Our Clinical Specialists

Michael Harrell has varied experience in respiratory care clinical practice, education, and management. Prior to joining the Passy Muir clinical team in 2005, Michael was Director of Respiratory Care with Charlotte Regional Medical Center in Punta Gorda, Florida. Michael also presided as President of the Florida Society of Respiratory Care where he brought together his clinical knowledge and strong advocacy for patient care to improve respiratory care in the state of Florida. In his role as Director of Clinical Education-Respiratory with Passy Muir, he has presented both domestically and internationally.

Dr. Kristin King has been a speech-language pathologist in a variety of settings since 1995. She earned her PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders from East Carolina University in 2008, specializing in cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders with medically complex patients of all ages. She has trained SLPs in FEES and VFSS and developed programs for the management of patients on ventilators and use of the Passy Muir^® Valve. She also developed programs for assessment, treatment, and management of patients with TBI. She has published peer-reviewed articles; is a recognized and invited speaker both domestically and internationally on the use of speaking valves, evaluation and treatment following TBI, and swallowing disorders; and has served as an expert witness. She currently conducts research in these areas and maintains clinical skills through consultative services. She also participates in the development of multimedia education on topics relevant to speech-language pathology, respiratory therapy, and nursing, among other clinical professions. She is the Vice President of Clinical Education and Research for Passy Muir.

Tiffany graduated with a Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2012. She has been a medical SLP in various settings from acute care to home health, treating both the adult and medically complex pediatric populations. Tiffany has experience developing patient care pathways to guide assessment and treatment selection for patients in home health, at both the state and national level. She has participated in research related to patients with TBI and sports concussions, and she has experience with research analysis and writing white papers. She is a volunteer for Remote Area Medical (RAM), assisting with medical services. She also participates in the development of multimedia education related to healthcare and clinical practice.

Robin Helms is a registered respiratory therapist who has over five years of clinical experience working with acute care patients at a Level 1 trauma center. She completed her bachelor’s degree in respiratory care in 2018 to pursue an advancement in her healthcare profession. Robin’s experience ranges from working with patients’ respiratory needs in critical care areas, such as medical, cardiac, trauma, and emergency, to working with tracheostomies, mechanical ventilation, and assessment for use of the Passy Muir Valve. Robin has recently joined our Passy Muir clinical team to explore a new role in education as a full-time clinical specialist.

Gabriela Ortiz earned her Respiratory Care Practitioner license in 2006. She has extensive experience managing patients at different stages of care, including acute, sub-acute, sleep therapy, and homecare. As the Respiratory Clinical Director and General Manager at a respiratory care provider, Gabriela managed all company operations, including patient assessment and case management for pediatric and adult patient populations. Through her clinical knowledge, Gabriela advanced into clinical training and sales for critical care ventilation products for the ICU and PICU within acute and subacute hospitals. Gabriela combines her clinical experiences to support others through education, and she is an invited speaker for educational institutions, state and national conferences, Better Breather’s Club, and ALS support groups. She has authored and co-authored multiple clinical papers, including peer-reviewed, on respiratory topics such as the progression of ALS, effects of a tracheostomy in neonates, and respiratory care plans for patients in homecare. Gabriela is currently a full-time Clinical Specialist with Passy-Muir, Inc.

Allie Atkinson graduated with a master’s degree in Communication Disorders from Texas State University in 2003. She is recognized as a Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders, and her clinical work has focused on providing dysphagia and speech therapy services for medically complex patients who require long-term acute care. Allie has developed multiple programs for dysphagia and communication disorders and is responsible for establishing an interdisciplinary service model for patients with tracheostomy and mechanical ventilation, which resulted in the designation of her facility as a Passy Muir Center of Excellence. She has presented the keys to successful implementation of her program and is a member of the national Passy Muir Clinical Consultant team.

Ann Bauer is a speech-language pathologist, working in the greater Detroit metropolitan area. She earned a master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Wayne State University and has enjoyed working in a variety of health care settings, including inpatient and outpatient rehab, home assessment, and long-term care facilities. Ann has worked for Select Specialty Hospital in Detroit Michigan since 2009, caring for medically complex and critically ill patients. At her facility, Ann’s primary focus has been evaluation and management of swallowing and communication disorders. In this role, she regularly provides staff and physician education regarding the benefits of early PMV^® intervention and has played a pivotal role in implementing in-line Passy Muir Valve use with patients on mechanical ventilation.

