Servant Leadership (SL) was created to foster a collaborative community for clinicians and students striving to improve clinical knowledge and leadership skills. To date, more than 120 clinicians and students worldwide have completed the program. We are so grateful for everyone who has participated in SL, and for our wonderful panelists who volunteer their time and expertise!
The 2023 cohort kicks off in October. Interested in learning more? Check out this year’s schedule below!
We appreciate all of our volunteers and participants for the 2023 - 2024 cohort.
Check back later this year for 2024-2025 updates!
Founders
Brooke Beilman - Founder
Brooke Beilman is a full-time member of the TIMS Medical leadership team, a part-time graduate school instructor, and serves patients in the acute care and inpatient rehabilitation settings at the University of Iowa and HCA Healthcare. She is a three-time recipient of the ASHA ACE Award, recipient of the Tactile Medical Leadership Award, co-founder of Servant Leadership, and a member of DRS, NFOSD, and SIG13. Brooke has presented at the state and national levels, and has been a guest on the podcasts Understanding Dysphagia, Speech Path Pod, Lymphedema Podcast, and First Bite. She has been the host and guest speaker for continuing education webinars. Brooke is passionate about improving clinician access to resources for evidence-based practice and leadership development. She has experience in acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient rehabilitation, and skilled nursing settings.
Brooke is currently a clinical doctorate student at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions with expected graduation date in 2024.
Kate has 10 years of experience as a medical speech language pathologist and is currently employed with Missouri Baptist Medical Center and Mercy Hospitals in St. Louis, Missouri. She has worked in all settings such as HH, SNF, ALF, IPR, Acute Care, Outpatient Settings, and established her own mobile FEES LLC called Mid MIssouri Dysphagia Diagnostics. Kate strives to improve and elevate her practice based on the most updated EBP and has 4 ASHA ACE awards, primarily in dysphagia diagnostics and treatment. Kate served as an independent contractor for Patcom Medical and Tactile Medical. Some of her skills include certifications in MBSimp and MDTP. Trained in Manual Therapy and the Ampcare modality, achieved FEES competency, and holds Certified Dementia Practitioner credentials. Kate mentored 8 CFYs throughout their fellowship years. She finds joy in education and was a guest on Swallow Your Pride Podcast regarding instrumental evaluations, Speech Therapy PD Podcast surrounding Decision Making and Dysphagia, & Live Better Longer Podcast with general dysphagia education. She has presented at the community, university, and state levels surrounding dysphagia, EMST, Head and Neck CA, and dysphagia advocacy.
Kate Hoener - Founder
2023 - 2024 Servant Leadership Panel
Aaron Padilla
Aaron Padilla is an acute care speech pathologist with Presbyterian Healthcare Services at Rust Medical Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. He is a board certified specialist in swallowing and swallowing disorders and enjoys bridging the gap between the research lab and clinical world through implementation science. Aaron feels it is a tremendous privilege to be a clinician researcher by advancing the science of swallowing and its disorders all the while providing clinical care. He has been a member of the Swallow Disorders Research Lab under the direction of Phyllis Palmer, at the University of New Mexico since 2012. His current research interests include host considerations and risk mitigation.
Amanda Pfeil
Amanda received her Bachelor’s in Psychology and Communication Sciences & Disorders, as well as her Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from Baylor University. She currently serves as a SLP Clinical Program Consultant for ACP (Accelerated Care Plus) which has both the Synchrony sEMG dysphagia and OmniFlow respiratory biofeedback technologies.
Prior to her consultant job she has worked in many settings including schools, private practice pediatrics, skilled nursing, outpatient hospital, and acute care. Amanda holds certifications and competencies in MDTP, MBSImp, Speak Out, and NMES.
She is a member of the ASHA Special Interest Group 13, Dysphagia Research Society, MedSLP Collective, ASHA STEP mentor program, and California Speech Language Hearing Association. ASHA recognized her passion for continued learning with an ACE (Award for Continuing Education) in 2021. Amanda has always enjoyed continuous learning and sharing evidence base practice with the “P” (patient values) being the forefront of her treatment.
