Speech Pathologist (Per Diem)

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive evaluations and provide treatment for speech, language, cognitive, and swallowing disorders in acute care settings.
• Perform instrumental swallowing assessments, including FEES and VFSS, as indicated.
• Develop and implement individualized, evidence-based treatment plans.
• Educate and counsel patients, families, and caregivers to support recovery and independence.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to coordinate and optimize patient care.
• Document assessments, treatments, and outcomes according to hospital and departmental standards.
• Participate in quality improvement activities and ongoing professional development.

Minimum Qualifications

• California Licensed Speech Pathologist
• Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
• American Heart Association (AHA) or American Red Cross Basic Life Support (BLS), or UC Davis Health CPR
• Masters degree in Speech Pathology
• Completed Clinical Fellowship Year
• Thorough knowledge of appropriate assessment instruments, test administration procedures, scoring, and interpretation
• Ability to extract pertinent information to relate to patients and/or family members
• Knowledge of how patients should be responding to treatment, average length of stay in treatment, and recognition of appropriate versus inappropriate treatment for each patient
• Ability to establish programs based on testing results appropriate for each patient
• Ability to recognize the need for program modification
• Ability to extract pertinent behaviors and incorporate these into daily written progress notes
• Knowledge of various home programs and organization into individual programs for family implementation
• Ability to report to the referring physician regarding patient diagnosis, skills, and prognosis using appropriate terminology and information
• Ability to extract pertinent information to relate to family members, be empathetic, and supportive
• Ability to maintain patient records and process necessary billing forms and treatment authorizations in a prompt, accurate manner
• Ability to maintain an accurate schedule and personal workload accounts
• Knowledge of current therapeutic and evaluative instruments
• Ability to assume responsibility for other therapists' patients on short notice
• Ability to communicate effectively with other therapists
• Ability to provide instruction and supervision, as required, for student interns and medical students
• Knowledge of community resources

Preferred Qualifications

• 2 years of experience in a hospital or clinical setting
• Experience working in an acute care setting with complex patient populations