Abandoning the System, Not the Patient

Fix SLP: Advocacy & Accountability in Speech-Language Pathology

Your boss says taking sick leave is patient abandonment? Let’s talk about what’s actually legal — and what’s pure manipulation. This episode might just be the most important one you hear all year.

In this fiery and deeply personal episode, Dr. Jeanette Benigas, SLP, and Preston Lewis, MS/SLP, expose the truth about patient abandonment—what it is, what it isn’t, and why so many SLPs are guilted into staying in toxic jobs. Jeanette shares her own story of walking away from a draining home health position and explains, step-by-step, how she protected her patients and her peace.

This episode is packed with actionable takeaways:

• The legal definition of patient abandonment and how it applies to clinicians
• How to plan your exit without guilt
• Why protecting your mental health and income isn’t selfish — it’s survival
• How to handle retaliation, empty threats, and shady administration tactics

If you’ve ever been told, “You can’t leave — that’s abandonment,” you must hear this.

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