About Us

Kara Maharay M.S., CCC-SLP, BCS-S

Kara received her graduate degree from LaSalle University in Philadelphia. Her career has focused on improving the lives of children and adults with communication and swallowing disorders in various settings, including acute care, neonatal ICU, SNF, outpatient, and acute rehabilitation. She has worked for a Level I Trauma hospital for the last 15 years as a Clinical Specialist and Clinical Team Leader. In those positions, she focused on program development and staff education in addition to patient care. She is currently the Director of Clinical Education at Salus at Drexel University in Elkins Park, PA.


Kara’s professional areas of interest include end-of-life/palliative care, neurogenic swallowing disorders, and tracheostomy/ventilator-dependent patients. She has presented at both state and national conferences on topics including FEES, dysphagia rehabilitation, and swallow screening protocols. Kara holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from ASHA, is a member of the Special Interest Group on swallowing and swallowing disorders, and is a Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing disorders. She is a committed lifelong learner and is excited to collaborate with other clinicians to expand their skill set and to improve care for their patients through Forward Focused, LLC.

Kelly Salmon SLPD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, CLT-LANA, NDC

Kelly is a speech‐language pathologist specializing in the treatment of adults with communication and swallowing disorders across the continuum of care. She has been a Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders (BCS‐S) since 2011 and earned designation in 2014 as a Lymphology Association of North America Certified Lymphedema Therapist (CLT‐LANA) specializing in the treatment of head and neck lymphedema. 

Over the course of her career, Kelly has focused on becoming an expert in the treatment of swallowing disorders resulting from many medical conditions including head and neck cancer, stroke, and progressive disease. The use of modalities and device-driven treatments as well as evaluation and treatment of head and neck lymphedema have become focused areas of clinical practice for Kelly over the years. She is also passionate about working with individuals undergoing total laryngectomy to rehabilitate and restore communication and swallowing function throughout the various stages of survivorship. 

Kelly earned her bachelor’s degree in speech pathology and audiology through Stockton University in New Jersey, her master’s degree in speech pathology at New York University, and completed her doctorate in speech language pathology at Nova Southeastern University in 2018.  She completed a research study examining swallowing-related outcomes for individuals undergoing specialized robotic surgery for head and neck cancer as part of her applied dissertation. This study was recently published in the journal Dysphagia. She is currently involved in research initiatives investigating the relationship between SLPs and Radiologists as interprofessional colleagues in the fluoroscopy suite and is currently planning to investigate the influence of exposing students to training in the technical skills and interpretation of fiberoptic endoscopic examination of swallowing (FEES) procedures within a graduate program on the development of confidence and competence during clinical externships, clinical fellowship, and during early-career experiences. 

Kelly takes pride in contributing to the field of speech-language pathology through teaching and supervising graduate-level students, presenting posters and courses at national conferences, and engaging in multidisciplinary research initiatives. She has recently transitioned from full-time clinical practice to the academic setting as an Associate Professor at Salus at Drexel University in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. She also maintains a small clinical private practice. 

What Makes Us Unique?

  • We have over 40 years combined of experience as speech-language pathologists in the medical and educational settings.

  • We have successfully established multiple service lines across the continuum of care (e.g., Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES), head and neck cancer and stroke pathways, modalities for treating dysphagia).

  • We focus on the independent, unbiased presentation of education and equipment options

Both as individuals and as a team, We love to ask questions, develop ideas and share our expertise through publications, presentations, and podcast discussions. Below you’ll find a list of some of our work.

Publications

Salmon, K. M., Ruiz, C., Cognetti, D. M., Curry, J. M., Luginbuhl, A. J., Bar-Ad, V., & Leiby, B. E. (2021). Functional swallow-related outcomes following transoral robotic surgery for base of tongue carcinoma. Dysphagia. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-021-10246-y

Maharay, K., & Salmon, K. (2018). Dysphagia screening in neurologic populations: Selection, implementation, and multidisciplinary collaboration. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 3(13), 58-66. doi:10.1044/persp3.SIG13.58

Topf, M. C., Magana, L. C., Salmon, K., Hamilton, J., Keane, W. M., Luginbuhl, A., . . . Spiegel, J. R. (2017). Safety and efficacy of functional laryngectomy for end-stage dysphagia. Laryngoscope. doi:10.1002/lary.26760

