Speech Pathologist

Facility Type

Long Term Acute Care
Overview

The Speech Pathologist provides direct services to patients including evaluations, individual treatment planning, actual patient treatments, and discharge planning. The Speech Pathologist focuses on improving speech, language, swallowing, cognitive deficits, and hearing disorders to overcome disabilities from a variety of causes. The Speech Pathologist participates as a member of the interdisciplinary team providing support and information within the area of Speech Pathology.

Responsibilities

SUMMARY OF ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
● Assess and evaluate the impact of available patient information on the assessment and treatment process.
● Provide care for the Adult or Geriatric patient, ages 18 years and over.
● Conduct and document a thorough assessment of the patient to determine and diagnose
communicative, swallowing, and cognitive deficits.
● Develop and implement an individualized treatment program in conjunction with the
interdisciplinary team based on the initial evaluation and containing achievable functional short and long term goals.
● Comply with evaluation, treatment, and documentation guidelines described in the clinical policies and procedures.
● Submit patient charges accurately and in a timely manner.
● Enter a progress note in the patient record following each treatment session.
● Revise the patient's treatment program, as needed, based upon patient performance.
● Provide clear, concise discharge instruction including the course of treatment and discharge
recommendations utilizing a prescribed format.
● Orient patients to program services and treatment procedures appropriate to their needs. Inform patients of any potential risk during any procedure.
● Work with clinical staff, patient, and families to maximize patient's use of functional abilities.
● Educate / instruct patients and family and/or other caregiver about therapeutic procedures to be continued by the patient at home following discharge.
● Assist in the referral process when a patient requires additional services following discharge.
Maintain current knowledge of community resources.
● Attend and participate in interdisciplinary team conferences regarding patient progress, problems, or needs.
● Conduct and participate in training interdisciplinary team members on Speech Language Therapy techniques and objectives.
● Act in compliance with corporate, regulatory, and professional standards and guidelines.
● Provide E-Stim treatment as ordered by physician and medically indicated.
● Develop an understanding of responsibilities for recognizing abuse and follow policy for making appropriate referrals/interventions.
● Participate in the Hazardous Material Program. Hazards include exposure to blood and body
fluids, possible communicable diseases, sharp objects and instruments, assorted chemicals and gasses as listed in the Hazardous Materials Program Manual.
● Complies with established Safety and Patient Safety Program practices.
● Develop an understanding of responsibilities for participation and participate in Performance
Improvement activities.
● Attend and participate as required in scheduled staff meetings, interdisciplinary team meetings,
departmental meetings, in-services and training programs.
● Actively participate in continuing education opportunities appropriate to discipline and
responsibilities for self-development and to maintain clinical currency.
● Performs other duties as assigned and required to provide quality care to patients.
● Limit access to protected health information (PHI) to the information reasonably necessary to do the job and share information only on a need to know basis for work purposes.
● Access to verbal, written and electronic PHI for this job has been determined based on job level and job responsibility within the organization. Computerized access to PHI for this job has been determined as described above and is controlled via user ID and password.

Qualifications

Qualifications:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education/Experience:
Current Speech/Language Pathology license to practice in North Carolina.

Language Ability:
Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

Math Ability:
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

Reasoning Ability:
Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

Computer Skills:
To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of basic computer skills and word processing.

Certificates and Licenses:
Current Speech/Language Pathology license to practice in North Carolina. Maintains current BLS certification.

Supervisory Responsibilities:
This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

Work Environment:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include Close Vision, distance vision, Peripheral vision, Depth perception and Ability to adjust focus while performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear.