Speech-Language Pathology Advanced ICU Fellowship
This intensive fellowship program will allow you to participate in a clinical practice with a focus on evaluation and treatment of the ICU patient. The goal of this fellowship is to provide mentorship and advanced practice experience with a complex patient population in the intensive care unit and offer support to work toward completion of the Board Specialty Certification in Swallowing.
Duration: 12 months
Apply: Apply through Interfolio. Applicants will create a free account in Dossier. Uploaded documents will be saved in the user’s account and can be used for other Interfolio-hosted applications.
Application period: December 1, 2026 - March 1, 2027
Interview dates: April 2027
Program start: August 2027
View upcoming virtual open house sessions.
Prerequisites: The fellowship is designed for speech-language pathologists who have completed their clinical fellowship, have a certificate of clinical competency from ASHA, are eligible for Maryland state license and are eligible to work in the United States without visa sponsorship by the PMR department.
Please click the pay application fee link to pay the supplementary application fee. Application will not be processed until the fee is received and application is complete. All fees must be paid by midnight E.S.T. on date of application deadline. All fees are non-refundable.
Fellowship Highlights
- Specialized clinical training and mentorship: Gain hands-on experience in specialty intensive care units (ICUs), with individualized mentorship focused on advanced evaluation and management of motor speech, language, cognition, swallowing, tracheostomy management and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) needs.
- Advanced assessment and treatment technologies: Develop proficiency with specialized assessment and treatment technologies, including sEMG, IOPI, EMST, FEES and other advanced clinical tools.
- Immersive interprofessional learning: Expand clinical knowledge and decision-making through interdisciplinary observations, rounds, swallowing conferences, structured educational sessions and monthly journal clubs.
- Specialized certification: Complete Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Profile (MBSImP) certification to strengthen competency in standardized swallowing assessment and interpretation for patients who are critically ill.
- Scholarly activity and professional development: Participate in quality improvement initiatives and/or clinical research, with opportunities to present the findings through regional or national conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications.
Fellowship Director
Shannon Topper, M.A., CCC-SLP
Current Fellow
Hailey Babcock, M.S., CCC-SLP | Class of 2027
Undergraduate school: University of Alabama, bachelor's in communication sciences and disorders
Graduate school: University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, master's in speech language pathology
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
Professional interests: dysphagia management, neurologic populations, tracheostomies and speaking valves
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose this program for the amazing mentorship it provides, specifically as it relates to complex populations in the ICU!
Fellowship Alumni
-
Julia Iszler, M.A., CCC-SLP
Undergraduate school: University of Florida, bachelor's in communication sciences and disorders
Graduate school: University of Florida, master's in communication sciences and disorders
Hometown: Crystal River, Florida
Professional interests: dysarthria, dysphagia, aphasia, respiratory strength training to improve airway protection
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I am excited to receive further mentorship regarding best practices for evaluation and treatment within the intensive care environment where communication, cognitive, and swallowing deficits are likely at their onset or most critical. This fellowship provides the unique opportunity to pursue both patient care and research, not only to further my skills as a clinician but also contribute to the field of speech-language pathology as a whole. -
Rebecca Brown, CCC-SLP
Undergraduate school: Syracuse University, bachelor's in neuroscience, and communication sciences and disorders
Graduate school: Columbia University, master's in speech pathology
Hometown: Haddon Township, New Jersey
Professional interests: standardization in dysphagia evaluation, neurologic populations, cough assessment and treatment for dysphagia rehabilitation
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: Working in a medical setting prior to this fellowship gave me the experience to see how much I loved the ICU, but I felt like I had so much more to learn! The advanced ICU fellowship is such a unique program and I felt that Johns Hopkins would be an amazing place to learn. -
Sarah Kim, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
Undergraduate school: George Washington University, bachelor's in speech, language, and hearing sciences
Graduate school: University of Virginia, master's in communication sciences and disorders
Hometown: Closter, New Jersey
Professional interests: dysphagia, neurogenic communication disorders, tracheostomies and speaking valves
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: This fellowship is an ideal program to hone my clinical skills as I transition my career to a medical setting. It offers unique opportunities to care for a diverse and medically complex patient population with an enriching learning environment through comprehensive teaching and unparalleled mentorship. -
Holly DiClemente, M.S., CCC-SLP
Undergraduate school: Georgetown University, bachelor's in linguistics
Graduate school: Columbia University, master's in communication sciences and disorders
Hometown: Short Hills, New Jersey
Professional interests: instrumental assessment of dysphagia, tracheostomies and speaking valves, aphasia, biofeedback in dysphagia rehabilitation
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: Having completed my clinical fellowship in the sub-acute and long term care setting, I was eager to transition my career into acute care. JHH is one of the few programs in the country to offer hands-on, high caliber mentorship and training in the acute setting at the post-CF level. -
Alyssa Cook, M.A., CCC-SLP
Undergraduate school: University of Maryland, bachelor's in hearing and speech sciences
Graduate school: University of North Carolina at Greensboro, master's in communication sciences and disorders
Hometown: Ocean Township, New Jersey
Professional interests: dysphagia, tracheostomies and speaking valves, dysphagia management practice patterns between institutions
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: The fellowship truly gives a unique opportunity to further expand my clinical skillset with diverse and complex patient populations through research, didactics and mentorship. I am thrilled to have the expertise of my colleagues to explore how medical speech-language pathology relates to the various aspects of medicine associated with patients in the intensive care unit.
What I like about Baltimore: During the pandemic, there are so many outdoor trails to explore that let me get outside while still socially distancing. Plus, there are so many wonderful restaurants that serve takeout! -
Brittany Boandl, M.A., CCC-SLP
Undergraduate school: University of Pittsburgh, bachelor's in communication science disorders
Graduate school: Our Lady of the Lake University, master's in speech-language pathology
Hometown: Northampton, Pennsylvania
Professional interests: dysphagia, apraxia, tracheostomies
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: This fellowship is a wonderful opportunity to initiate my involvement in research. It also provides time and mentorship to hone my skills as an acute care speech-language pathologist while working with a diverse and medically complex patient population.
What I like about Baltimore: I love the waterfront trails and parks! -
Joanna Smith, CCC-SLP
Undergraduate school: Bloomsburg University, bachelor's in audiology & speech-language pathology
Graduate school: East Stroudsburg University, master's in speech-language pathology
Hometown: Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
Professional interests: dysphagia, neurogenic communication disorders
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: This fellowship is an incredibly unique opportunity that, to my knowledge, no other hospital system currently offers. I’m excited to advance my career and fortify my skillset as an acute care speech-language pathologist.
What I like about Baltimore: I love that there seems to be a festival every week!