Maribel Ciampitti received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Speech-Language Pathology from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She has been a certified speech-language pathologist since 1998 and has worked in a variety of settings with both pediatric and adult populations. Her expertise is in the evaluation and management of communication and swallowing disorders in medically complex adult and geriatric patients requiring tracheostomy and ventilator support. She has developed CEU courses and presented on the topic of Passy Muir^® Valve application in the assessment and treatment of communication and swallowing-related issues in the tracheostomy and ventilator-dependent population. Maribel also serves as a clinical site instructor and guest speaker at Jacksonville University.

Devan Clark earned her undergraduate degree in Biology in Oklahoma and her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She has worked throughout the continuum of care with adults, children, and neonates. She is currently working in an acute care setting, serving patients from the NICU to adult. Devan has specialized in the care of patients with tracheostomies and the medically complex, including ECMO, transplant, LVAD, trauma, and burn ICU. She has a passion for providing education to patients, families, and staff on the use and benefits of the Passy-Muir speaking valve.

Sheila Clark has been a speech-language pathologist for over 20 years and has worked with both pediatric and adult patients in a variety of settings. She earned a doctorate in health education in 2008 and enjoys educating health care professionals on the use of a holistic approach to clinical care. She has worked closely with multiple disciplines to develop advanced skills in the specialty areas of dysphagia, neurological disorders, critical care, and the management of patients with tracheostomy and mechanical ventilation.

Nicole DePalma, MS, CCC-SLP received her bachelor’s degree at Georgetown University and subsequently earned her master’s degree at NY Medical College in Speech-Language Pathology. She is the owner of NDoscopy Dysphagia Specialists, partnering with hospitals, subacute facilities, and skilled nursing facilities in New York City to provide Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) and provide consulting for interdisciplinary tracheostomy team development. As a consultant, she has presented courses on speaking valve use, dysphagia, and communication management at facilities, conferences, and universities throughout the nation.

PJ Gillen graduated in 1981 from Maricopa Technical Community College (now Gateway) in Phoenix, AZ with an AAS in respiratory therapy. She has enjoyed working with patients, from neonatal to geriatric within the United States and Germany. Throughout her career, she has had the opportunity to be a supervisor and clinical educator, as well as an adjunct instructor at colleges in New Mexico and Colorado. A strong believer in education, she returned to school and earned her bachelor’s degree in Respiratory in 2011 from Boise State University. A longtime advocate for patients with tracheostomies, PJ enjoys teaching both patients and multidisciplinary clinical teams about the use and benefits of Passy Muir^® Valves.

Sara Grzina earned her master’s degree from the University of Missouri, Columbia in 2010 and has gained experience in the pediatric clinical setting working with children in the NICU, acute care, and outpatient settings, with specialized training evaluating and treating children with tracheostomies and swallowing disorders. Sara is currently a speech-language pathologist at Mercy Kids in St. Charles, MO and Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center in St. Louis, MO.

Elizabeth Hall has been a speech-language pathologist in a variety of settings since 1996. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Business Management from Whitworth College in Spokane Washington. She then received her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Central Oklahoma. Since that time, she has primarily worked with adults following strokes, TBIs and Parkinson’s disease who have a variety of cognitive and communication disorders, as well as dysphagia. She currently works in Oklahoma City, where she sees patients in acute care, inpatient rehab, and outpatient rehab. She also has several years of experience supervising speech-language pathology graduate students in a university clinic. Elizabeth attended her first Passy Muir speaking valve conference in 1996. She is VitalStim certified, trained in both SpeakOUT! Voice therapy and Lee Silverman Voice therapy for Parkinson’s patients, and frequently evaluates patients for use of the Passy Muir Valve.

Betsy earned her master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2007. She has experience in a variety of settings and has focused her career on the brain injury population with specialized training in evaluating and treating individuals with tracheostomies and swallowing disorders. She also is a certified clinician in both LSVT and MBSiMP. She currently practices as a speech-language pathologist at St. Mary Mercy Hospital in Livonia, MI.

Corey Mohnike is a registered respiratory therapist at a Level II Trauma Center. Corey joined the Passy Muir consultant team with significant experience regarding the Passy Muir^® Valve. His experience includes use of the Valve both as a patient requiring a tracheostomy after a motor vehicle accident and working with the Valve in medical facilities as an RRT. Corey worked at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, a Passy Muir Center of Excellence, in areas that served many ventilator patients using the Valve. He has co-authored multiple procedures regarding Passy Muir Valve assessment and application with patients on mechanical ventilation. Corey served as the Clinical Educator for a multidisciplinary staff at Bryan Health in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was also involved with the Nebraska Society for Respiratory Care, and has spoken at multiple state meetings and national conferences. He is now the RT Educator at The Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, CO.

