INFORMATION FOR
Major: Communication Disorders and Sciences
Current Title: Speech Language Pathologist, UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital
Vera Blazevska is a medical speech-language pathologist at UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital, located in a rural community in upstate New York. She takes pride in providing diagnostic and rehabilitative services to both pediatric and adult populations with a range of communication and swallowing disorders. Since starting her current role, she has successfully implemented the use of gold standard diagnostic tools such as videofluoroscopic swallow studies and is expanding these services by introducing flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing, allowing her to significantly improve the quality of care and access to specialized treatments in an underserved area. Vera previously served as a traveling SLP, working across diverse settings and geographic locations, adapting to a variety of clinical environments and learning from different patient populations. Her accomplishments reflect a deep commitment to providing evidenced-based interventions, patient-centered care, and making a positive impact on the patients she serves. Vera, who swam for the Pioneers from 2013-17, was inducted into the WP Alumni Association Athletic Hall of Fame in 2025.
Proudest Professional Accomplishment: "I am most proud of the opportunity to serve my rural community, where access to specialized care is often limited. I’m humbled that I can improve my patients' quality of life and make a meaningful difference by treating three of the most sacred skills to all humans—eating, thinking, and communicating.”
WP Pride. “My William Paterson swim coach, Ed Gurka, always believed in me and pushed me to give my best, showing me that with hard work, I could accomplish great things. As a former student-athlete, when balancing the rigorous WP speech pathology program with being a swimmer got tough, my coach would say, ‘You’ve got to keep swimming, kid.’ That mantra stays with me today as a professional—whenever challenges arise, I remind myself that I can do hard things, I just have to ‘keep on swimming.’”
