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Speech pathologists aren't just the people who help kids say their R's correctly—they're essential healthcare professionals with an astonishingly broad scope of practice that remains largely invisible to the public and even fellow medical providers. Our guest, who transitioned from a decades-long opera career to speech language pathology, pulls back the curtain on this misunderstood profession.
The conversation reveals a troubling reality: speech language pathology is 92% white and 97% female, creating significant blind spots in how communication disorders are assessed and treated. For years, speakers of non-standard American English dialects have been incorrectly flagged as having language delays, pulling children unnecessarily from regular classrooms. While standardized tests now account for dialect differences, the field desperately needs diverse practitioners who reflect the communities they serve.
Most people don't realize that speech pathologists work with stroke survivors, people with progressive neurological diseases like Parkinson's and ALS, patients with swallowing disorders, head and neck cancer survivors, and even provide gender-affirming voice therapy. This allied health profession faces crushing waitlists and staffing shortages, particularly in settings like VA healthcare where a single SLP might serve multiple facilities across different cities. The conversation makes a compelling case that proper staffing of allied health professionals ultimately saves money by preventing costly complications like recurrent pneumonia, falls, and hospital readmissions—if only healthcare administrators would recognize the false economy of their cost-cutting measures. Whether you work in healthcare or simply want to understand the professionals who might one day help you or a loved one recover from a medical event, this eye-opening discussion will transform your understanding of speech pathology and allied health.
Have you encountered a speech pathologist in your healthcare journey? Share your experience or let us know what surprised you most about this conversation in the comments!

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