Hillary Cooper, M.A., CCC-SLP, Doctoral Student
Owner, Lead Endoscopist, & Speech-Language Pathologist
About Hillary
Hillary got her start in speech-language pathology in an outpatient private practice in Leesville, Louisiana, which served active duty soldiers, their dependents, and military retirees. The wide range of experience she gained in that position served her well when she moved to Ruston to marry her soulmate. She has since worked in long term care facilities, acute care, and home health. In 2016, Hillary decided that she wanted to set out to change the status quo of dysphagia treatment in North Louisiana, so she started her own outpatient private practice and then created North Louisiana Swallow Solutions to be the premier mobile FEES provider in the region. Because of her strong need to give back to a world that has given her so much, Hillary co-founded The Dysphagia Outreach Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide meaningful assistance to individuals affected by dysphagia. In her free time, Hillary enjoys teaching and travels around the country providing high-quality lectures to medical speech-language pathologists. A chronic overachiever, Hillary has earned multiple ASHA Ace awards for going above and beyond the standard requirements for continuing education. She is also in the process of earning her Doctorate of Education at Baylor University, with a dissertation focus on improving the use of informed consent for diet texture modifications in adult dysphagia management.
To learn more about Hillary Cooper, view her CV, and check out her other current projects, visit:
Justin R. Williams, B.A.
Owner & Chief Financial Officer
About Justin
Justin is Hillary Cooper’s husband, a proud graduate of Louisiana Tech University and has called Ruston, Louisiana home for his entire life. He earned a B.A. in English in 2005 and has since gained certification in grant writing. He is currently completing coursework in accounting.
Justin was Hillary’s biggest supporter when she decided to start her own private practice in 2016, when she created North Louisiana Swallow Solutions in 2017, and when she founded Dysphagia Outreach Project in 2019. In 2023, due to how much we’ve grown over the last few years, Justin decided to join the North Louisiana Swallow Solutions team as our Chief Financial Officer.
Justin brings his organizational skills, mathematical brain, and steady presence to the North Louisiana Swallow Solutions team, allowing our endoscopists to focus entirely on providing the highest quality patient care possible while he manages our daily operations and invoicing.
You can contact Justin via email at: admin@northlaswallowsolutions.com
Rachel Place, M.S., CCC-SLP
Endoscopist & Speech-Language Pathologist
About Rachel
Rachel has been a speech therapist in north Louisiana since 2011 and has primarily worked in acute and acute rehab settings honing her passion for dysphagia management and neurorehabilitation. Following the birth of her youngest child, she gained valuable experience in the school setting from 2017-2022. Rachel felt called to pursue further development of assessment of individuals with swallowing impairments through mentorship and training in FEES (Fiberoptic evaluation of swallowing) as well as returning to her roots of acute care, acute rehab, and sub-acute rehabilitation settings. In 2022, Rachel began her mentorship with Hillary at North Louisiana Swallow Solutions. Through this experience, she has found a new passion for providing quality services to patients in the community outside the hospital walls.
Rachel lives in Calhoun with her husband and two children on a small hobby farm. You can find her doing one of the many hobbies she's collected over the years and spending as much time as possible outdoors.
Brooklynn Freeland, M.S., CCC-SLP
Endoscopist & Speech-Language Pathologist
About Brooklynn
Brooklynn graduated from University of Louisiana at Monroe in 2021. She immediately started working in the skilled nursing setting after falling in love with the geriatric population during her internships. She worked briefly with children and liked it but realized quickly it was not where her heart is.
Brooklynn chose to join the North Louisiana Swallow Solutions team performing FEES because she loves assessments and has seen how helpful and informative the test is for the treatment of her patients.
Brooklynn lives in small rural town with her husband, stepdaughter, and 3 pups! If she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her family or being outdoors, preferably on the water.
Mary Catherine White, M.S., CCC-SLP
Endoscopist-In-Training & Speech-Language Pathologist
About mary Catherine
Mary Catherine is an El Dorado, AR native and graduated with her masters in Speech-Language Pathology in 2022 from Missouri State University. She began her career in skilled nursing facilities where a heart for the aging population was nurtured.
Mary Catherine wanted to join North Louisiana Swallowing Solutions after learned about mobile FEES in graduate school and wanted to provide the diagnostic imaging to the area. She lives in El Dorado with her husband, daughter born summer of 2024, and their dog.
You can find her reading, enjoying theatre at the South Arkansas Arts Center, and spending time with her friends and family.