Eric Blicker
Eric Blicker CCC-SLP.D BCS-S has been a Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders since 2008. That same year, Dr. Blicker received his Clinical Doctoral degree from Nova Southeastern University. In 2000-2001, he was trained at Columbia University in Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing with Sensory Testing (FEESST) by Dr. Jonathan Aviv, the otolaryngologist who developed FEESST. Eric has started multiple Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) programs in the United States while training speech-language pathologists and physicians in the process
Jenny Opalinski
Jenny Opalinski is a practicing medical Speech-Language Pathologist with over 10 years of experience in acute care. She is currently employed at CareOne LTACH, a PMV Center of Excellence. She is part of an interdisciplinary trach/vent weaning team, utilizing respiratory muscle training (RMT) as a part of her daily clinical practice. She has interests in pursuing evidence-based practice that will enhance the care of her patients for both the areas of communication and swallowing.
Jenny is also Director of Relations at Aspire Respiratory Products where her role involves collaborative education and connecting with other medical professionals to facilitate learning opportunities for those interested in respiratory muscle training.
Joy Hesse
Joy graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 1989 with her Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology. She began her career in the acute care setting at Mercy Hospital Medical Center in Des Moines, and was instrumental in the development of the modified barium swallow program at the hospital. Ms. Hesse then worked at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines in the outpatient rehabilitation department focusing on outpatient voice therapy and dysphagia therapy. In 1998 she joined a group of Otolaryngologists in West Des Moines where she established a thriving voice and swallowing clinic. Joy is passionate about teaching and is a regular lecturer to the Iowa Chapter of National Teachers of Singing, the Iowa Speech and Hearing Association and Pedagogy Classes at several universities. She has also lectured at the American Speech and Hearing Association on FEES, for Cross Country Education on Voice and Resonance Disorders and has consulted with SEC Medical Speech Pathology training both FEES and Videostroboscopy providing in-house training for speech pathologists. Presently, Joy is consulting with Tactile Medical telling her experiences with the Flexitouch pneumatic compression device with her head and neck cancer patients.
Joy’s areas of interest: voice, including singing and professional voice; dysphagia (swallowing disorders); head and neck cancer; craniofacial anomalies (velopharyngeal insufficiency/hypernasality)
Michelle Dawson
Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, serves as the Director for Clinical Education and Assistant Professor with James Madison University. Additionally, she is the acclaimed host of “First Bite: Fed, Fun, Functional” a weekly Speech Therapy Podcast that addresses “all thangs” Pediatric Speech Therapy, and is presented by SpeechTherapyPD.com. Michelle authored, "Chasing the Swallow: Truth, Science, and Hope for Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Disorders". She is an accomplished lecturer; traveling across the nation delivering courses on best practices for the evaluation and treatment of the medically complex infant, toddlers, and children with respect to their pediatric oropharyngeal dysphagia, pediatric feeding disorder, as well as language acquisition within the framework of Early Intervention. She has served as the Treasurer for the Council of State Association Presidents (CSAP), is a Past President of the South Carolina Speech, Language, and Hearing Association (SCSHA), a graduate of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Leadership Development Program (ASHA LDP), a recipient of the Pediatric Feeding Disorder Awareness Champion from Feeding Matters, a recipient of the Louis M. DiCarlo Award for Outstanding Clinical Achievement from the SCSHA, a recipient of the State Clinical Achievement Award from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Foundation, recognized as an ASHA Innovator in 2023, and nine-time recipient of ASHA’s ACE Award for continuing education.
