UPHS - Portage Heroes | Bethany Frantti, MS, CCC-SLP
May 16, 2022
What is your role at UPHS – Portage?
I am a Pediatric Outpatient Speech-Language Pathologist at UP Health System – Portage.
What was your inspiration for getting into healthcare?
My inspiration for getting into healthcare started because I am a highly empathetic person, and have always had great fulfillment in helping people solve problems and increase their quality of life. This career is suited for me because it is the perfect blend of science, art, teaching, and human connection. It makes me so happy to see children learn a new skill and share in their excitement when they say a new word, eat or drink food successfully, or learn how to communicate their wants and needs. There is no better feeling than helping my clients reach their goals.
What’s a typical day like for you? What is it like working in this field?
Due to having such a wide variety of diagnoses on my caseload, not one day looks like the next, which makes my job fun. I work with a variety of diagnoses and work to prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders. One of my favorite parts about working in this setting is getting to know my clients and their families very well throughout the therapy process. I feel like I am always growing in my skills and learning new things from my clients and colleagues every day.
How long have you been employed here? Have you always been in the same position?
I began working here in November 2020 as the Outpatient Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist.
What are some of the big changes you have experienced in this position?
I have seen an increase in newborn and infant feeding referrals in the last year. I believe this is because there is an increased awareness among parents and other professionals about how a speech-language pathologist can help mothers and babies with difficulties surrounding breastfeeding, bottle feeding, accepting solids, and other swallowing concerns.
What are some of your interests outside of work? What is your favorite local gem?
I love to spend time outside with my husband and dogs. My husband and I spend a lot of time hiking, kayaking, camping, and fishing in the summer, and snowshoeing and fat-tire biking in the winter. We have been getting into homesteading over this winter as well — baking bread, starting veggies for our garden, and raising chickens. My favorite local gem is Hunter’s Point in Copper Harbor. It is absolutely beautiful there and is the perfect place for fishing, swimming, and rock picking.
What do you enjoy most about working at UPHS – Portage?
I love having such a great support system from my coworkers. I collaborate frequently with the Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Liz, and Pediatric Physical Therapist, Monica, to ensure we are using a multidisciplinary approach with our clients. We always aim to provide treatment with each child’s whole situation in mind, not just discipline-specific diagnoses. Communication with our clients is key, and it is very beneficial to bounce ideas off of each other. We work very well together and it makes coming to work a positive experience for me, especially on really busy days.