Kyle Mamiya, M.S., CCC-SLP graduated from California State University, Northridge (CSUN).  He completed his externship then CFY in 2001, and worked at the West Los Angeles VA before relocating to Seattle in 2007. He is part of the Rehab Care Service line in the VA Puget Sound Healthcare System.  He serves as an adjunct instructor in the CDS Distance Learning program at CSUN, a point of contact for the Intensive Dysphagia Treatment Program (IDTP), and a Telehealth Master Preceptor for VAPSHCS. Kyle has contributed to initiatives such as the Telerehabilitation Enterprise Wide Initiative (TREWI) program, and growing tele-practice for Audiology and Speech Pathology in VISN 20. Kyle has presented for ASHA, our AVASLP group, and the NW Voice Conference. Kyle values the generous mentorship and collaboration he has received from his VA colleagues and clinical fellows, and cherishes the professional relationships that have solidified into friendships. He hopes to contribute to the ongoing efforts toward collegial collaboration and access to our collective knowledge. Kyle is a devoted husband and dad of three, enjoying life in the Pacific Northwest.

Emily Bible-Ramsey, M.S., CCC-SLP, CLT is a graduate from Purdue University. She has been part of the Richard L Roudebush VA Medical Center Speech Language Pathology department since 2011 and currently serves as the Head and Neck Cancer clinical specialist for dysphagia and voice management.  Additionally, Emily acts as the Indianapolis site lead for the Intensive Dysphagia Treatment Program (IDTP)  and is a member of the Head and Neck Cancer (H&NC) Pro-active Arm workgroup. 

She is passionate about collaboration and values professional partnerships, serving on multiple interdisciplinary teams including the Head & Neck Cancer Continuity of Care team, General Tumor Conference, Cancer Committee Survivorship Designee,  Cancer Survivorship Committee, Advanced Surgical Airways, and ENT Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) team. 

Emily has presented at multiple national and state conferences on various topics including implementation of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Protocol in the H&NC surgical population, implementation of the Proactive H&NC arm of the Intensive Dysphagia Treatment program, SLP Advocacy for Instrumental Assessments, and Ethical Billing Practices.

She is passionate about the field of speech-language pathology and advocates for  the profession by serving on the Indiana Speech Language Hearing Association  (ISHA) Executive Council and is the current American Speech-Language Hearing Association State Advocate for Reimbursement  (ASHA STAR) for the state of Indiana.

Raquel Ramos is a Speech and Language Pathologist at the Miami VA Healthcare System.  Her interests include acute rehabilitation of head and neck cancer patients, Home Based Primary Care (HBPC), Telehealth Speech Pathology services and leadership. 

Raquel graduated from Florida International University in 2007 with a master’s in science degree in speech and language pathology.  She has been working at the Miami VA for 13 years, starting as a student intern.  She completed her Clinical Fellow year there and then transitioned into a permanent position within the department.  Working with the diverse patient population and being able to collaborate with other disciplines to provide the highest level of care is what Raquel enjoys most about being a VA Speech Pathologist.  In addition, her bilingualism has been of great benefit with the veterans she serves in the Miami area.  It allows her to communicate in the language they feel most comfortable in, as she has found that sometimes their ability to code switch post a cerebral.

She supports increased collaboration amongst VHA SLPs and other community and private entity healthcare providers in order to expand services, diminishing the stigma often associated with VHA care, all while promoting our mission of becoming a 21st-century health care institution. She provides a forward thinking perspective which is the direction we as professionals always need to be moving.

Laura Chalcraft is the Chief of the Audiology and Speech Pathology Service at Hines VA Hospital in Hines, Illinois. She has been working at Hines VA for 15 years. During that time, she has had many roles including, lead Polytrauma/Traumatic Brain Injury Speech Pathologist and Supervisor of the Speech Pathology Department. Her specialty areas of focus include cognitive communicative disorders, data analysis, staff management and promotion, and research pertaining to traumatic brain injury. Laura played an integral role in Hines VA Speech Pathology department becoming a pilot site for the T21 grant focused upon intensive dysphagia therapy as well as the development of the Hines VA Assistive Technology Lab that included procurement of a rehabilitation engineer position. Laura has been married to her husband, Mike, for 14 years, is a mother of 3 girls, and even has a girl dog!

Sarah Kiefer Luhring is a Speech-Language Pathologist and Assistive Technology Professional at the Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center. She has expertise in neurogenic communication disorders and augmentative and alternative communication. She is the chairperson for the Cincinnati VAMC Interdisciplinary ALS team and is involved in the neuromovement disorders clinic. Ms. Kiefer Luhring is currently involved in promoting the use of telehealth to improve access for veterans with neurological communication disorders.

Kevin Manning is a Speech Pathologist in the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Service (BIRS) in Brooke Army Medical Center located on Joint Base San Antonio- Fort Sam Houston, Texas.  BIRS specializes in assessment and treatment for service members and DoD dependents in the outpatient clinic with a multidiscipline team approach.  His outpatient treatment includes cognitive retraining for acquired and traumatic brain injury and for patients with Functional Neurological Disorders (FND).  BAMC is a Level-One Trauma Center, Kevin provides cognitive communication assessment services to trauma patients, post-surgery patients, and patients with neurodegenerative diseases in the acute care setting at BAMC.  His research has a primary focus on creating standardized cognitive retraining programs for patients with concussion and FNDs.  Kevin serves as the liaison between AVASLP and Speech Pathologists in the Defense Health Agency (DHA).

Julie Gliesing, M.S., CCC-SLP, ATP is a speech-language pathologist providing care within the VA System of Care for over a decade. She currently practices at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle Division (VAPSHCS). Prior to this, she served veterans and active duty servicemembers at the Audie Murphy VA Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center in San Antonio, TX. Julie values comprehensive team collaboration within Speech Pathology and alongside interdisciplinary partners to optimize outcomes for both veterans and providers. Her affinity for technology led Julie to pursue an Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) certification almost a decade ago. Today, she continues to investigate assistive technology options for veterans with spinal cord injury, and as part of the VAPSHCS Assistive Technology Team. Additionally, Julie actively explores technology solutions to increase effectiveness and efficiency of her team’s administrative practices. Julie strives to support collaborative communication and dissemination of knowledge through technology.

Logan Cates, M.A., CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist in the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. After obtaining her master’s degree in speech pathology, she completed her clinical fellowship at the Minneapolis VA. She briefly worked in the private sector before returning to the VA as permanent staff in 2016. Throughout her career, Logan has developed expertise in neurogenic communication disorders—particularly those related to stroke and dementia. She has a strong interest in assistive technology, and collaborates regularly with local and national colleagues to remain updated on the integration of AT into the care of veterans with cognitive and communication disorders. She participated in VA Pittsburgh’s Aphasia Rehabilitation Training Network and Residency (PARTNeR) program, was a recipient of the Excellence in Customer Care award from the Audiology and Speech Pathology Field Advisory Council for her role in developing an aural rehabilitation program for veterans after cochlear implant placement, and collaborated with research colleagues to develop a clinical tool to help care partners implement cognitive-communication strategies at home. She deeply appreciates the vast knowledge and skills of her fellow VA SLPs, and she looks forward to learning alongside them to continually better the care provided to veterans. In her personal time, Logan loves spending time with her husband and son, playing guitar, and checking out the Twin Cities restaurant scene.