We believe equitable care begins with equitable access to knowledge.

Meet Hillary

Hillary Cooper, M.A., CCC-SLP, Doctoral Candidate is a speech-language pathologist, educator, and researcher specializing in adult dysphagia, informed consent, and evidence-based swallowing assessment. She co-founded Dysphagia Outreach Project, a national 501(c)(3) improving access to dysphagia supplies. Hillary is a current member of the Simucase Advisory Board and has previously served as the Treasurer of the Council for State Association Presidents (CSAP) and as Past President of the Louisiana Speech-Language Hearing Association (LSHA). She currently owns North Louisiana Swallow Solutions, a mobile FEES practice. With more than 14 years of clinical and leadership experience, Hillary’s work centers on advancing ethical, patient-centered dysphagia care through research, teaching, and advocacy. She is completing her doctoral degree at Baylor University, where her scholarship focuses on barriers to shared decision-making in texture-modified diet recommendations. At McDaniel College, Hillary is committed to preparing future clinicians with strong clinical reasoning, compassion, and a deep appreciation for health equity and advocacy.

Hillary’s vision in creating this platform is to build accessible infrastructure that supports ethical, evidence-based decision-making in swallowing care. Hillary believes informed consent in dysphagia management should be structured, transparent, and grounded in both research and respect for patient autonomy. This collection of resources exists to make high-quality resources easier to find, easier to use, and available to clinicians who are committed to shared decision-making — regardless of setting or financial barriers.

It Takes a Village

This endeavor was not built in isolation.

Advancing ethical, evidence-based swallowing care requires collaboration across clinicians, researchers, educators, technologists, and organizations committed to improving how decisions are made in healthcare. This platform reflects the insight, scholarship, feedback, and support of individuals and companies who believe that patient autonomy deserves structure, clarity, and access.

In this section, we recognize the people and partners who have contributed to the development of resources, tools, research, and technical infrastructure that make this website possible. Their expertise, encouragement, and shared commitment to ethical practice have shaped this work in meaningful ways.

Building better consent processes is collective work. We are grateful to be part of a community that understands that advancing care requires collaboration.

Dysphagia Outreach Project

The mission of Dysphagia Outreach Project is to provide meaningful assistance to low-income individuals across the lifespan who are affected by feeding and swallowing disorders.

We accomplish this by:

  • Collecting and distributing a variety of dysphagia-related supplies to individuals in need,

  • Providing education services relating to the appropriate prescription and use of dysphagia supplies, and

  • Conducting research to improve the equitable distribution of dysphagia supplies to people in need and improve the autonomy of people with feeding and swallowing disorders.

Since dysphagia affects individuals at any age, our goal is to advocate for support and awareness of issues related to dysphagia across the lifespan. We also aim to improve interdisciplinary team-building and cooperation to ensure that individuals with dysphagia, their family/caregivers, and their care team are all educated regarding evidence-based practice in swallowing and swallowing disorders.

The Modern Med SLP

The Modern MedSLP has been designed by Brooke Richardson, a practicing Medical SLP who has a vision of making continuing education and resources clinically-relevant, affordable, and efficient for busy SLPs.

As a practicing clinician, Brooke understands the challenges of being a Medical SLP in an ever-evolving medical world, and develops courses and resources that meet modern clinicians' needs.

At The Modern MedSLP, you're empowered with choice to build the custom learning plan that suits your clinical needs-- and your budget-- best.  

The Tech SLP

I'm Kristine Everett — a licensed speech-language pathologist with over 8 years of clinical experience in adult and pediatric rehabilitation, communication disorders, and cognitive therapy. But I'm also something rare in healthcare: a developer who understands the science.

I help researchers turn clinical findings into real-world tools — combining clinical expertise with AI-powered development. My goal is to make care easier for patients and families to understand, and easier to teach so students and clinicians can learn faster.

SwallowStudy.com

Karen Sheffler started SwallowStudy.com in 2014, as a resource for professionals and people with dysphagia. Then, she founded SwallowStudy & Associates, LLC in December 2023.

She is committed to life-long learning and advancing the science and practice in dysphagia. She was awarded her 10th ASHA Award for Continuing Education (ACE Award) in May 2024. She is a member of the Dysphagia Research Society (DRS), the American Speech-Language Hearing Association’s Special Interest Group 13: Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders, and the National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders (NFOSD). She is on the board and the PR and Communications Committee chair of the American Board of Swallowing & Swallowing Disorders (AB-SSD). She has been active with the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI.org) since 2014. Karen has held leadership roles in the United States IDDSI Reference Group (USIRG) since its start in 2021, and engages nationally and internationally. She stays connected with dysphagia clinicians and researchers around the world, striving to more efficiently bring the research to the clinic to help individuals struggling with feeding and swallowing disorders.