Michele Firsching is a speech-language pathologist at Mid-Columbia Medical Center.
She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology summa cum
laude at Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Illinois, and received her Master
of Arts in Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign.
Prior to joining MCMC, Michele worked in a variety of settings, including
Infinity Rehab in Hood River, Interface Rehab in Lancaster, California
and RehabCare in Rockford, Illinois. Her areas of interest include cognitive
impairments and swallowing, speech, language and voice disorders.
Michele helps her patients make meaningful improvements to their quality
of life through collaboration and patient-centered care. She loves working
with adults of all backgrounds to meet their goals, whether it is to improve
communication abilities after a stroke, maintain communication skills
after a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease or overcome chronic hoarseness.
Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Michele relocated to the Gorge
in 2017 and fell in love with the area and its people. In her free time
she enjoys spending time with her husband and their dog, Boomer, singing
in the community choir or musical, cross stitching and traveling to enjoy
the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and the world.
Education
Master of Arts in Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Bachelor of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology, summa cum laude, Elmhurst College
Certifications
Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American-Speech-Hearing Association (ASHA)
LSVT Loud certified clinician
VitalStim NMES certified clinician
MBSImP registered clinician