Communication disorders can have far-reaching consequences in healthcare.

Guest: Hilary Sample, MA, CCC-SLP

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In this episode of Brainstorms, host Renee Garrett, MSEd, CCC-SLP, CBIS, is joined by Hilary Sample, MA, CCC-SLP, to examine how conditions such as aphasia, dysarthria, apraxia of speech, and cognitive-communication disorders can create barriers to receiving high-quality medical care. Together, they discuss why effective communication is critical to healthcare and what clinicians across settings need to know.

About the Guest: Hilary Sample, MA, CCC-SLP, is a medical speech-language pathologist and co-founder of MedConcerns. Drawing on her experience in acute care and inpatient rehabilitation, she partnered with a physician to develop practical tools that help healthcare teams communicate more effectively with patients who have aphasia and other communication disorders.

Show Notes:

Hilary Contact: @medconcerns @hilarysampleslp

MedConcerns: https://medconcerns.com/

References:

• Kagan et al. (2024). Journal of Communication Disorders, 107, 106390
• Bartlett, Blais, Tamblyn, Clermont & MacGibbon (2008). CMAJ, 178(12), 1555–1562
• Hurtig, Alper & Berkowitz (2018). Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 3(12), 99–112
• Freeman-Sanderson, Morris & Elkins (2019). Australian Critical Care, 32(5), 373–377Shand, Foster, Baker & O'Halloran (2024). International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
• Simmons-Mackie et al. (2010, 2016) systematic reviews on communication partner training (CPT)

Clarification:

Bartlett et al. (2008) found that among patients who experienced preventable adverse events, 46% of those with communication problems experienced multiple events, compared with 20% of those without communication problems.

Developing expertise in voice disorders takes more than what is learned in graduate school.

Guest: Moriah Douglas, MS, CCC-SLP

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Developing expertise in voice disorders takes more than what is learned in graduate school. In this episode of Brainstorms, host Renee Garrett, MSEd, CCC-SLP, CBIS, is joined by Moriah Douglas, MS, CCC-SLP, to discuss how mentorship, clinical experience, and lifelong learning help speech-language pathologists build confidence in the assessment and treatment of voice disorders.

About the Guest: Moriah Douglas, MS, CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist specializing in acute and outpatient medical rehabilitation. She earned her master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in 2024 after completing undergraduate degrees in Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of South Alabama and Athletic Training at the University of West Florida.

Health-literate communication is essential to effective speech-language pathology practice.

Guest: Richard Zraick, PhD, CCC-SLP, CHSE

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In this episode of Brainstorms, Richard Zraick, PhD, CCC-SLP, CHSE, joins host Renee Garrett, MSEd, CCC-SLP, CBIS, to discuss practical, evidence-informed strategies for making clinical communication clearer, more accessible, and more actionable. Together, they examine common barriers to patient understanding and share practical ways to organize information, reduce cognitive load, use plain language without sacrificing clinical accuracy, incorporate teach-back into everyday practice, and create patient education that better supports individuals with communication disorders, cognitive impairments, and varying literacy levels.

About the Guest: Richard Zraick, PhD, CCC-SLP, CHSE, is Professor and formerly the Founding Director of the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Central Florida. He is a Fellow of the American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association. He is also a Certified Health Simulation Educator. He completed his Psychology B.A. (’84) and Speech and Hearing Science M.A. (’87) at the University of Arizona, followed by a Ph.D. from Arizona State University (’98).

Show Notes:

Examining Patient-Provider Language and Interactions in Healthcare (EXPLAIN) Lab

Why Do Intent, Intensity, and Neuroplasticity Matter?

Guest: Laura Langer, MS, CCC-SLP

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In this episode of Brainstorms, host Renee Garrett, MSEd, CCC-SLP, CBIS, is joined by Laura Langer, MS, CCC-SLP, to examine the evidence behind the SPEAK OUT! program and why intentional speech production plays such an important role in treating individuals with Parkinson's disease. Together, they discuss the research supporting SPEAK OUT!, the principles of motor learning and neuroplasticity that guide the program, and how repetition, intensity, and salience work together to create meaningful improvements in communication.

About the Guest: Laura Langer, M.S., CCC-SLP, serves as the Chief Clinical & Research Officer at Parkinson Voice Project, where she is committed to advancing evidence-based care for individuals with Parkinson's disease. She has an extensive background in medical speech-language pathology and clinical education, with a strong focus on neurologic communication and swallowing disorders.

Guest: Valerie James Abbott

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In this episode of Brainstorms, host Renee Garrett, MSEd, CCC-SLP, CBIS, welcomes Valerie James Abbott, parent-advocate and national leader in hearing health awareness, for an important discussion about late-onset hearing loss. Because many children with late-onset hearing loss pass their newborn hearing screening, later-developing hearing changes can be easily missed. Valerie shares both her personal experience as the parent of a child with late-onset hearing loss and her work advocating for improved hearing screening, family support, and better outcomes for deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

About the Guest: Valerie James Abbott is the parent of a child with late-onset hearing loss. As a parent-advocate and leader, she worked for the Center for Family Involvement at the Partnership for People with Disabilities at Virginia Commonwealth University, supporting families of children recently diagnosed with hearing loss. She served as the first parent ever elected chair of the Virginia Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program Advisory Committee, and she led the nonprofit Hands & Voices' return to Virginia.

Follow Valerie IG: valerie.james.abbott

Guest: Sarah Tucker, PT, NCS, AIT, BRM

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This episode of Brainstorms: Functional Rehab for SLPs features Sarah Tucker, PT, NCS, AIT, BRM, discussing the vital role adaptive fitness can play in long-term neuro recovery after formal rehabilitation ends. For individuals living with stroke, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, and other neurological conditions, recovery is often a lifelong process. This conversation explores how adaptive fitness programs can help rebuild strength, confidence, identity, and connection while supporting meaningful participation in everyday life. Renee and Sarah highlight the growing intersection between rehabilitation and inclusive fitness, emphasizing how movement impacts not only physical function, but also cognitive, emotional, and social well-being.

About the Guest:

Sarah Tucker, MPT, is a physical therapist with over 17 years of experience in inpatient rehabilitation and 8 years in outpatient neurological therapy. She earned her Master of Physical Therapy degree from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, in 2002 and has spent her entire clinical career in Newport News, Virginia.

Sarah Tucker IG: Uncharted_Adaptive_Fitness