Useful Information

Throughout the current COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals are experiencing a surge of patients who may temporarily be unable to speak while also caring for patients with existing communication difficulties. This session presented current patient-provider communication barriers experienced in hospitals as well as AAC solutions to address these barriers. Emergency preparedness and communication planning tips related to the pandemic were also provided.

About the Presenter(s):

Tami Altschuler is a Clinical Specialist in Patient-Provider Communication in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at NYU Langone Medical Center and the Rusk Rehabilitation Institute of Medicine in New York, NY. She is spearheading hospital wide patient-provider communication initiatives to establish and increase communication supports throughout the continuum of care.  Tami is a board member of the United States Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (USSAAC) and an active member of the Patient-Provider Communication Forum. She has presented nationally and internationally on the topic of patient-provider communication.

Rachel Santiago is a Speech-language Pathologist and Clinical Coordinator of the Inpatient Augmentative Communication Program at Boston Children's Hospital. She has specialized in bedside AAC service delivery in the pediatric acute care setting for over 10 years and participates in programming development, hospital initiatives, and in-servicing to integrate patient-provider communication into hospital practice. Rachel is a contributing author of Patient Provider Communication: Roles for Speech-Language Pathologist and active member of the Patient-Provider Communication Forum. Rachel has published and presented nationally and internationally on the topics of AAC for patients in acute care and patient-provider communication.

Jessica Gormley, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is an Assistant Professor and Program Leader for AAC Implementation at the University of Nebraska Medical Center's Munroe-Meyer Institute. Her research and clinical interests center upon improving interactions among individuals with complex communication needs, their families, and providers in health care settings. Through Jessica's research, she aims to develop and evaluate strategies (e.g., AAC tools and trainings) to equip health care providers to become effective communication partners with individuals with complex communication needs. Jessica has published research articles and presented nationally and internationally on the topics of AAC and patient-provider communication. Jessica is also an active member of the Patient-Provider Communication Forum.

Moderated By:

Sarah Blackstone

Topics Covered

Existing patient-provider communication barriers in hospitals
AAC strategies that can optimize patient-provider communication during the COVID-19 pandemic
Emergency preparedness and communication planning strategies to support people who use AAC

About USSAAC:

The United States Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (USSAAC) is the national chapter of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC). As the United States' only non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the entire AAC community, USSAAC provides an invaluable role, working to ensure that individuals who could benefit from AAC have access to the technology and services they need.