Kim Almstrom
Kim Almstrom is owner and primary Medical SLP of Complete Scope Speech and Swallowing Services, a full-service Speech Therapy company with a focus on Mobile FEES and Dysphagia Diagnostics. With over 2 decades of experience as an ASHA certified and NY State Licensed Speech Language Pathologist, Kim has expertise in adult speech, language, cognitive and swallowing disorders for special populations including Head and Neck Cancers, Parkinsons, stroke, Dementia, and Acquired Brain Injury where she excels at patient and family counseling. She graduated from Hofstra University with a Master of the Arts in Speech-Language Pathology. She has devoted her entire career to working in the acute, sub-acute and skilled rehabilitation settings. She spent 10 years as a corporate SLP, developing Speech Pathology Departments in 14 SNF facilities, authoring all Speech Policies and Procedures and implementing Trach and Vent and Instrumental Swallow Assessment protocols. She obtained advanced training in FEES (Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing) with Dr Jonanthan Aviv at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan in 2008 and completes 250-300 FEES studies annually. She is a regular FEES training assistant for Dr. Eric Blicker’s FEES courses as well as a FEES Mentor and program consultant. She has extensive training in manual techniques for voice and swallowing disorders.
Her love for the field of Speech Pathology has continued to grow throughout her career and she stays up to date with best current practice by regularly completing continuing education courses and holding membership in ASHA SIG 3 and SIG 13.
Meaghan Arnold
Meaghan Arnold is an ASHA licensed CCC credentialed Speech-Language Pathologist. Meaghan is the owner and primary speech pathologist of Speech Swallowing and Neurological Rehabilitation, a private practice in Tyler, Texas. Meaghan specializes in treating cognitive, language, speech, and swallowing disorders in the adult and geriatric populations. Meaghan is a three time ASHA ACE award recipient and is passionate about the importance of life long continuing education. Meaghan prioritizes her participation in community outreach and patient education. She presents on topics including dysphagia identification and symptom management, cognitive changes across dementia progression, and the importance of proactive dysphagia management and continued care for individuals with head and neck cancer to community organizations, caregiver support groups, undergraduate nursing students, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and physicians.
Monica Lupo
Monica Lupo, M.A., CCC-SLP, TSSLD, CDP, LSVT-C, CLTS is owner and CEO of Speak Your Legacy, Inc. and won Best Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) in Long Island, NY for 2023. She has also won awards for ASHA’s Distinguished Early Career Professional and consecutive ASHA ACE awards. She is a corporate speech-language pathologist specializing in diagnostic and treatment approaches for sub-acute facilities focusing on cognition, swallowing, language, and speech deficits. She is also the Speech Department Supervisor at a large subacute rehab facility for both adults and pediatrics. She oversees licensed SLPs, clinical fellows (CFs), and students. She is an adjunct graduate and undergraduate professor in Speech Language Pathology. She was featured twice on CBS’s television series“The Donna Drake Show” and in the Speech Uncensored Podcast: Episode 150. She holds the following certifications: Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP), Certified Lingraphica Technology Specialist (CLTS), Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) LOUD, Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (PENS), Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities (TSSLD) and a NYS Early Intervention provider. She received advanced training in Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) in which she performs mobile consults, FEES mentorship, and clinical instruction in FEES courses. She was selected as a national mentor for ASHA’s Leadership Mentoring Program for the last two years. She loves helping patients from early intervention to geriatrics, as well as other SLP’s to speak their legacy.
Rachael Silveira
Rachael Silveira is an ASHA licensed/credentialed Speech- Language Pathologist currently working at a 1,500 bed Level 1 Trauma Hospital in Miami specializing in swallowing disorders with diverse training in dysphagia management associated with respiratory compromised/artificial airways, medically complex neurogenic populations as well as NICU specialty.
Rachael strives to be a lifelong student by receiving 3 ASHA ACE awards and supporting the SLP community by providing clinical mentorship to students as well as providing support for several teams on Medical SLP platforms to promote continued growth for SLPs. Rachael has made patient advocacy and improving overall patient quality of life a personal mission and goal. She has spearheaded a robust multidisciplinary Tracheostomy Team in her facility with a mission of providing exceptional care to the population by utilizing standardized protocols to streamline care. In addition, Rachael has curated multiple avenues for education for SLPs including a “Badge Buddy Series” and an open collaborative called TRACHtalks, for promoting tracheostomy evidence-based research in an accessible manner.
