Clinical Instructor Profile
SLP student Stefanie Brodowski with Kimberly Eichhorn
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL IN A TIME OF SOCIAL DISTANCING
In the pre-pandemic world, Kimberly Eichhorn and Ronda Winans-Mitrik (BA ’07, MA SLP ’09) were in a rhythm of training Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) students at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. “Our primary goal is to help students refine and grow in their basic clinical competencies,” says Winans-Mitrik. “They learn to interview patients, review charts, make clinical hypotheses based on data—it is very hands-on training.” “We want our students to get to know each patient,” adds Eichhorn. “And to appreciate the strong interdisciplinary approach to patient care that we employ at the VA.” Melissa Peyton (MA SLP ’20) and Katherine Bredikin (BA ’18, MA SLP ’20) spent a semester at the VA Pittsburgh, working under the supervision of Eichhorn. They agree that they grew
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FACETS FALL/WINTER 2020
as student clinicians in ways they could not have done in the classroom as they began to diagnose and treat individuals with various diagnoses in a variety of settings. “Kim emphasizes the importance of using evidence-based, individualized treatment, but also the importance of considering the patient’s values and desires,” says Bredikin. “When dealing with her patients and their families, Kim is extremely empathetic.” “While learning and growing as a clinician is always Kim’s top priority, she emphasizes that it is okay to make mistakes or not know an answer—that’s why we were there!” Peyton continues. “I felt comfortable asking questions or for guidance when I felt it necessary. When I gave an answer to a question posed by Kim, she always asked me how I came to that answer to better understand my thought process.”