Kimberly Morris has been practicing speech-language pathology since 2006. Her experience includes evaluating and treating patients with feeding and swallowing impairments, as well as cognitive-communication impairments in neonates through young adults. She is recognized as a Board Certified Specialist in swallowing disorders and is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Kimberly joined Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego in 2018, after previously working at AI duPont Hospital for Children and Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach. She is certified in Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluations of Swallowing and is a Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Profile (MBSImP) registered clinician. She also participates in national research initiatives to optimize dysphagia outcomes for neonates with congenital heart disease and for children who are tracheostomy-dependent.

Jessica Nourse is a speech-language pathologist in Hershey, Pennsylvania, specializing in evaluating and treating patients with tracheostomy and ventilator-dependence. She has worked within a variety of settings including ICUs, inpatient and subacute rehabilitation, skilled nursing facilities, and assisted living facilities. Jessica is a strong advocate for clinical mentoring and supportive education within the clinical setting and is the student clinical coordinator within her facility. She is also a member of the Irish Association of Speech-Language Therapy (IASLT) publications committee. Jessica holds multiple bachelors degrees including one in Speech Pathology and Audiology from East Stroudsburg University, M.A.; in Applied History from Shippensburg University, M.Ed.; Communication Disorders from North Carolina Central University, as well as a doctorate in Speech-Language Pathology from Nova Southeastern University.

Katy Peck is a pediatric speech-language pathologist from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and is recognized as a Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders, Certified Brain Injury Specialist, and Lactation Educator. She has extensive experience working with high-risk populations. Katy is a guest speaker for local and state conferences, national symposia, and internationally broadcasted webinars. She has authored several published manuscripts on tracheostomy and dysphagia. She is a Lead SLP responsible for training staff in Modified Barium Swallow Studies and assessment/treatment of patients with dysphagia complicated by prematurity, cardiorespiratory implications, neurologic impairment, oncological population, gastrointestinal implications, genetic disorders, and craniofacial anomalies in the acute setting. Katy has been a clinical consultant for Passy Muir since 2010.

Presentations and More:

Passy Muir^® Valve: Keeping It On and Therapeutic Steps to Follow
Pediatric Candidacy for Speaking Valve Use: Journeys to Success
Swallowing Management of the Tracheostomized Pediatric Patient-Case

Mary Spremulli has been a Clinical Consultant with Passy Muir for a long time, providing education to professionals, patients, and parents. She is the owner of a speech-language pathology private practice, and the creator of Voice Aerobics™, a whole body voice strengthening program. Mary has published on the topic of patient education and is a member of the Education Committee of the World Parkinson’s Program. Her blog has been selected as one of the top 49 blogs about Parkinson’s disease.

Presentations and More:

Safer Care for Patients with Tracheostomies
Swallow Function: Passy Muir^® Valves Use for Evaluation and Rehabilitation

Jacob received his BSed in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and subsequently received his MEd. in Speech-Language Pathology from Georgia State University in 2009. Jacob has worked in various healthcare settings including subacute rehabs, nursing homes, outpatient clinics, in-patient rehab units, and long-term acute care facilities. Jacob has spent the majority of his career in the acute care setting at a Level II Trauma Center/Certified Stroke Center in Metro Atlanta. At his current facility, Jacob’s caseload is largely comprised of patients with dysphagia, tracheostomies, and laryngectomies. Jacob is proficient with conducting MBSS, as well as FEES. At his facility, Jacob provides continuing education regarding the prevalence of dysphagia after prolonged intubation. Jacob also has participated on tracheostomy teams to assist in expediting the weaning and decannulation process for patients.

Joanna Turner earned her master’s degree from California State University, Fresno. She has over nine years of experience in a variety of settings including skilled nursing, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient rehabilitation, and acute care. Joanna has been a full-time speech-language pathologist for Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, California where she specializes in the tracheostomy population and has been instrumental in leading the development of an interdisciplinary tracheostomy team.

Cheryl Wagoner is employed with Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital. She has worked on the Long-Term Acute Care Hospital (LTACH) unit providing evaluation and treatment for patients with a variety of neurological and pulmonary diagnoses and patients with tracheostomy tubes and mechanical ventilation. She also serves as a consulting therapist in the acute care setting at The Nebraska Heart Hospital and provides guest lectures at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Presentations and More:

Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital
Interdisciplinary Decision-Making with Patients Requiring Tracheostomy and Mechanical Ventilation

Nadine Wasserman has a degree in Respiratory Therapy from Hudson Valley Community College. She has extensive experience as a respiratory therapist working primarily in pediatrics and has served on both pediatric and neonatal transport teams. Currently a neonatal transport therapist at West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh, she has held several adjunct teaching positions including for the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Respiratory Care program. She is committed to improving the lives of people with tracheostomies by educating patients, families, and clinicians about the benefits of the Passy Muir Valve.