Hey there, meet Leah!

Leah is a speech-language pathologist specializing in neonatal and pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders, with advanced experience caring for medically complex infants in the NICU. She currently works in the Level IV NICU at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, recently merged with Rady Children’s Health, where she focuses on infant feeding and swallowing, neurodevelopmental care, post-surgical feeding management, and supporting critically ill neonatal and pediatric populations. She also has extensive experience completing instrumental swallowing evaluations across the lifespan, including MBS and FEES studies.
Throughout her career, Leah has worked closely with interdisciplinary teams to provide evidence-based, family-centered care while supporting developmental care initiatives within acute care settings. She is passionate about mentorship and loves supporting graduate students, clinical fellows, and fellow clinicians as they grow in the field. Leah has also contributed to program development and quality improvement initiatives, and while she has experience working with both pediatric and adult critical care populations, her heart has always been with medically complex infants and children.
When she’s not at the hospital, Leah enjoys spending time with family and friends, exploring new restaurants, and unwinding after long NICU shifts. She’s deeply passionate about helping families feel supported during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives and believes collaboration, compassion, and education are at the center of great care.

• She loves working in the NICU because no two days are ever the same.
• Her clinical passions include infant feeding, neurodevelopmental care, and supporting medically complex babies and their families.
• She’s a huge advocate for mentorship and helping newer clinicians build confidence.
• Leah thrives in fast-paced environments and genuinely loves collaborating with interdisciplinary teams.
• While she can handle high-acuity clinical situations, she’s also the person who will absolutely cry over a sweet baby milestone.

• She’s passionate about evidence-based practice and is always staying up to date on the newest research in feeding and swallowing.
• Outside of work, she values quality time with the people she loves and finding ways to recharge outside the hospital.
• She recently got married over the new year in Las Vegas… and sadly Elvis was not the officiant.
• She graduated undergrad and graduate school from The University of Alabama (Roll Tide) where she ran track and field.
• Her fur baby is a big orange cat named Leo who loves to take showers and play fetch.