Acute Care Speech Language Pathologist
Goodyear, Arizona
Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Western Regional Medical Center

Job Opportunity: Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) - Acute Care Hospital

Location: Goodyear, Arizona
Employment Type: Travel/Contract
Contract Length: 13 weeks

Job Description

• Provide speech language pathology services in inpatient and outpatient acute care settings.
• Work primarily with patients recovering from oncology-related surgeries, especially head and neck cancers.
• Assess swallowing capability, oxygen, breathing post-surgery, and perform cognitive rehabilitation assessments related to chemotherapy.
• Perform and interpret modified barium swallow studies and communicate results to patients for treatment planning.
• Coordinate care with other disciplines such as dieticians for diet upgrades.
• Manage an average caseload of 6-9 patients per day, working Tuesday through Thursday on 3x8 hour shifts, with potential for a 4th shift if needed.
• Use Epic for documentation.

Requirements

Experience

• Minimum 1 year of experience in speech language pathology (acute care experience preferred).
• No new graduates; clinician will work mostly independently.
• First-time travelers are welcome (prior travel experience NOT required).

Licenses & Certifications (Required)

• State license in hand at time of submission.
• Basic Life Support (BLS).
• Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Profile (MBSImP).

Certifications (Preferred)

• Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP).
• Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES).

Skills & Experience (Required)

• Acute care and adult outpatient settings.
• Experience with degenerative diseases, dysarthria, dysphagia, fluency disorders, hearing impairments, mental/behavioral/neurodevelopmental disorders, nervous system disorders.
• Skilled in tracheostomy and ventilator-dependent/assisted patients.
• Proficient in voice therapy, alternative communication devices, communication boards, bedside swallow evaluation, compensatory strategies, and conducting/interpreting modified barium swallow studies.
• Knowledge of hyolaryngeal exercises, International Dysphagia Diet, modifying diet orders, oral motor therapy, Passy Muir valves, suctioning, thickening agents, trach/vent care.
• Awareness of signs and symptoms of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.
• Experience with functional maintenance programs, in-service training, patient/family education.
• Familiarity with various assessment tools and documentation requirements including ALPS, BAE, BIMS, CADL, CELF, depression and hearing screenings, oral peripheral exams, concurrent therapy documentation and treatment, discharge planning, Medicaid, Medicare A & B, OASIS, plan of care, point of service documentation, reassessments, and SLP evaluation coding.

Skills & Experience (Preferred)

• Experience with cerebrovascular accident (CVA), laryngectomy, traumatic brain injury (TBI), augmentative communication, memory aides.
• Conducting and interpreting fiberoptic endoscopic evaluations of swallow (FEES).
• Knowledge of Frazier Free Water Protocol, myofascial release/manual therapy, thermal simulation.
• Management or leadership experience.
• Acoustic analysis, nasoendoscopy, videostroboscopy, voice prosthesis.

Orientation & Work Environment

• 24 hours of unit orientation provided.
• Light grey scrubs are not provided by the unit.
• Facility is 100% nicotine free.

Compliance & Documentation Requirements

• Government-issued photo ID required.
• Background checks including social security trace, education verification, and various federal/state checks required.
• Primary source verification of state license prior to start.
• Required health documents include physical exam (within last 12 months), immunizations (Tdap, MMR, Varicella, Hepatitis B), negative TB test or chest x-ray, drug screening, flu vaccination or exemption, COVID vaccination or exemption.
• Annual competency exams and skills checklists required.
• Facility-specific confidentiality and COVID/flu exemption agreements must be signed.

Summary

This position is ideal for an experienced Speech Language Pathologist with at least 1 year of acute care experience, who is comfortable working independently in a hospital setting with medically complex oncology patients. First-time travel therapists are welcome. The role requires strong clinical skills in swallowing assessments and rehabilitation, coordination with multidisciplinary teams, and proficiency in documentation systems.