Swain Community Hospital expands access to speech therapy through new telehealth option

Swain Rehabilitation, a department of Swain Community Hospital, has expanded access to speech therapy for eligible Medicaid patients through a teletherapy option for certain follow-up visits. 

The option is intended to support patients who may benefit from virtual visits when ongoing speech therapy is clinically appropriate. For some families, teletherapy can help reduce barriers related to travel and scheduling while allowing patients to continue working toward their therapy goals. 

“Teletherapy gives us another option to support patients when virtual care is clinically appropriate,” said Ashton Massey, MS, CCC-SLP, clinic supervisor and speech-language pathologist at Swain Rehabilitation. “Speech therapy often depends on consistency, and this can help some patients continue care in a way that better fits their needs.” 

Virtual speech therapy may be appropriate for some patients receiving treatment for speech sound disorders, language disorders in older children, stuttering, and voice concerns. Other services, including swallowing therapy, feeding therapy, play-based therapy for late talking, and some cognitive-communication services, may still require in-person care. 

Initial evaluations will continue to take place in person so patients can complete required consent forms and be evaluated by a speech-language pathologist. After the initial evaluation, the therapist may determine whether virtual visits are appropriate based on the patient’s needs, insurance coverage, and clinical guidelines. 

“Expanding access to care is an important part of serving our communities,” said Ashley Hindman, CEO of Swain Community Hospital and Harris Regional Hospital. “We are pleased to continue adding options that help patients receive appropriate, high-quality care close to home.” 

Follow-up teletherapy visits are conducted through Microsoft Teams using the patient’s email address. Audio-only phone calls do not qualify as teletherapy. 

The teletherapy option is available for eligible Medicaid patients when appropriate and in accordance with North Carolina Medicaid guidelines. Speech teletherapy options are also available through rehabilitation locations at Harris Regional Hospital and Haywood Regional Medical Center. 

While teletherapy does not replace the need for in-person care, it can be a useful option for some patients. 

“The speech-language pathologist will determine whether virtual care is the right fit for each patient and their therapy goals,” Massey said.