STREAMWOOD, IL, January 21, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Carey Meredith Payne, MCD, CCC-SLP, has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Mr. Payne is a distinguished speech language pathologist with over four decades of experience in the field. Currently associated with University of Chicago Medicine-Advent Health, he has dedicated his career to improving the communication abilities of his clients. His expertise lies in working with adults, visiting clients at their homes under a physician's supervision to assess their communication and swallowing issues and assist them accordingly.

Mr. Payne's professional journey began after he earned a Master of Communication Disorders from the University of Mississippi in 1977. He also holds a bachelor's degree from the same institution. His academic background laid a strong foundation for his career, enabling him to secure the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in 1983. This certification has been pivotal in establishing his credibility and expertise in the field.

Throughout his career, Mr. Payne has held several significant roles. He has been serving as a speech language pathologist at Payne Wellness Center since 2011 and at the Weston Group Inc. since 2016. From 2014 to 2016, he worked at Lexington Healthcare of Streamwood, where he continued to hone his skills. Prior to that, he was employed by Brookdale Senior Living from 2013 to 2014 and Independence Plus Inc. from 2012 to 2013. His earlier roles include positions at Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare from 2008 to 2012 and Michael Reese Hospital from 2001 to 2008. He started his career at Allendale Association in Lake Villa, Illinois, as a speech therapist from 2000 to 2001.

One of Mr. Payne's most notable achievements occurred during his tenure at a rehabilitation center in Chicago 15 years ago. He successfully secured grant funding to establish a therapeutic garden within the facility, an innovative component of the rehabilitation programs that allowed patients to engage in plant cultivation as part of their treatment. Despite his background as a speech therapist, he underwent specialized training in horticultural therapy for three and a half years and managed the garden for two and a half years, significantly benefiting the patients.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Mr. Payne is actively involved in industry-related organizations such as the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association, both since 1977. He also served as a STEP Program Mentor for the American Speech Language Hearing Association from 2004 to 2014 and received the Legacy Mentor Award from the same program in 2014.

Outside of his professional life, Mr. Payne is deeply committed to civic activities. He donates to the Heifer Project and volunteers as an election judge. His personal interests include gardening, playing brass instruments, enjoying live music, and blogging about his experiences.

Looking ahead, Mr. Payne plans to focus solely on public health while maintaining a private speech-language pathology practice. Inspired by his family's medical background and his own experiences with speech therapy to address stuttering, his dedication to empathizing with others and helping them recognize their strengths has been a cornerstone of his success,

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