Sleepy Eye Medical Center is thrilled to announce the addition of Kelsie Kosak, M.S., Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), to its Rehabilitation Department. With her expertise, SEMC now offers comprehensive in-house speech therapy services to patients.

Reflecting on what inspired her to pursue this career, Kosak shared, “As a child, I was sure I wanted to become a teacher. However, with an unexpected ACL injury in high school, followed by numerous physical therapy sessions, I began to think otherwise. I quickly became intrigued by the sciences and processes behind therapy. I discovered the career of speech-language pathology and found that it combines both the arts of teaching and the sciences behind treatment, while allowing me to work with individuals of all ages.”

Kosak is particularly enthusiastic about the variety of patients she will work with at SEMC.

“The variety of patients is an aspect that I enjoy most about being a speech therapist in the hospital setting. I genuinely love the ability to work with ages 0-100 daily and the variety of conditions I can treat, keeping me on my toes every day,” she said.

Joining the SEMC team is a homecoming of sorts for Kosak.

“Joining the Sleepy Eye Medical Center team is a source of great excitement and gratitude for me. The unique blend of small-town care and big-city knowledge and services offered here is what drew me to SEMC. I am eager to contribute to the expansion of the excellent services at SEMC with the addition of in-house speech services. It is a privilege to work and grow in the town I call home,” she explained.

Jamie Pendergast, Director of Rehabilitation, expressed the team’s enthusiasm about Kosak’s arrival.

“We are all extremely excited to add Kelsie to our rehabilitation team. She has an infectious personality, endless energy and brings a youthful enthusiasm to our department. Her addition will allow us the ability to offer daily speech therapy services for the first time in our history and more efficiently see those more emergent cases. She is dedicated to providing high quality care to our patients, and we think they’re going to love her,” Pendergast said.

Kosak will offer both inpatient and outpatient speech therapy services, treating a range of conditions including speech, language, cognitive, swallowing, and feeding disorders. She emphasizes the importance of tailored care and continuity, especially for school-aged children.

“With summer approaching, students receiving speech services in school who would like to continue therapy in the summer months will need a separate speech order for services in the clinic setting. Continued therapy is excellent for ongoing improvements and prevents any potential regression over the summer months,” Kosak noted.

Establishing care with Kosak requires a physician’s referral. Once a speech order is obtained, patients will undergo an initial evaluation to identify any impairments and determine the need for further therapy.

Outside of her professional life, Kosak enjoys spending time with friends and family and being outdoors.

“I am so excited and grateful for the opportunity to continue to work, grow and give back to this community,” Kosak expressed.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact SEMC’s Rehabilitation Department at 507-794-8466.