Clinicians Who Inspire – Sylvia Calhoun-Daniel – May 2023

Our Clinician Who Inspires this month is Sylvia Calhoun-Daniel, Champion Level I Therapist, Speech-Language Pathologist and Director of Rehab at New Iberia Manor North. Sylvia believes that balance is the key to being a successful clinician and rehab director.  She finds her work to be incredibly rewarding and attributes her ability to strike a balance with her job duties to the exceptional team she works with.

Sylvia reflected on lessons learned over the past 3 years, including how therapy and nursing worked together to ensure resident wellness remained top priority. She witnessed physical therapy walking patients to have their weights taken, morning therapy groups focusing on oral hygiene, and other examples of interprofessional collaboration while targeting therapy goals. She states, “Covid taught us that we really need each other” and credits teamwork to having such a close-knit staff.

One of Sylvia’s favorite treatment interventions is the SLP Lunch Date she holds with her patients when they are mastering swallowing techniques or have had a diet upgrade. These celebratory lunches are held in the gym, where she invites the resident’s loved ones to join them for a meal. This is not only an opportunity to provide therapeutic trials but also a purposeful time for Sylvia to provide caregiver education and safe swallowing strategy training. She goes above and beyond to make the lunch extra special, whether it’s with a slushy from Sonic that one resident was craving or a specially requested pasta dish from a daughter.

Sylvia’s message to other clinicians is simple: find balance and value each other. Thank you, Sylvia, for helping keep morale high and fostering an excellent team dynamic. Your unwavering dedication is an inspiration

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