Emily Hutelmyer is a Clinical Educator in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences.
How long have you been at App State? I started working for AppState as PRN at the hospital in 2018. I began working full time in February 2021.
What is your role in the department? I am a clinical educator for the graduate program. I work at Watauga Medical Center full-time and supervise graduate students on clinical rotations. I occasionally guest lecture for undergraduate and graduate classes but normally you'll find me working with in-patients at the hospital.
What do you find to be the most rewarding, and most challenging aspect of your job? The most rewarding part of my job is being able to support my patients. Patients with dysphagia (both inpatient and outpatient) are usually mystified as to why they're having trouble swallowing. Most people don't realize how big of an impact a swallowing disorder has on daily life. I often tell my patients "nobody even thinks about swallowing until they have a problem, and then it's all they think about!" Being able to provide answers as to why they have dysphagia, making appropriate referrals and therapy recommendations, and most of all validating the patient's concerns is always a good feeling. The most challenging part is probably having end of life discussions, but then again it's also one of the most rewarding parts in and of itself. People don't realize that end of life often comes down to both communication and swallowing, and those are both areas where the SLP is instrumental in supporting patients and families.
What prompted you to go into this field? If I'm being honest, I completely wandered into this field by accident. My undergraduate degree is a BA in English. I spent 9 years between undergraduate and graduate school working a variety of different jobs, mostly food service (which I swear prepares you better than anything in the world for patient care). I was actually going back to school to get my teaching license when a friend suggested a look into the SLP graduate program. I had no idea what I was getting into, but I am happy to report I discovered a field and career that I absolutely love.
What are your speciality areas within the field? I work in adult medical, specifically acute care though I have worked in both skilled nursing and home health. I love all things neuroscience and am known for being a neuro-nerd in our rehab office. I specialize in dysphagia evaluation and treatment and FEES training and I’m MBSiMP certified. I thrive when working with critically ill populations (ICU, trach/vent) as well as neurodegenerative disorders.
What is one thing you'd like to tell your younger self, in high school or college? Everything you're doing now will contribute to the clinician you'll become, even if it doesn't feel related at the time. I often tell my students I can get along with anybody after bartending at a sports bar on karaoke night for years.
What do you enjoy doing when you're not working? I have three kids and far too many animals, so any free time I have is spent drinking coffee and managing the happy chaos that is my home. I also like to run and work in my yard.
