BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

My love for healthcare and digital health started with my decision to join the US Army. As a frontline combat medic, I had the honor of supporting soldiers at the battalion aid station for in and outprocessing for deployment during Operation Desert Strike (96-97). I secured this position while preparing medical records for transport for the overseas missions. At the time, the physical records were reviewed, packed, and shipped to the basecamp. Too often, by the time the records reached basecamp, the camp had moved. Built out of frustration, I devised a method to ensure essential documentation for the soldiers reached their commander. Using Delrina Forms Flow on an archaic DOS system, I created an "electronic medical record" for each soldier that could be updated and stored at the main battalion aid station stateside, then sent electronically overseas to the supervisory commander. This essentially was the first time records had been electronically shared in this manner. Nervously, I apologized if this method of communication was unacceptable and secured the basecamp location for further shipping of physical documents. I was awarded an Army Achievement Medal and given a permanent position until the conflict ended.  

Over time, I remained in the medical field, working in leadership roles shortly after leaving the military. I have the honor of studying at the Helen Keller Institute, where I learned what a speech pathologist can do for individuals with severe-to-profound cognitive disabilities. I became intrigued and decided to pursue a degree in Speech Language Pathology. Combining my training in voice performance with speech and language disorders, I expanded my skills into voice disorders and neurocognitive deficits. I remained passionate about leadership and mentorship, which quickly led me into leadership roles upon graduating, first in skilled nursing, then in home health, and later in hospital systems and service-line executive leadership. 

I am now an applied scholar-practitioner who helps organizations improve outcomes through program strategy, evaluation, and implementation. I am currently a Research Fellow at UTHealth McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, where I contribute to research in health systems, institutional theory, legal epidemiology/public health law, mental health and substance use disorders, and healthcare management and finance.  I have about 5 years of experience teaching at the graduate and doctoral levels, including courses such as Organizational Management, Human Resources and Organizational Management, Telehealth, and the U.S. Healthcare Systems. Though I have supported students as a clinical mentor, developed student training programs within hospitals, and within my own private practice with area universities and PK-12. My mentorship skills led me to serve as Chair of the Mentorship Committee for the ACHE Southeast Texas Chapter.

In addition to teaching at the university level, I contribute through my guest lecture series, which covers topics such as Policy Analysis Methodology, Time-Series Analysis, Implementation of Research into Clinical Strategies, Mentorship versus Coaching, Leadership Communication across Diverse Populations in the Workforce, and The Evolution of Telehealth.

As an executive leader in the healthcare space, I am most honored to have contributed to several projects that have driven development and growth within the healthcare organizations I have led. I am well-versed in EHRs, medical records data, and in using data to identify the best course of marketing, strategy, treatment modalities, and organizational change. I have gained skills in statistical analysis and data science using R and Python. I believe my value to any organization lies in my ability to draw on my broad skill set and apply it across a wide range of disciplines. My strongest asset is my ability to combine research into teaching and leadership in systems integration, building systems that last. 

Education/Training

Collegiate Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Healthcare Management and Public Policy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, School of Public Health, Houston, TX 2025 

Masters of Science, Speech-Language Pathology, State University of New York College at Fredonia, Fredonia, NY, 2007 

Bachelors of Science in Education, Communication Disorders, State University of New York College at Fredonia, Fredonia, NY, 2005 

Post GraduateTraining and Fellowships 

Graduate Archer Fellow, The University of Texas System, Summer 2023, Intern, Maverick Health Policy

Temple University, Policy Surveillance Summer Institute, Philadelphia, PA, 2023 - Intro Track, 2024 - Advanced Track Legal Epidemiology

Graduate Teaching Associate, The University of Texas Health Science Center, School of Public Health, 2021-2025

Graduate Research Assistant, The University of Texas Health Science Center, McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, 2021-2025

Post Doctoral Fellow, Center for Behavioral, Emergency, and Addiction Research, McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, Houston, TX 8/2025 - present

Positions

1996-2000 US Army/US Army National Guard, Combat Medic, Various locations, USA

2000-2002 Assistant Director of the Under 22 Program, Institute for Developmental Disabilities Inc. Assonet MA

2002-2007 Speech Pathology Student Clinician, Dunkirk/Fredonia/Jamestown, NY

2007-2008 Speech Pathologist Fellow, Resource Center, Dunkirk NY

2008-2009 Director of Rehabilitation and Therapy Services, Gowanda Rehabilitation Skilled Nursing Facility, Gowanda, NY

2009-2014 Speech Pathologist, Preceptor, Marketing Assistant, Mentor, Amedisys Home Healthcare, Dunkirk, NY

2014-2015 Director of Rehabilitation and Therapy Services, Rehabcare/Kindred Healthcare, Warwick, NY

2015-2016 Operations Consultant, Kindred Healthcare, Various Locations, USA

2016-2017 Executive Director, Kindred Healthcare, Houston, Port Arthur, Beaumont TX

2017-2018 Program Director, Kindred Healthcare, CHI St Luke’s Hospital, Woodlands, TX

2018-Present Founder/Principal, Speech Uplifted LLC, Houston, TX

2021-2025 Graduate Teaching Associate, University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX

2021-2025 Graduate Research Assistant, Center for Behavioral, Emergency, and Addiction Research, University of Texas School of Biomedical Informatics.

2025-Present Research Fellow, Center for Behavioral, Emergency, and Addiction Research, University of Texas School of Biomedical Informatics.

Honors

1998 Army Achievement Metal, US Army

2003-2005 Board Member, Children’s Educational Services, State University of NY College at Fredonia

2004-2005 Gustave & Geraldine Warner Scholarship, State University of NY College at Fredonia

2004-Pres Phi Alpha Theta Member, History Honors

2005-Pres Golden Key International Honor Society, Member

2006-2007 Minority Fellowship Award, Fellow State University of NY College at Fredonia

2019 UREEKA Power Up Grant, Hispanics in Philanthropy PowerUp Fund, Google

2022 Employee Spotlight, School of Biomedical Informatics, Center for Healthcare Analytics, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Certifications/Licensure

Licensed Speech Language Pathologist: Texas, Florida, and California, Certified Clinical Competency - American Speech and Hearing Association

Professional Certificates

• Leadership – UT Health Houston School of Public Health

• Public Health Policy Surveillance and Legal Epidemiology – UT Health Houston, Temple University   

• Healthcare Administration -UT Health Houston

• Business Management and Marketing for Entrepreneurs – Fort Bend Entrepreneurial Grant - Lonely Entrepreneur 

• Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) Certified Dysphagia Management Systems

• Facilitative Leadership - Catholic Health Systems

• Lee Silverman Voice Therapy - LSVT

• Biomechanics, Learning, and Compliance in Voice Therapy

CITI Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative Certifications

• Biomedical Responsible Conduct of Research

• Conflicts of Interest in Research Training

• Data Acquisition and Management

• Good Clinical Practices for Clinical Trials Involving Drugs and Devices

• Group 1 Biomedical Researcher and Key Personnel

• Group 2 Social and Behavioral Researchers and Key Personnel

• Humanities Responsible Conduct of Research

• Human Research--IRB Reference Resource

• Physical Science Responsible Conduct of Research

• Responsible Authorship and Publication

• Social and Behavioral Responsible Conduct of Research