The MedSLP Collective Proven Process

Check out this example of how Katie Moore, MS, CCC-SLP, one of our MedSLP Collective Members, walked through the MedSLP Collective Proven Process below:

 

Join:

  • I joined the Medical SLP Collective in January 2019 after a year of listening to Theresa talk about it on her SYP podcast. I took to leap of faith because I have transitioned from working in a large hospital with a team of 10+ SLP’s to bounce ideas off of, to a small community hospital, with an outpatient SLP department of 1 – I was looking for like minded SLP’s to learn and grow from…3 years later, I can confidently say this was the BEST DECISION EVER!

 

Observe:

  • I did not ‘lurk’ for long once I joined the collective, but I did spend my first 1-2 weeks reading almost every single post and comment from other members and mentors.
  • I soaked up all of the resources on the Collective Website, immediately printing off the ClipBoard and making a go-to binder…I still use this binder to this day!
  • I also jumped in with recorded webinar – this is one of the things I LOVE about the collective – at the time, being a mom to a toddler, made it difficult to engage in the live webinars, but being able to access them at any time has been amazing!

 

Participate:

  • I made my first post within my first couple of weeks, asking for help on preparing to interview and OT to bring on as a member of our multi-disciplinary neuro rehab team, of which I was the Team Lead at the time, I received such great feedback from the mentors, that I felt confident (with less than 2 days notice) going in to that interview!
  • My first year in the collective ebbed and flowed between frequent posts, to LOTS of lurking and reading!
  • Over the past 3 years, I have definitely posted a lot more frequently, as I have learned that, it is OK to ask questions, and felt confident asking them in the collective because I knew I was going to get feedback from experts, and I knew that this was a ‘safe space’.

 

Take Action:

  • Since joining the collective in 2019, I have achieved SO many personal and professional goals I would have never imagined:
    • Successfully advocated for and acquired new FEES equipment after 3 long years!
    • Received 3 ACE Awards
    • Taught as an Adjunct Professor at my Alma Mater for the graduate level Dysphagia and Voice Disorders courses
    • Advocated for FEES and RMST during COVID thanks to the AMAZING COVID resources in the collective
    • Established a collaborative relationship with Pulmonary Rehab and Speech therapy for a Quality Initiative for COPD patients to reduce hospital admission and COPD exacerbations with pro-active swallowing interventions and RMST (we just hit 100 patients served)
    • Became Speak OUT!, MDTP and MSBImP Certified
    • Opened a HNC Speech Clinic in our HNC Oncology Surgery Office
  • I have other SLP’s in the community recommending me personally, once patients have transitioned to an outpatient level of care, and routinely have physicians personally reach out to me to schedule their patients
  • I would not have been able to achieve these accomplishments, or grow professionally in these ways, without the Medical SLP Collective

 

Share:

  • One thing that I LOVE about the collective, is that it is also a place to share your wins. I can come home at the end of the day and share my wins with my husband, and, while he is extremely proud, he doesn’t always quite understand just how big some of the wins are, because he’s not an SLP.
  • I love not only sharing my wins in the collective, but also reading other member’s wins – especially when I feel like I’m spinning my wheels on projects, or not making ‘progress’, oftentimes reading about other member’s wins, gets me inspired, or even gives me new ideas to gain momentum again!

 

Lead:

  • Because of the support and growth that the Collective has provided, I have been promoted to “Senior SLP” and am actively working with hospital leadership to further clinical ladder growth opportunities for all SLP’s.
  • Because of the clinical skill growth I have demonstrated over the past several years, I was asked to lead the opening of the new SLP HNC Clinic in our cancer center, working side by side with our HNC Surgeon, Radiation Oncologist and Medical Oncologist to keep care close to home and improve patient outcomes. After this clinic opening, I was asked to create a resource for the collective on how to open a HNC clinic!
  • As an active member of the collective, not only posting questions and wins, but commenting on other member’s posts and participating in the LIVE EVENT, I am now also contributing to the Collective as a member of the Community Engagement Team as well as, as a Mentor.