Health Care Hero: Interior Health
Lynda Martyn
Registered Speech-Language Pathologist, Coordinator, Kelowna Cleft Lip/Palate Clinic
The ability to communicate effectively with others is the very foundation of a child’s social, emotional and educational development. As an early childhood Speech-Language Pathologist, Lynda Martyn provides assessment and clinical interventions for newborn to school-aged children who have communication disorders of all types. The work is challenging and rewarding, and as one of only three Interior Health Speech-Language Pathologists providing services for young children in Kelowna, it should come as no surprise that Lynda maintains a full caseload. This in itself would make Lynda a worthy nominee for a Health Care Hero Award, but it’s not why she was nominated.
In addition to her full caseload of clients, Lynda organizes the Kelowna Cleft Palate Clinic. The clinic is held four times per year with Lynda arranging for a Plastic Surgeon, ENT, Audiologist, Dental Hygienist, Pediatric Dentist, Orthodontist and Pediatrician to gather in one location to see families with children who have cleft lip and/or a cleft palate. Lynda herself provides services as the Speech-Language Pathologist. It is the only such clinic in BC outside of the Vancouver and Victoria areas and provides an especially valuable service to families from the Boundary and East Kootenay Regions who live far from the Coast.
For ensuring that children across the BC Interior have the opportunity to benefit from the best possible care for cleft lip and cleft palate, Lynda Martyn has been named this year’s Health Care Hero for Interior Health.