Maharay, K., & Salmon, K. (2015). Evaluation and treatment of cognitive-linguistic deficits in liver disease patients in the acute rehabilitative phase. SIG 2 Perspectives on Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders, 25(2), 78-88. doi:10.1044/nnsld25.2.78

Presentations

Salmon, K. Communication Options Post Total Laryngectomy. Graduate-Level Guest Lecture, three hours California State University – Fullerton. March 22, 2021

Salmon, K. Dysphagia Treatment in Head and Neck Cancer: Options and Evidence. Graduate-Level Guest Lecture, three hours California State University – Fullerton. November 10, 2020

Salmon, K., & Maharay, K. (2020, November). 12473: Forever changed: Dysphagia practice in a post-COVID era. Proposal accepted at the Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, San Diego, CA (Convention canceled).

Linnemeyer, K., Salmon, K., Landera, M., & Kearney, A. (2020, November). 20007: Hands-on practice addressing common challenges in alaryngeal communication management. Proposal accepted at the Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, San Diego, CA (Convention canceled).

Salmon, K., Cognetti, D., Curry, J., Luginbuhl, A., Bar-Ad, V., Leiby, B., & Ruiz, C. Functional swallow-related outcomes following  transoral robotic surgery for base of tongue carcinoma: A pilot study​. Technical research presentation at the 2019 American Speech Language Hearing Association Annual Convention. November, 2019. Orlando, FL.

Salmon, K. Dysphagia after treatment for head and neck cancer. Lecture at Current Issues in Head and Neck Cancer: Managing Structural, Functional, and Emotional Consequences.  October, 2019. Salus University, Elkins Park, PA.

Salmon, K., Cognetti, D., Curry, J., Luginbuhl, A., Bar-Ad, V., Leiby, B., & Ruiz, C. Functional swallow-related outcomes following  transoral robotic surgery for base of tongue carcinoma: A pilot study​. Poster presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Dysphagia Research Society. March, 2019. San Diego, CA.

Salmon, K. Management of head and neck lymphedema after total laryngectomy. Lecture at Current Issues in Laryngectomy Care: A Conference for Health Care Providers and the Laryngectomee Community.  October, 2018. Salus University, Elkins Park, PA.

Salmon, K., & Maharay, K. A collaborative approach to implementing a dysphagia screen in acute stroke patients. Lecture presentation at ASHA Annual Convention. November, 2016. Philadelphia, PA.

Salmon, K., & Becker, R. The clinical doctorate experience: Insights from a diverse cohort of SLPD students. Poster presentation at ASHA Annual Convention. November, 2016. Philadelphia, PA.

Salmon, K., & Maharay, K. FEES 101: How to develop your program from business plan to implementation. Lecture presentation at Annual ASHA Convention. November, 2016. Philadelphia, PA.

Salmon, K., & Maharay, K. Evaluation and treatment of cognitive-linguistic deficits in liver disease patients in the acute rehabilitative phase. Poster presentation at Annual ASHA Convention. November, 2015. in Denver, CO.

Salmon, K., & Maharay, K. Intervention planning for dysphagia based on objective studies and reports: Translating results into practice. Lecture presentation at Annual ASHA Convention. November, 2015. Denver, CO.

Salmon, K., & Maharay, K. Road to recovery: Dysphagia treatment for a patient with SMA Type II. Poster presentation at Annual ASHA Convention. November, 2015. Denver, CO.

Salmon, K., & Maharay, K. Assessment and application of a speaking valve for speech and swallowing. Lecture presentation during the annual Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Above the Rest Conference, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. January 2013. Philadelphia, PA.

Salmon, K., Maharay, K., & Shaw, G. Implementation of a free water program for dysphagic patients in the acute rehabilitation setting. Poster presentation at the Inter-Professional Care for the 21st Century: Redefining Education and Care Conference. Thomas Jefferson University. May 2012. Philadelphia, PA.

Salmon, K., & Maharay, K. The common denominator for success in dysphagia recovery: Invested partners. Poster presentation at the ASHA Annual Convention. November, 2012. Atlanta, GA.

