Maria Chisolm, M.S., Ccc-Slp Email & Phone Number

Denver, Colorado, United States

As the Founder & Executive Director of Layers, an innovative mentorship platform for allied healthcare providers, I am dedicated to empowering fellow professionals to succeed in their practices.Drawing upon my extensive background as a bilingual speech-language pathologist, I recognized the unique challenges faced by healthcare providers in managing their practices effectively. In response, I established Layers with a vision to bridge the gap between clinical expertise and business acumen, offering comprehensive mentorship and support. My passion for empowering fellow healthcare providers is driven by the desire to make a positive impact on our industry and the lives of those we serve.At Layers, we provide allied health professionals with an engaging online community where they can access personalized one-on-one mentorship, expert workshops, and valuable resources. By offering practical guidance in areas like scaling, branding, marketing, billing, and financial management, Layers equips our members to streamline their operations and enhance the care they provide to their patients and clients.I take immense pride in fostering a supportive and inclusive environment at Layers, where healthcare providers from various disciplines and experience levels can collaborate, learn from each other, and thrive together. Our community encourages knowledge sharing, personal growth, and work-life balance, recognizing that success is multifaceted and extends beyond clinical excellence.While leading Layers remains my primary focus, I continue to maintain my clinical skills by seeing clients at Speech & Health, where I provide bilingual evaluations and deliver diagnostic services for speech-language disorders in Spanish and Spanish/English-speaking children of all ages.

Greater Denver Area

As the founder and Executive Director of Speech & Health, I've led the organization from a solo practice to a flourishing enterprise, delivering exceptional allied health services across Colorado and New Mexico. My role encompasses strategic planning, team leadership, program development, and stakeholder engagement, all driven by a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.Key Achievements:-Developed and executed strategic plans, adapting to evolving client needs and trends in allied health.-Built and mentored a diverse, predominately bilingual team, enhancing service reach and effectiveness.-Maintained compliance with professional standards, including HIPAA, and adapted operations to changing regulations.-Led complex projects, coordinating with multiple agencies such as Community Centered Boards and Health First Colorado.-Achieved significant organizational growth, with a six-figure increase in revenue within three years.-Negotiated increased reimbursement rates with major insurance companies.-Introduced new procedures and treatment techniques, keeping the team at the forefront of industry advancements.-Fostered a culture of open communication, collaboration, and continuous learning.-Conducted performance reviews and planned for workforce needs, including strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic.-Actively engaged with clients, families, and professionals, building strong, collaborative relationships.I'm passionate about leveraging my extensive experience to drive continuous improvement, innovate health service delivery, and positively impact the lives of those we serve.

Greater Denver Area

-Specialized in conducting a broad range of monolingual and bilingual assessments for children aged birth-to-21, demonstrating proficiency in understanding diverse educational and language backgrounds. -Selected and administered appropriate standardized and non-standardized assessments, reflecting an understanding of varied educational experiences and language exposures.-Provided guidance to professionals on effective strategies for second language learners, both in the general education and special education contexts.-Collaborated with educators to modify instructional materials, ensuring cultural appropriateness and inclusivity.-Worked with school administration to enhance the performance of English Language Acquisition/Special Education students through professional training and in-services.-Educated staff on bilingual language acquisition, phonological processes, and cultural norms across various languages and cultures.-Developed and distributed district-wide materials focusing on the referral and evaluation of bilingual students.

Greater Denver Area

-Conducted comprehensive bilingual evaluations, including the administration, scoring, and interpretation of various standardized and non-standardized assessments for children aged birth-to-21.-Executed initial bilingual evaluations, re-evaluations, and corrections in compliance with the Office of Civil Rights.-Prepared detailed written reports with results, impressions, and recommendations.-Led and participated in Individualized Education Plan meetings.-Communicated complex evaluation results to other professionals, guardians, and students.-Provided professional training on language development in bilingual children.-Developed and implemented a Spanish Language Proficiency exam to assess the language ability of licensed professionals.-Interviewed and assessed potential candidates for the bilingual evaluation team.

Albuquerque, New Mexico Area

-Independent in conducting bedside swallow, speech, language, and cognitive evaluations in acute inpatient rehabilitation.-Provided diagnostic and rehabilitative services on the following medical units: oncology, surgical care, general surgery, general medical, adult intermediate and intensive care, general acute, cardiac progressive and critical care, adult progressive care, short stay and early admit. -Independent in providing diagnostic and rehabilitative services for cognitive-linguistic and swallowing disorders in a skilled nursing facility.-Competent in completing inpatient and outpatient modified barium swallow studies and making immediate and appropriate recommendations and referrals for a wide variety of medical diagnoses.-Independent in report writing for acute inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient rehabilitation, and skilled nursing facility.-Effectively communicated with patients, families, caregivers, and other medical staff results of evaluations, treatment plans, and recommendations in both lay and medical terms.

Albuquerque, New Mexico Area

-Provided diagnostic and rehabilitative services for speech, language, cognitive-linguistic, augmentative and alternative communication, voice, alaryngeal communication, and swallowing disorders. -Established a multiple sclerosis support group.-Maintained a monthly laryngectomee support group.-Established assessment protocol of speech and language ability for cochlear implant candidates. -Knowledgeable in medical diagnostic procedures and surgical interventions that impact the indications and contraindications for speech-language pathology services. -Knowledgeable in the anatomy and physiology of oral, pharyngeal, and laryngeal structures as related to speech production, alaryngeal speech, and oral/oropharyngeal swallow function. -Knowledgeable in conducting and interpreting MBS studies. -Knowledgeable in conducting and interpreting both rigid and flexible fiberoptic endoscopy. -Independent in selecting, administering, scoring, and interpreting results of standardized diagnostic tools for aphasia, dysarthria, and cognitive-linguistic deficits as a result of TBI, CVA, neurosurgery, progressive neurogenic disorders, and other physical, mental, and emotional conditions. -Independent in collecting and interpreting information obtained from non-standardized diagnostic protocols including MEBDT for tracheostomized patients, clinical swallow evaluations, and MBS studies for swallowing disorders.-Provided accurate diagnostic and treatment results and prognostic information to medical, surgical, and rehabilitation teams. -Knowledgeable in diagnostic and remedial techniques and methods for using voice prostheses for total laryngectomees.-Provided pre-intervention counseling for patients and family members with regard to communication and swallowing in light of treatment methods including radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery. -Provided education in speech-language pathology to otolaryngology residents.

M.S., Speech-Language Pathology

Activities and Societies: National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Certificate In English Language Teaching To Adults, University Of Cambridge

B.A., Linguistics