As our field is growing rapidly Rachael demonstrates continued focus to improve medical SLP education with ongoing participation in national conference lectures, active research, and guest lectures to multiple universities and hospitals.
Raquel Garcia, SLP-D, CCC-SLP, CLC, CNT, BCS-S
Raquel Garcia is a trained craniofacial and feeding specialist who has worked in infant critical care units for over 10 years. She has lectured at the national and state level on pediatric feeding disorders. She graduated with her M.S. in communication disorders from Nova Southeastern University and her doctorate of speech-language pathology from Northwestern University. Her clinical interests include neonatal care, congenital heart disease, upper airway disorders, infant FEES, parent/baby dyad, and parental health literacy.
Dr. Garcia has been an adjunct professor at Nova Southeastern University and University of Northern Colorado. She has taught didactic undergraduate and graduate courses on speech/language development, anatomy/physiology for speech, language, and hearing, pediatric feeding disorders, normal adult swallowing, adult dysphagia, childhood apraxia of speech, cleft/craniofacial anomalies, and medical aspects of speech-language pathology.
Areas of clinical interest
Neonatal Therapy
Congenital Heart Disease
Parent Mental Health and Health Literacy
Parent-Baby Dyad
Developmental outcomes for the medically complex infant
Upper Airway Disorders
Cleft and Velopharyngeal Disorders
Field engagement
Hispanic Caucus, Vice President of Professional Practices, 2022-Present
American Cleft Palate Association (ACPA), Family Services Committee, January 2020- Present
ASHA, SIG 5 Professional Development Committee, February 2020-Present
ASHA Leadership Development Reviewer Committee, March 2020 – Present
ASHA, SIG 13 Coordinating Committee Member, January 2021-Present
ASHA Convention Peer Reviewer for Infant/Pediatric Feeding, February 2021-Present
American Cleft Palate Association (ACPA), Scholarship Review Committee, April 2020- Present
Florida Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists, Vice President of Communications, June 2020-Present
ASHA ACE Award Recipient, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
ASHA Leadership Development Program Graduate, March 2019
Dr. Garcia has lectured extensively at the state and national levels, and has been a guest on numerous podcasts including the Swallow Your Pride Podcast, the Speech Uncensored Podcast, and Understanding Dysphagia Podcast.
Renzo Garcia
Renzo is a Clinical Consultant at True Angle Medical and Sessional Lecturer in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Alberta. His clinical experience as an SLP spans multiple settings including outpatient rehab and acute care, with a primary focus on working with the head and neck cancer population in the field of dysphagia. In his clinical practice, he strongly emphasizes the importance of health literacy in engaging patients as equals in their care.
Rick McAdoo, MS, CCC-SLP
Rick McAdoo, MS, CCC-SLP, received a Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Texas Christian University in 1989 and received his Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Texas Christian University in 1990. He is a co-developer of the Effective Swallowing Protocol (ESP™) and Vice President of Ampcare. He has worked primarily with the adult neurogenic population with a specialized emphasis on dysphagia. Over the past 25 years, his focus has included a research component, and was the first to show hyolaryngeal elevation using neuromuscular electrical stimulation on both a computerized laryngeal analyzer and under videofluoroscopy.
Russ Campbell
Russ Campbell received his degree in Physical Therapy from Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois in 1989. He is a co-developer of the Effective Swallowing Protocol (ESP™) and CEO of Ampcare, an FDA-registered medical device and services company that develops innovative technologies designed to improve the quality of life in people with swallowing disorders. Over his 30 years of clinical practice, he has provided care in acute care hospitals, inpatient rehab units, skilled nursing facilities, outpatient clinics, and home health arenas. Russ specializes in using modalities in conjunction with a holistic approach to foster faster outcomes to maximize the quality of life of the elderly patient. He is responsible for the research and development of the company’s products and methodology as well as guiding the company’s growth through partnerships with other healthcare providers.
