Speech-Language Pathologist Making Impact as Talent Acquisition Specialist

At a young age, Ana knew she wanted to pursue a career in healthcare. Several of her family members worked in the field, and, as a child, she received educational therapy for a learning disability.

“My educational therapist’s sister was a speech-language pathologist (SLP) so I was exposed to the field at a young age through the services I received. It seemed so rewarding to facilitate people’s communication skills,” adds Ana. 

A native of Puerto Rico, Ana attended Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN)  and graduated with a degree in speech, language and hearing sciences. After a brief stint in Florida, she moved home and earned her master’s degree at the University of Puerto Rico. 

In 2017, Ana moved to Colorado after completing her graduate studies and started her career as a speech-language pathologist/clinical fellow (SLP-CF) with Solace Pediatric Healthcare.  

Onboarding experience

When Ana joined Solace Pediatric Healthcare, the company only had 150 clinicians on staff. With 30-35 visits per week Monday through Friday, she had an efficient, consolidated caseload already established for her. 

“The onboarding experience was very individualized and tailored the first week. If I needed support, my supervisor was always there to provide guidance. She attended my first evaluation, proofread my notes and was very supportive from the beginning.”

Solace prides itself on being an employer of choice for clinicians in any stage of their career. Whether it’s a full-time caseload or just a few visits after school, Solace has opportunities for both part-time and full-time clinicians. Clinicians maintain a caseload in a condensed area. When a clinician joins Solace, they are hired for a specific area based on the need in that area.

“Solace has experienced tremendous growth since I joined the company in 2017, but I feel the biggest difference now is the level of opportunity that Solace now offers for its clinicians. Solace provides unlimited professional development opportunities, including continuing education units (CEUs), in-services, and other specialty groups,” adds Ana. 

Opportunities for growth

At Solace, you can take your career any direction. 

Ana’s unique career path has allowed her to explore different areas of leadership along the way. She started as a SLP-CF and then became an onboarding success coach, assumed a clinical mentor role, and received formal training to become a CF supervisor and clinical  instructor.  

“In a hospital or outpatient setting, growth opportunities might not happen as frequently. At Solace, there are opportunities to grow within your respective discipline or work in leadership. If you attend a CEU, you can return to the office and provide an in-service to the team.”

“The specializations within Solace are great too. Sensory feeding wasn’t something I was exposed to during my undergraduate studies or even graduate school. The opportunity presented itself while in the field. After discussing it further with other clinicians and my regional clinical manager, I learned that I could receive in-service training while in Colorado,” adds Ana.

When Ana was a clinical fellow, she typically treated children for early intervention and speech-language delays. As she received more training and acquired new skills within Solace, she was able to treat children with multiple diagnoses and who were medically complex or could benefit from an AAC device or feeding therapy. 

“As you grow professionally and acquire new skills through in-service training, so do the complexities of your caseload. This allows our clinicians to constantly be learning, evolving and perfecting their craft,” adds Ana.

Transition to talent acquisition specialist

Solace has always supported Ana personally and professionally. Working there truly diversified her skill set, but Ana felt she could make a bigger impact with clinicians and families by making the switch from a SLP to a talent acquisition specialist. 

Her primary goal as a talent acquisition specialist is to set-up clinicians for success by matching their needs with what Solace can offer them.  

“As a talent acquisition specialist, it brings me so much joy to my day when I make a connection for clinicians. When they mention they are happy with the employer or have achieved a better work/life balance, that’s the impact I like to see,” adds Ana.   

The Solace difference

Solace Pediatric Healthcare is a streamlined, organized system that allows its clinicians to devote their full energy and attention to their children, instead of spending unnecessary time doing administrative tasks. The administrative team takes on non-clinical activities so their clinicians may focus on what they do best. This aligned focus on teamwork has made Solace employees’ lives more rewarding and impactful.

“Colorado is a great place to live. You have beautiful mountains, hiking trails, breweries, a thriving downtown and so much more! Solace provides our clinicians with a great work/life balance so they’re able to enjoy this beautiful state. With a flexible work schedule, our clinicians are able to treat children in the morning and go skiing in the afternoon,” adds Ana.

“If I had to offer advice for new clinicians, it would be to immerse yourself in new opportunities and be open to learning from all clinical disciplines. There are so many opportunities within Solace to grow professionally. Whether it’s the regular collaboration of in-service education, continuing education, Journal Club, Spanish Conversation Club or Diversity and Inclusion Club, our clinicians have the opportunity to succeed and are encouraged to advance within the company,” adds Ana.

About Solace Pediatric Healthcare

Solace Pediatric Healthcare is the leading provider of pediatric nursing, family caregiver, occupational, physical, speech and feeding therapy services. Since 2005, our clinicians have provided pediatric care to children from birth to 21 years of age. At Solace, we’ve instilled a culture built on trust, communication, teamwork and accountability. Our mission is to provide pediatric healthcare services to help children and families live their best lives.

Currently serving over 6,000 families in Colorado, Nevada and Arizona, we’re looking for passionate individuals to join our growing team. To view our complete list of clinical and non-clinical job openings, simply, visit the Careers section on our website.