Speech-language pathologists working in hospitals are often tasked with ensuring patients can safely swallow.
Hannah Jernigan (M.S. ’23) learned this firsthand during her internship with Northside Hospital Forsyth, where she remembers working with one woman who’d had difficulty swallowing for a long period of time.
“She had finally begun showing some improvement when we tried some food and drink with her, so we took her for an X-ray swallow study. The results showed she was ready to eat and drink by mouth again,” Jernigan said. “It was exciting to share that news with her. Eating and drinking are such an integral part of our lives, so it was very rewarding to work with patients in this area.”
Jernigan graduates this semester from the College of Education & Human Development’s Communication Sciences and Disorders master’s program, which has given her a variety of opportunities to learn more about speech-language pathology.
She served as president of Georgia State University’s chapter of CommunicAid+Nation, an organization that empowers individuals with communication disorders and their families to access the world around them by providing resources and support.
“The club actively advocates and raises awareness through meetings, awareness events, social events and fundraising,” Jernigan said. “One of the primary ways we live out our mission is by awarding communication devices to those who have difficulty using their physical voice to communicate.”
She was also selected to participate in the Interdisciplinary Personnel Preparation for Early Speech, Physical and Occupational Therapy Services (Early SPOTS) Program at Georgia State, a federally funded program designed to prepare future speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists and physical therapists to work in early intervention settings, such as family homes and childcare programs.
After graduation, Jernigan will be joining a multidisciplinary pediatric practice, where she’ll be working with children from birth to 3 years old on their speech, language and feeding development.
“I’ll be going into the child’s natural learning environment, which could be their home or daycare, to provide services,” she said. “I am very excited to play a role in such a pivotal time in the lives of these children and their families.”
Story by Claire Miller