All Health Equity Case Studies
As audiologists and speech-language pathologists, we advocate for our patients, clients, and students. We work toward closing gaps in care for all individuals who receive our services. Through interprofessional collaborative practice (IPP) teaming, audiologists and SLPs collaborate with other professionals across healthcare and educational settings and advocate for health equity to improve functional outcomes. IPP teams leverage their collective expertise and work together to best meet the needs of individuals, a community, or a population. By considering client social determinants of health (SDOH), audiologists and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can provide better quality care, advocate for health equity, and achieve better outcomes.
In the case studies provided below, explore examples of how interprofessional teams worked to advocate for health equity by recruiting a diverse class of graduate students, providing services to migrant farmworkers and their families, and expanding health care access among the LGBTQ+ veterans.
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Professors Address Provider Shortage and Diversify Graduate Education
Summary
When schools lack teachers and other specialists, it keeps children with disabilities from receiving the early intervention services they need. Three Nazareth College professors knew that they could play a role in solving the issue—at least locally. The result was Project RISE (Rochester Interprofessional Scholars of Early Intervention). Project RISE is helping recruit racially diverse graduate students in education and allied health programs with the goal of addressing staff shortages and diversifying the workforce. It also gives those students the ability to work in the field while completing their degree.
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Speech-Language Pathology and Social Work Students Help Migrant Children With Literacy and Social–Emotional Skills
Summary
A major grant allowed Nazareth College and the Migrant Ministry of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester to collaborate on serving migrant farmworkers and their families. Thanks to frank conversations with community members about their needs, Nazareth’s School of Health & Human Services developed a suite of educational, therapeutic, and wellness services for the migrant community.
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Interprofessional Committee Improves Health Care Access for LGBTQ+ Veterans
Summary
An interdisciplinary committee works to make health care providers aware of services, including voice and speech therapy, and provide more comprehensive care for LGBTQ+ veterans.
