2024 HEALTH CARE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR NOMINEE

Kindrey Rowland

Nominated For: HEALTH CARE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR

Kindrey is a dedicated community Speech-Language Pathologist with 28 years of experience helping people communicate following acquired brain injury through her private practice, the Orangeville Speech & Language Clinic. She is a collaborative and dedicated team member with a “can do” approach to rehabilitation. Kindrey focuses on helping people living with ABI create rich and meaningful lives.

Kindrey is deeply passionate about supporting people living with ABI in her community. She co-founded and serves as Co-chair of the Headwaters Acquired Brain Injury Group (HABI), a support group for people living with ABI and their families under the umbrella of the Ontario Brain Injury Association. Kindrey received special recognition from the Mayor of Orangeville for her outstanding volunteerism with this group. This year marks HABI’s 15th anniversary. In her tenure with HABI, Kindrey has supported the group to:

• Hold monthly meetings for people with lived experience with ABI
• Bring over 75 guest speakers to the Headwaters Region to provide education and inspiration
• Host OBIA’s “Brain Basics” and Caregiver workshop to train local providers and caregivers
• Facilitate social events in partnership with other support organizations (e.g., Mind Forward, BIST, COTA)

Kindrey has presented to the group on topics such as assistive technology, social communication strategies, return to school following ABI, and strategies for communication following concussion. Kindrey recently provided mentorship to launch the newest OBIA support group in the Grey Bruce area.

Kindrey also supports the brain injury community through her volunteer work with the Acquired Brain Injury Interest Group for the Ontario Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (now a chapter under Speech-Language & Audiology Canada), where she chaired from 2012 to 2018. In this role, she led the group to:

• Develop and distribute cognitive-communication educational resources to front line providers, physicians, community stakeholders, and families living with ABI
• Advocate for change in the auto insurance sector to promote fairness and dignity for people injured in Ontario
• She chaired OSLA’s Mark Ylvisaker Honorary Lecture Award Series. This conference series brings international guest lecturers to Ontario to train providers working in ABI, partnering with agencies such as Holland Bloorview, Toronto Rehab and the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation. Guest lecturers have included Dr. Mark Ylvisaker (2008), and the Mark Ylvisaker Honorary Lecture Award Recipients: Dr. Leanne Togher (2011), Dr. Tim Feeney (2013), Dr. Roberta DePompei (2015), Dr. Lyn Turkstra (2017) and Sheila MacDonald (2019).

As a committed educator, Kindrey serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor (Adjunct) at McMaster University, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences. She is a clinical supervisor for Speech-Language Pathology Master’s students and she has mentored over 100 local student volunteers who are interested in learning more about SLP and cognitive-communication.

Kindrey’s clinical team has earned numerous accolades, including the Reader’s Choice “Best Speech Therapy Services” in Dufferin County for the past five consecutive years. Kindrey was previously nominated for Health Care Provider of the Year in 2015, 2020 and 2021. She is honoured to be nominated for Health Care Provider of the Year in 2024.