Stony Brook Speech-Language Pathology Program Expands to Meet Education and Health Care Needs in LI’s East End |

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STONY BROOK, NY, September 20, 2021 – With the growing need for speech-language pathologists (speech therapists) in East Suffolk County and in the health field in general, new facilities to train the next generation of speech-language pathologists have opened at Stony Brook Southampton. The School of Health Technology and Management’s (SHTM) Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology opened its high-tech facility on September 17 with a ribbon cutting and facility tour.

The expertise of speech-language pathologists helps optimize speech rehabilitation and clinical care for patients with stroke, neurological diseases, post-Covid issues, children with autism and other disorders, and individuals learning English as a second language. Speech-language pathology careers take place in a variety of settings: hospitals, rehabilitation centers, long-term care facilities, schools, agencies and private practices. The occupation has an expected employment growth rate of 21% through 2024, according to statistics from the United States Bureau of Labor.

“The challenges of the past year have served as an accelerator – bringing together different fields, departments, industries and disciplines towards the common goal of protecting our community and meeting the health needs of our friends and neighbors,” said Maurie McInnis , President of Stony Brook University. “The opening of the speech therapy program facilities here on our Southampton campus is a prime example. The result of a collaboration between the Speech-Language Pathology Department and Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, the new facilities support a model of interprofessional learning essential to Stony Brook’s mission of health education.

At the grand opening of the new SLP program facilities on the Stony Brook Southampton campus, left to right: Anthony Palumbo, New York State Senator; Renee Fabus, president of the SLP program; Paul Goldbart, Director of Stony Brook University: Fredric Weinbaum, MD, Medical Director and Director of Operations, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital; Maurie McInnis, President of Stony Brook University; Stacy Jaffee Gropack, Dean of SHTM; Stephen D’Amico, SLP graduate student, and Fred W. Thiele, Jr., NYS Assembly member.

The new facility includes classrooms, laboratories and a control room, with the latest technology for speech therapy education, including simulation training and video conferencing capabilities. There is a bilingual component of the program which is crucial, as recent US Census data shows that 22 percent of Suffolk households speak a language other than English.

“The addition of the SLP program complements our already strong educational program in the areas of the health professions,” said Stacy Jaffee Gropack, dean of the SHTM. “The SLP program adds to our nationally ranked occupational therapy and physiotherapy programs, complementing rehabilitation-related programs, which are unique and indispensable in the East End of Long Island.”

SHTM’s other programs on the Southampton campus, Physician Assistant Education and Applied Health Informatics, represent the range of opportunities offered by the school to meet the workforce needs of a growing population in the region.

“These facilities will support the learning and success of students in telehealth and interprofessional team practice,” said Renée Fabus, PhD, president of the SLP program. “We are honored to be part of the entire Stony Brook team of educators and healthcare professionals and to partner with Stony Brook Southampton Hospital and the community.”

Speech-Language Pathology Masters students will intern at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital and other East End clinics and organizations in need of speech-language pathology services for children and adults.

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  • Speech after the conference hall

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