Karen J. Sowers, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Pathologist and founder of Better Speech and Swallow Corporation

Karen J. Sowers received her Masters of Science in Speech Language Pathology from Towson University in 1993. Initially starting her career in skilled nursing and sub-acute care, she established a firm foundation and passion for the treatment of swallowing disorders. Karen subcontracted for Maryland Neuro-Rehab Foundation working with head injury and stroke clients prior to coming to work in acute care at the beginning of 2000. Gaining acute care experience, including Modified Barium Swallow proficiency in radiology and multi-complex care in ICU, she took this knowledge and began mentoring and instructing less experienced clinicians and student speech therapists. Most recently, prior to founding her own company, Karen managed the Rehabilitation Department for Frederick Memorial Hospital including inpatient, the sub-acute unit and campus outpatient program. During this time, she has gained certification in both DPNS (Deep Pharyngeal Neuromuscular Stimulation) and Vital Stim, both used in the treatment of swallowing disorders. Karen not only has worked in the Frederick area for over 18 years, she is also a local resident. When not at work she enjoys spending time with her husband and four children.

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 Michele Lauret, M.A., CCC-SLP

Michele completed her undergraduate degree in Communication Science and Disorders at James Madison University.  She completed her studies at George Washington University receiving her graduate degree in 2001.  While at GWU, Michele completed a clinical practicum at the VA hospital in Washington D.C., sparking her interest in working with stroke, brain injury and elderly patients.  However, upon completion of her schooling, she accepted a job with Montgomery County Public Schools working with preschoolers with special needs.  Michele continued working primarily with children ages birth to 5 and their families for nine years.  During the winter of 2011, Michele accepted a position working PRN at an assisted living facility in Frederick.  Michele joined Better Speech & Swallow in May 2011.  Michele has continued her education, taking numerous courses addressing dysphagia evaluation/management and dealing with various forms of dementia.  In her free time, Michele enjoys spending time with her husband and three children.

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Pam Martin Adams, M.S., CCC-A/SLP

Pam Martin Adams is an experienced clinical audiologist as well as a speech-language pathologist. She received her Master of Science degree from Pennsylvania State University and completed her graduate work in speech-language pathology at California University of Pennsylvania. She began her career as a public school speech pathologist in Montana, and completed her clinical fellowship year in Maine. She was employed as a clinical audiologist in otology and otolaryngology settings in the Pittsburgh area before initiating a private practice in speech pathology and audiology in Western Maryland. 

Pam has provided speech, language and hearing services in public school and private school settings for the last 20 years, as well as continuing to offer diagnostic audiology and hearing aid services in Garrett County. She has worked in outpatient rehabilitation, home care, and hospital settings, as well as with pediatric and adult patients. Her special areas of interest and expertise include aural rehabilitation, hearing conservation in industry, Autism Spectrum Disorder, language disorders in special populations, brain injury, and patients who are recovering from strokes. She is passionate about her work with disadvantaged youth.

Pam spends her free time with her husband and three daughters on their farm near Grantsville in Garrett County.  She enjoys riding and working with her horses, cross-country skiing, tennis, kayaking, painting and gardening.

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Marna Fisher, M.S., CCC-SLP

Marna completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Hearing and Speech Sciences in 2001 at The University of Maryland, College Park, and completed her Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 2004 at James Madison University.

Her clinical experience includes graduate internships at Shock Trauma in Baltimore and Winchester Medical Center and professional experience at skilled nursing/sub-acute rehab facilities. She worked for five years on the Brain Injury Unit at Kernan Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Hospital where she coordinated the Coma Emergence Program. She currently specializes in the treatment of dysphagia, tracheostomy management, and cognitive and communication disorders. Marna is proficient in MBS (Modified Barium Swallow studies) and is a certified provider of Vital Stim (neuro-muscular stimulation for the improvement of swallowing). She has lectured at local conferences on the topics of interdisciplinary rehab approach and disorders of consciousness following brain injury.

In her free time, Marna enjoys cooking and spending time outdoors with her husband, Don, and her Labrador retriever, Oscar.

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Regula B. Guess, M.Ed, CCC-SLP

Regula B. Guess, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, received her bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from George Washington University in 1981 and her master’s degree in education from Georgia State University in Atlanta in 1991. She worked for one year in the Dade County (Florida) school system, testing Spanish speaking children with language problems.  In Atlanta, she had a full-time practicum in a hospital setting, getting knowledge and experience in the acute setting.

After moving to Montgomery County in 1991, Regula worked in several nursing home settings. Her responsibilities included: testing and treating geriatric patients with neurogenic swallowing and communication problems, and other patients with cognitive problems. She also gave in-services to the staff of nursing homes for safe feeding/positioning of swallowing patients.

Regula grew up in Zurich, Switzerland and is fluent in English, German and Spanish.  She received two Awards for Continuing Education (ACE) from ASHA.

When she is not working, Regula enjoys swimming, walking her yellow lab, Buddy, reading mystery novels, and spending time with her husband and two adult sons.

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Jaimee S. Hammerman, M.S. CCC-SLP

Jaimee received her Masters of Science in Speech Language Pathology from The University of the District of Columbia in 2006. She started her speech pathology career after obtaining an undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders at the University of Maryland at College Park in 2002, by working as a speech assistant for the HSC Pediatric Hospital in D.C. There she worked as a feeding technician in the intensive feeding program and assisted in the treatment of a variety of swallowing and communication disorders. From there she pursued graduate school and began working as an intern for a private practice in Silver Spring, MD, working with students in D.C.’s private prep-schools as well as at the Army Medical Research Lab with accent reduction clients.

In 2006, Jaimee returned to her hometown of Frederick, MD, in hopes of having a greater impact on her community by working with the Frederick County Public School system where she currently works with high school and adult special education students aged 14-21 on developing and improving speech and language skills. She loves helping people and has a strong passion for working with children of all ages.

When not at work, Jaimee enjoys spending time with her husband, her three horses, and her husky puppy, Juneau.

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