Preparing students for ethical issues in healthcare
Danielle Osmelak, Ed.D.
By Laura Pohl, Contributing Writer
Danielle Osmelak brings compassion, ethical thinking and leadership to her role as Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Disorders at Governors State University (GovState). Osmelak recently was granted tenure, capping six years of teaching, research, and service at GovState.
Osmelak has received accolades for her approaches to teaching and visionary curriculum and speaks nationally on the topic of professional ethics. She is committed to research and education in ethical clinical decision-making.
“My favorite topics to discuss in my courses are the real-world ethical dilemmas clinicians face in healthcare and tools to navigate everyday ethics within clinical practice,” Osmelak said.
Osmelak is a Fellow of the Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ISHA) and since 2015, she’s been a member of the organization’s Ethics Education Committee. She was a cofounding member of the popular ISHA "Ethics in Action Student Video Contest." Osmelak was named IHSA’s 2023 Illinois Innovator of the Year for her novel approaches to including ethical critical thinking exercises in clinically focused courses.
She is also a Distinguished Fellow in the Speech-Language Pathology Academy of the National Academies of Practice.
In 2022, Osmelak obtained grant funding for a clinical tool to use with individuals who have Parkinson’s Disease. The Parkinson Voice Project "Speak Out! ®Grant" has provided GovState’s communication disorders graduate students access to the "SPEAK OUT! ®& LOUD Crowd® Training" at no cost.
Osmelak’s clinical focus has centered around medically complex populations: neurodegenerative diseases, trach and vent dependent patients, and head and neck cancer.
“I prioritize involving undergraduate and graduate students in my research to promote their interest and exposure to clinical research and interdisciplinary collaboration,” she said. “And I enjoy mentoring undergraduate and graduate research projects.”
GovState Newsroom: What do you teach?
Osmelak: I primarily teach within our program's medically focused neurogenic courses: Voice and Resonance Disorders, Motor Speech Disorders, and Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). I am also a faculty supervisor during students’ external clinical practicums and enjoy mentoring student research. (Neurogenic means relating to or caused by the nervous system.)
GovState Newsroom: What motivated you to pursue your field of study?
Osmelak: I became a speech-language pathologist and clinical researcher to foster communication advocacy and to partner with patients and their pillars of support during acute medical crises. Access to communication during critical illness is a right, not an option.
GovState Newsroom: What are some of the most interesting topics of study you have researched and/or presented in the classroom? How are they relevant to what’s happening in the world today?
Osmelak: I enjoy creating opportunities where students can shift from theory into practice. Through collaboration with their peers, students navigate the gray areas of ethical decision-making. As students work through ethical exercises in the classroom, rich discussion is generated about the importance of professional mentorship, community, and continuing education through professional organizations, such as ISHA.
GovState Newsroom: What motivates you as a faculty member?
Osmelak: The students and patients we serve within our community.
GovState Newsroom: What do you love most about GovState?
Osmelak: The students and our community!