Karen M Sheffler, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S

Boston, Massachusetts
Karen M Sheffler, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S Expert Witness
Curriculum Vitae

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Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

General Specialties:

Speech-Language Pathology and Geriatrics

Keywords/Search Terms:

swallowing, swallowing disorders, dysphagia, oral, pharyngeal, esophageal, oropharyngeal dysphagia, vocal cords, vocal folds, larynx, aspiration, aspiration pneumonia, aspiration precautions, safety, strategies, choke, choking, asphyxiation, hypoxia, anoxia, stroke, dementia, neurological, paralysis

Education:

Master of Science (Communication Sciences and Disorders), University of Wisconsin-Madison; Bachelor of Science (Speech-Language Pathology), Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Years in Practice:

25

Number of Times Deposed/Testified in Last 4 Yrs:

6

Additional Information

I am a medical Speech-Language Pathologist and a Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders (BCS-S). I achieved this specialty certification in 2012. I have been a certified, licensed and practicing SLP since 1996, with licensure in Massachusetts from 1998 to current. I have worked with the adult and geriatric populations, specializing in dysphagia evaluation and management in long-term care, rehabilitation centers, and acute care with inpatients and outpatients. I am a 9-time award winner of the ASHA Award for Continuing Education (ACE) in recognition of excellence in continued professional study (as of March 2023). In September 2019, I won the first Hormel Health Labs Health Hero Award: https://www.hormelhealthlabs.com/resources/health-hero-advances-dysphagia-research/. I was elected as a Board member of the American Board of Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders in November 2022. I am the founder of www.SwallowStudy.com: Dysphagia Resource for Professionals and People with Difficulty Swallowing. I provide dysphagia expert consulting to companies and organizations through social media marketing, writings, webinars, live seminars, research and development departments, and advisory boards. In addition to my writings and resources on my website, I have published articles on numerous other websites and in the ASHA Leader. Special interests include: patient safety, choking prevention, standardizing dysphagia diets, aspiration pneumonia, oral hygiene, palliative care, and end-of-life decision-making. I have enjoyed working as a dysphagia expert witness in litigation since 2016. I have reviewed over 45 cases, equally covering defendants and plaintiffs. Please see www.SwallowStudy.com and my CV for more information on my work and services.