my patients.”

The College of Health Care Sciences hosted the 16^th annual Ethics Bowl Competition on Thursday, February 27, 2020.  This annual interprofessional experience brings students together from different health care professions to engage in thoughtful deliberation about current ethical issues in healthcare.

Seventy-four students, faculty coaches, faculty judges, and staff moderators participating from the following professions:

• Physician Assistant
• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Anesthesiology Assistant
• Nursing Ft Lauderdale
• Pharmacy
• Nursing Palm Beach
• Medical Sonography

Teams practiced together for many weeks with the hopes of winning the Ethics Bowl trophy. It was a close competition, but the Nursing team from the Palm Beach campus won the final round and took home the gold medals. Physical Therapy earned silver medals this year and the Physician Assistant program rocked the house with a large and boisterous group of faculty and students adorned in costumes waving homemade signs.

The practice of ethics is the systematic, reasoned deliberation regarding values and the appropriateness of choices that are made in the ever-changing circumstances of personal and organizational life. Health care ethics specifically focuses on matters of health, life and death that arise from the complex relationships among medicine, science, technology, and society.  Some of the cases the student teams considered involved the opioid epidemic, organ donation, and a young girl with AIDS.

 

Wren S. Newman, SLP.D., CCC-SLP, department chair and assistant professor for Speech Language Pathology at Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences, contributed a chapter to a book published in November 2019 titled The Clinical Education and Supervisory Process in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Authors Elizabeth McCrea and Judith Brasseur assembled important current research and best practices in clinical education and supervision into one comprehensive resource. Dr. Newman, considered an expert in the field, contributed the chapter on “The Ethics of Clinical Education and Supervision.”

Dr. Newman first began presenting on the topic of supervision in the field of Speech-Language Pathology in 2000 and has published numerous articles since to address individual and cultural differences in supervision as well as ethical issues associated with the supervisory process. As the department chair for the largest speech language pathology program in the country, which is being offered at the master’s level at seven locations throughout the state of Florida, online, and in blended formats via cohorts in California and Washington state, Dr. Newman has developed unique expertise in distance training of clinical supervision. Dr. Newman has an extensive history of service to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), serving on multiple committees and boards, including, but not limited to, the Board of Ethics, the Council for Clinical Certification, and the Committee on Leadership.

The Clinical Education and Supervisory Process in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology by Elizabeth McCrea and Judith Brasseur is now available at online book retailers including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

For more information on Nova Southeastern University’s Speech-Language Pathology program offered at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels, visit https://healthsciences.nova.edu/slp/masters/index.html.

 

After crossing paths with some of life’s obstacles, veteran Candice L. Caesar has continued to have a positive outlook on life. Caesar’s persistent attitude and dedication, she has earned the title of a true female warrior. She recently won the Moody Endowment Award for Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year from Achilles International.

Although Caesar currently works as a speech language pathologist, her goals didn’t always include providing patients with the gift of communication. Caesar had originally intended to serve in the Army for 20 years. Her grandfather was a World War II veteran and her father was a Vietnam War veteran, so their perseverance had sparked the interest.

“Freedom isn’t free. Someone has to pay the price,” Candice Caesar said. “Someone has to sacrifice for your liberty, why not me?”

In spite of the fact that Caesar didn’t expect any surprises within the military, the bond shared between servicemen and women had amazed her, especially since, as an only child, she had never experienced a sibling relationship.

“I am an only child and I have never seen strangers bond like we do,” Caesar said. “It is great [to] know someone is watching my six. It is like joining an elite brotherhood.”

Unfortunately, due to a paralytic injury Caesar had to retire from the Army after serving for seven and a half years. Although Caesar was unable to serve for as long as she intended, her years of service are shown honor and appreciation through Veteran’s Day celebrations.

“However people wish to honor us is the best way,” Caesar said. “We appreciate that someone appreciates the sacrifices we made for our country.”

Despite her career goals taking an unexpected turn, Caesar decided to find light in the darkest of situations. Caesar was told she would never walk again due to a brain and spinal cord injury which left her paralyzed. After her surgery she worked with a speech language pathologist (SLP) on cognitive retraining, swallowing, and speech. Shortly after working with the SLP, Caesar grew inspired.

“I was so amazed with her and my progress that I decided I wanted to help others and become a speech language pathologist,” Caesar said. “Communication is very important. I remember what it was [like] to not be able to share my wants and needs with others. The gift of communication is the best gift anyone can receive.”

Caesar is a Nova Southeastern University (NSU) Master of Speech-Language Pathology alumna. After being medically retired from the Army, NSU’s online program was very accommodating and fit with Caesar’s schedule. She was able to work as a speech assistant during the day and attended necessary classes online at night.

“The faculty and staff were knowledgeable and personable,” Caesar said. “I could not have asked for a better fit.”

Whether it is overcoming a medical challenge or establishing a new goal, Caesar’s never-ending hunger to serve allows her to remain unstoppable. Even though she can no longer serve in the Army, Caesar continues to show her desire to serve as a speech language pathologist.

“Pray and do what God wants you to do. You will know which path to take,” Caesar said. “Sometimes there are struggles. Sometimes it seems as though you cannot make it. You can, because you are stronger than you think.”

We are so proud of you Candice! Today we honor you and all veterans. Go NSU Sharks!