Memorial Heroes: Denise Smith, Speech Language Pathologist
August 7, 2020
What is your official title?
My title is Speech Language Pathologist.
How long have you worked here at Memorial Medical Center?
I have worked with Memorial for 12 years.
How did you come into this position?
My husband and I had recently moved back here due to a job change for him.I had been working with children for the year prior; however, had always wanted to work in healthcare.There were no open positions at MMC at the time, but I submitted my resume anyways.I received a call back for an interview not to long after that and was offered a position.I love acute care and I have been here ever since.
What was your motivation for a career in Healthcare?
Going through my graduate coursework, I saw healthcare as both challenging and rewarding. I felt by working in healthcare, I would have the opportunity to empower patients to improve their own outcomes and defy expectations in their recover, and I wanted to be a part of that.
What is a typical day like for you?
When I arrive, I prepare the day for the rest of the Speech Language Pathologist team. The patients are divided as needed and then I take to the floors and begin seeing patients. I start with new evaluations and patients that may have been high priority from the previous day. I determine who needs Modified Barium Swallow Studies and then coordinate that with the Radiology team. Once completed, I relay information to doctors and nurses and then begin therapy with the patients themselves.
How would you describe your role’s responsibilities?
The clean-cut definition of my roles are that I’m responsible for evaluating and treating patients who have swallowing and communication impairments; however, this comes in many forms and happens on many different levels in the hospital and looks more like this: We help a person whose brain can no longer send the correct signals to produce basic sentences learn to answer the simplest of questions so he can participate in social activities with others. We rehab someone’s swallowing muscles so they can have a sip of their favorite sweet tea. We have difficult conversations with patients and families regarding the prognosis of their swallow function and possible need for feeding tube. We show someone how to place a speaking valve on their tracheostomy tube so they can tell their family, “I love you”. We have difficult conversations with patients diagnosed with neurodegenerative diseases that will someday strip away their ability to swallow and communicate, while also giving hope of alternatives we can try. We place a voice prosthesis to allow a Laryngeal Cancer survivor to tell his family he loves them, because cancer took his voice box. We participate in end of life care to maintain the highest levels of function and the best quality of life possible.
In what areas do you help patients?
I see in-patients all over the hospital and all ages. I go to Intensive Care Unit, Critical Care Unit, Coronary Care Unit, and all the medical floors, including pediatrics and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. I participate with our Palliative Care Team when needed for both inpatients and outpatients. I see outpatients for swallow evaluations. I specialize in the evaluation and care of patients with Head Neck Cancer and assist in maintaining their swallow function during and after their treatment.
What are some of your interests outside of work?
My faith is a huge part of who I am. I spend as much time as possible with my family. I enjoy camping and playing games. Music is also a large part of my life. Those who are closest to me know I have a song for every situation.
What is your favorite part about working for Memorial Medical Center?
I started here only a year out of graduate school, and I am still here 12 years later. I feel like I have literally grown up here. MMC just feels like home.