Emily Hornback is a Clinical Educator with a primary focus in Medical Speech-Language Pathology in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
How long have you been at App State? I joined the App State family as an employee in 2016. I finished my undergraduate degree at App in 2010, and my graduate degree in 2012.
What is your role in the department? I am a Clinical Educator and Adjunct Instructor. I work primarily in the Outpatient Clinic and am the only Speech-Language Pathologist currently at this setting. I see mostly adults and currently have one pediatric case. I provide more medical based services related to swallowing, language, voice, AAC, cognition, and motor speech disorders. I also assist in the acute care setting with adults at Watauga Medical and provide on-call services over the weekends at the hospital. Throughout the 20 hours of therapy I provide a week, these are a few of the services I offer: Flexible Endoscopic Swallow (FEES), Acoustic and Aerodynamic Voice Evaluations for pediatrics and adults, Videostroboscopy, Laryngoscopy, and dysphagia treatment including dysphagia modalities of Surface Electromyography sEMG and IOPI.
Additionally, I have streamlined our Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system by creating templates and implementing the use of standard patient reported outcome measures for various diagnoses.
I also co-teach Theatre and Therapy alongside Dr. Jennifer Buff. Theatre and Therapy is a community-based program that provides services to teenagers and young adults with disabilities in the context of theatre, once a week. This role includes collaborating with Dr. Buff to provide direct clinical education and supervision to 9 graduate students and their group of undergraduate students. We are excited about our upcoming final performance on December 2nd!
My role as an Adjunct Instructor includes teaching CSD 4100 Introduction to Clinical Processes and Procedures at the undergraduate level. This is a clinically-based class where students obtain ASHA required 25 observation hours in addition to learning clinically relevant topics such as ethics, counseling, patient centered care, service delivery models, clinical documentation, and incorporation of technology.
What do you find to be the most rewarding, and most challenging aspect of your job? I love helping students fall in love with our profession, while also helping my patients achieve their goals. It feels like I have the best of both worlds. I believe the most challenging aspect of my job is the increase in demands within the Medical SLP scope of practice and ever changing financial implications for my patients.
What prompted you to go into this field? My great-grandfather was deaf and used ASL and I wanted to help people just like him.
What are your speciality areas within the field? I am Board Certified in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders.
What is one thing you’d like to tell your younger self, in high school or college? "Done is better than perfect." Your dedication and hard-work speaks volumes and absolutely everything will work out the way it should, even if it feels funky right now.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? I love spending time with my family, my husband Justin and 16 month old Eliza. My husband is also an SLP and does home health. We love visiting our family including nieces and a nephew in Charlotte, NC.
Emily Hornback