Salmon, K. The SLP’s role in SCI patients implanted with diaphragm pacing systems. Poster presentation at the ASHA Annual Convention. November 2010. Philadelphia, PA.

Salmon, K. Challenges and changes in dysphagia management in the acute care and rehabilitation settings. Lecture presented at the Temple University College of Health Professions and Social Work Communiversity Conference. June, 2009. Philadelphia, PA.

Podcasts & Online Events

Kelly Salmon

Medical SLP Collective, MedSLP Summit. [Online Event]. Considering s-EMG for Dysphagia? An Introduction, Demonstration, and FAQs Answered. May 18, 2021. http://medslpcollective.com/summit

Medical SLP Collective, MedSLP Summit. [Online Event]. Total Laryngectomy: From Pre-Operative Assessment to Acute Post-Operative Care. December 1, 2020. http://medslpcollective.com/summit

 Swallow Your Pride, Episode 168. “Total Laryngectomy 101: Part 2 Post-Op.” https://podcast.theresarichard.com/168-total-laryngectomy-101-part-2-post-op-kelly-salmon-slpd-ccc-slp-bcs-s-clt-lana-ndc/

Swallow Your Pride, Episode 167. “Total Laryngectomy 101: Part 1 The Pre-Op Phase.” https://podcast.theresarichard.com/167-total-laryngectomy-101-part-1-the-pre-op-phase-kelly-salmon-slpd-ccc-slp-bcs-s-clt-lana-ndc/

Medical SLP Collective, Live Continuing Education Event. [Online CE Event]. Moderator for four roundtable discussions on the topics of head and neck cancer and dysphagia. September 25-27, 2020. https://medslpcollective.com/medical-slp-collective-live-virtual-event-2020/

Medical SLP Collective, MedSLP Summit. [Online Event]. An Introduction to the Management of Head and Neck Lymphedema. August 12, 2020. http://medslpcollective.com/summit

Medical SLP Collective, Live Question and Answer. August 5, 2020. Archived within member site at: https://medslpcollective.com/monthly-qa-informal-call-replays/

Medical SLP Collective Live Webinar. Treatment Modalities in Head and Neck Cancer: Options and Evidence [2-hour CE webinar]. May 27, 2020. https://medslpcollective.com/treatment-modalities-in-head-and-neck-cancer-options-and-evidence-recording/

Swallow Your Pride, Episode 115. “Part 2: The Head and Neck Cancer Niche.” November 26, 2019. https://www.mobiledysphagiadiagnostics.com/115-kelly-salmon-slpd-ccc-slp-bcs-s-clt-lana-part-2-the-head-and-neck-cancer-niche/

Swallow Your Pride, Episode 112. “Alphabet Soup – Continuing Your Education after Grad School.” November 5, 2019. https://www.mobiledysphagiadiagnostics.com/112-kelly-salmon-slpd-ccc-slp-bcs-s-clt-lana-alphabet-soup-continuing-your-education-after-grad-school/

Medical SLP Collective, Live Question and Answer. October 16, 2019. Archived within member site at: https://medslpcollective.com/monthly-qa-informal-call-replays/

Online Content Creation

Kelly Salmon

“Management of Total Laryngectomy: Pre and Post-Operative Care” Medbridge. Published July 31, 2021.

“Management of Total Laryngectomy: Rehabilitation to Survivorship” Medbridge. Published July 31, 2021.

 “Lessons on Laryngectomy: Maximizing Airway Function Through HME Use.” The Medical SLP Collective. Published February 8, 2021. https://medslpcollective.com/lessons-on-laryngectomy-maximizing-airway-function-through-hme-use/?vgo_ee=9qZRb2zIT9dAqKvS0G00f1Z8GsuXuxsBvAoYpn%2BtbpI%3D

 “Lessons on Laryngectomy: The Basics.” The Medical SLP Collective. Published April 6, 2020. Archived within member site at: https://medslpcollective.com/lessons-on-laryngectomy-the-basics/

“What to Do When You Get A Head and Neck Cancer Referral.” The Medical SLP Collective. Published March 3, 2020. Archived within member site at: https://medslpcollective.com/questions-to-ask-when-you-get-a-head-and-neck-referral-supplemental-material/