Shannon Mackintosh

Setting: Outpatient, and Inpatient acute and rehabilitation.
Populations: Handled diverse cases such as Head and Neck Cancer, Functional Voice Disorders, and Neurological Disorders.
Responsibilities:

• Ensured effective case load management with precise documentation.
• Delivered prompt assessments and therapy within service constraints.
• Recognized situations requiring additional referrals and completed them within scope of practice.
• Identified strategies to support patients in therapy implementation despite access constraints.
• Conducted videostroboscopy assessments in collaboration with ENT clinic.
• Collaborated in FEES assessments alongside Level 5 clinician.
• Cultivated and sustained strong connections with Medical teams, ENT, Radiology, Nursing, and Allied Health.
• Complete Video Fluoroscopic Swallow Studies and reporting including identifying compensatory strategies and rehabilitation exercises that would be of benefit
• Educated patients and families to support informed decision-making.

Additional achievements:

• Modified outpatient assessment forms and videostroboscopy assessment forms to a more efficient format to assist with timely reporting
• Designed spreadsheets for effective caseload management, ensuring seamless handovers.
• Implemented spreadsheet-based system to streamline reporting and manage instrumental assessment waitlist timeframes.
• Customized therapeutic interventions for culturally diverse populations, ensuring sensitivity to individual values, beliefs, and communication styles while delivering effective care.

Setting: Regional Outpatient, and Inpatient acute and rehabilitation
Populations: Head and Neck Cancer, Neurological Disorders, patient’s post-tracheostomy decannulation, and Functional voice disorders
Responsibilities:

• Gained proficiency in conducting VFSS assessments and documenting findings.
• Conducted clinical evaluations for communication and swallowing.
• Delivered comprehensive education post-VFSS to enhance understanding.
• Delivered education and therapy for suitable compensatory strategies and rehabilitation exercises post-VFSS.
• Provided communication education, therapy, and compensatory strategies to patients and family to aid functional communication and rehabilitation

Additional achievements:

• Modified and implemented a digital learning and assessment system to efficiently manage Nurse Acute Stroke Swallow Screen training
• Supervised a 3rd year BSLP student
• Developed and executed systems for prioritising acute workload.
• Managed inpatient capacity reporting and triaged outpatient referrals

Setting: Inpatient acute and rehabilitation
Populations: Patients post-stroke
Responsibilities:

• Ensured effective patient care through caseload prioritization.
• Conducted clinical swallow assessments inckuding cough reflex testing
• Performed VFSS evaluations with assistance.
• Assessed communication abilities and provided functional recommendations to patients and communication partners
• Conducted rehabilitation for swallowing and communication informed by assessment data and best practices.

Setting: Private Practice, ACC contracts, MOE contracts, and special school cover
Populations: Children with developmental speech/language impairments, adults with neurological impairments, adults in rest homes, adults and children with voice impairments
Responsibilities:

• Evaluated conditions and generated reports outlining nature of impairments.
• Collaborated with the family, client, and involved services to discuss goals and recommendations.
• Implemented therapy programs to assist with intelligibility and improving functional communication
• Facilitated functional communication between teachers and students within a special school

Setting: Research
Populations: Adults with Aphasia
Responsibilities:

• Consistently conducted trial outcome assessments without knowledge of participants' treatment allocation.
• Obtained consent and provided full disclosure of risks and costs to clients and their families.
• Outcome measures were recorded using assessments of communication, language, speech, and cognition including but not limited to: Western Aphasia Battery; Apraxia Severity Rating Scale; Pyramids and Palm Trees; Scenario Test; Test of everyday attention; and Naming battery

Setting: Residential Rehabilitation
Populations: TBI, Parkinson’s Disease, Intellectual impairment, Stroke, and mental health
Responsibilities:

• Acted as a key support person for various clients.
• Assessed communication and swallow abilities
• Utilized the ICF model to establish goals together with client and family.
• Developed and supplied therapy plans for rehabilitation coaches to implement.
• Implemented goal-oriented therapy plans to address the needs of clients and their families.
• Re-evaluated progress and identified when goals had been met
• Ensured client’s continued safety with oral intake by monitoring their swallow, referred for further assessment (e.g. VFSS) when indicated, and implementing recommendations based on a holistic view of the client

Additional Achievements:

• Became a registered assessor with CareerForce and supported and assessed rehabilitation coaches with upskilling