Ashley Heidtmann,MS, CCC-SLP

MS, CCC-SLP

Speech-Language Pathologist

Heidtmann-Ashley-CHI
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I love the ongoing communication and collaboration with multidisciplinary team members at City of Hope. I get to work with so many cancer experts, from dietitians and respiratory therapists to nurses and surgeons, all with the goal of seeing that each patient receives comprehensive, patient-centered care.

Location
City of Hope Chicago
2520 Elisha Avenue
Zion, IL 60099
Specialties
Oncology Rehabilitation
Education
Advanced degrees:

Master of Science, Speech-Language Pathology – Rush University, Chicago, IL

Certifications

Certificate of Clinical Competence – American Speech-Language Hearing Association

McNeill Dysphagia Therapy Program (MDTP) Certified – Florida Dysphagia Institute

Amplification, Resistance, and Kinetics of the Jaw (ARK-J) Trismus Certified – Carolina Speech Pathology  

Head and Neck Lymphedema Certified - Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy

Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) Loud Certified – LSVT Global, Inc.

About Me

In June 2021, Ashley Heidtmann joined City of Hope as a Bilingual (English and Spanish) Speech-Language Pathologist at our hospital in Chicago, Illinois, providing comprehensive evaluations and individualized speech therapy for patients throughout the continuum of care. Based primarily in the oncology rehabilitation department, Heidtmann provides evaluations and therapy for patients who are experiencing cancer-related cognitive dysfunction from radiation therapy to the brain, craniotomy and/or chemotherapy.

Heidtmann also works closely with head and neck cancer patients in the Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic. “I’m especially interested in preventing, reducing and managing lymphedema and fibrosis in patients who undergo treatment for head and neck cancer,” Heidtmann says. “When targeting speech and voice changes and swallow dysfunction, I incorporate manual techniques and perform complete decongestive therapy to help patients restore their function and quality of life.”

At City of Hope, Heidtmann worked with rehabilitation leadership and the speech pathology team to create facility guidelines incorporating the use of an innovative procedure called flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). Using a thin, flexible camera passed through the nose as part of the FEES procedure, a speech pathologist assesses the patient’s swallowing function by viewing parts of the throat while the patient eats and drinks.

“The patients at City of Hope have incredible strength and perseverance,” Heidtmann says. “They are motivated in achieving their goals, and I want to make sure they feel comfortable as we work together as equal partners in planning, developing and monitoring their own rehabilitation goals.”

At the University of Boulder, Colorado, Heidtmann earned a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and a Bachelor of Arts in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences. She then earned her Master of Speech-Language Pathology from Rush University in Chicago, Illinois.

Outside of City of Hope, Heidtmann enjoys staying active with spin classes, dancing and bowling with friends. She also loves making Colombian food at home.

Patient ratings
Star ratings and comments are only available for medical, radiation and gynecologic oncologists. Gynecologic surgical offerings are not included at this time due to a different survey tool required to evaluate these services. CTCA uses a validated Press Ganey® survey, which captures patient experience feedback for the primary oncology services of chemotherapy and radiation therapy at our comprehensive care and research centers. Following industry best practice, star ratings and comments are only published for physicians with a minimum of 30 completed patient surveys.