Caring Career Spotlight: Kyle, Speech Language Pathologist

Kyle’s passion for helping people shines through every part of his work as a speech-language pathologist. From helping patients regain communication skills to supporting safer swallowing at home, he has spent the last decade building meaningful relationships and guiding patients through their health journey.

“I chose this career because, at my core, I love helping people,” he explained. “I come from a competitive sports background, and that mindset has never left me. I have always viewed myself less as a clinician and more as a coach.”

That coaching mindset helps Kyle build strong relationships with patients and families while encouraging them through recovery and rehabilitation.

“What brings me the greatest joy as a speech-language pathologist is getting to truly know my patients,” he said. “Building genuine rapport, making real connections and understanding what drives them. There is nothing more rewarding than helping someone reach a goal they once thought impossible.”

For Kyle, some of the most meaningful moments are often the simplest ones.

“The expression on a client’s face when they pass a swallow study and are clear to eat by mouth again, or the moment a patient who has struggled to communicate is able to pick up the phone and have a real conversation with a friend or family member,” he shared. “Being the person who helps give that back to someone is something that never gets old.”

Kyle joined Elara Caring 10 years ago. Since then, his role has grown beyond home health patient visits. He has contributed to several company-wide initiatives focused on improving care for patients receiving speech therapy at home. He said some of his proudest accomplishments have come from helping create tools and programs that improve the experience for both clinicians and patients.

“My role has expanded, becoming a team member for various company-wide projects,” Kyle shared. “Most notably ‘Project Lightning,’ which has vastly improved our documentation for our speech pathologists throughout Elara, and the implementation of Constant Therapy, which has been a game changer for our patients with cognitive and language deficits.”

Kyle credits the strong culture and teamwork at Elara Caring as a major reason he has stayed with the organization for so many years.

“What I love most about working at Elara is the people,” he said. “Many of our therapists have worked together for 5, 10, even 15 years, which is truly rare in healthcare. We feel supported, we feel heard and there is a genuine commitment to positive change and innovative thinking.”