Sara Charney
Sara A. Charney is a speech-language pathologist at Mayo Clinic Arizona. Sara is an NCVS-trained vocologist who specializes in the professional and singing voice. Her other clinical interests include the management of upper airway disorders (chronic cough and inducible laryngeal obstruction) and swallowing and voice disorders related to head and neck cancer. Sara is dedicated to education and community outreach, serving as the director of the student observership program at Mayo Clinic- AZ, co-leading her local laryngeal dystonia support group, and co-hosting “Out of the Voicebox”, a podcast aimed to educate graduate students, singers, and individuals in related fields by interviewing experts on a wide-range of voice-related topics. Sara has also been featured on several national platforms (e.g., ABC News) to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the field of speech-language pathology. Her research interests have focused on the investigation of rare clinical voice diagnoses, interdisciplinary education, and novel vocal therapeutic techniques.
Shelly Ryan
Shelly Ryan PT, CLT-LANA is a Board-certified Physical Therapist and Head and Neck Lymphedema Specialist for Mercy Hospital - St. Louis, Missouri at the David C. Pratt Cancer Center. She has been a Physical Therapist for over 30 years in various settings from acute, outpatient, long term care and home health including wound care.
Since 2001, Shelly has been specializing in Lymphedema where she found her passion. She became Dr. Vodder School of Lymphology Certified in 2003. Shelly was then promoted to Lymphedema Program Coordinator at Kindred Hospital in Arlington, Texas where she developed both inpatient and outpatient programs. This included inpatient treatment of the medically complex Lymphedema patient from across the United States. In 2010 she became LANA Certified, and then in 2012 she became oncology rehabilitation STAR certified.
Since 2011 Shelly has solely focused on the head and neck Lymphedema population where she has helped to develop both the inpatient Head and Neck cancer patient pathway, and the Head and Neck Lymphedema outpatient programs for Mercy Hospitals. In 2016 Shelly was among the national experts that Tactile Medical consulted in developing their head and neck garment for Flexitouch. She also co-authored the feasibility study published in ‘Head & Neck Journal’ in September of 2017 as the first peer reviewed paper published on the head and neck application of advanced pneumatic compression.
Shelly enjoys teaching and has been a guest lecturer and consultant at various conferences, seminars, and support groups.
Walt Fritz
US-based physical therapist Walt Fritz teaches a unique interpretation of manual therapy to speech-language pathologists, voice professionals, and other related communities. His gentle, non-manipulative, and interactive approach advances views of causation and impact from historical tissue-specific models into a multifactorial narrative, leaning heavily on biopsychosocial influences.
His principles apply to a broad spectrum of intervention models using a model of evaluation and intervention that encourages equality between patient and clinician, utilizing shared decision-making rather than the biomedical clinician-as-expert approach. Unlike traditional laryngeal and soft tissue manipulation, Walt offers the clinician and patient a more subtle approach that gives the receiver more time to assess its influence and relevance. This approach is often better tolerated than aggressive, manipulative forms of treatment and aligns well with newer research findings, allowing the patient to frame the intervention from their preferences and values. Seeing the utility of manual therapy not as a standalone treatment but as an integral part of clinicians’ more extensive work, Walt assimilates his approach into a wide range of treatment protocols. His work is equally appropriate for dysphagia, dysphonia, voice performance limitations, oral motor dysfunction, tongue-related concerns, breathing difficulties, and related disorders.
Walt presents his live, in-person workshops internationally through his Foundations in Manual Therapy Seminars, www.WaltFritz.com, offers of range of online learning opportunities, and his book is scheduled for release in March 2023 titled, “Manual Therapy in Voice and Swallowing: A Person-Centered Approach,” and maintains a physical therapy practice in Upstate, NY, USA.