Swallow Your Pride

Today’s Swallow Your Pride guest is Dan Weinstein! Dan is a board certified specialist in swallowing and is an incredibly intelligent and very well spoken SLP from the Philadelphia area. And Actually at the time of this recording he was the Speech Pathology Supervisor at the Dept of Rehabilitative Services at UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco, but he’s since moved back to the east coast, because he wanted to live closer to me, and will be starting his new position soon as the Chief of Speech and Audiology Services at the Philly VA Medical Center. Dan has served as a clinical supervisor for several years and in his experience he has developed a way of explaining very difficult topics for both SLPs and our patients in a very simple, and eloquent manner. If I could go back and do my externships or CF again I would pick Dan in a heartbeat since he cares so much about educating SLPs and helping them to learn the medical reasoning and research behind everything we do. In this episode, we discuss palliative care in both the acute care and SNF settings. We dispel some myths about feedings tubes, thickened liquids, and how best to treat our end of life patients with dysphagia. Dan also touches on esophageal dysphagia and some things we should and shouldn't do with treating that. Check out the show notes for this episode at www.swallowyourpridepodcast.com.

Matt is an SLP in the Nashville, TN area where he completes mobile FEES for SA Swallowing Services, and works PRN in a hospital completing MBSS and treating acute care patients. Matt is very knowledgeable and passionate about using the most valid and reliable methods of assessment that we have available for swallowing disorders. He gives a great overview of screens and clinical swallow exams, and how the Yale Swallow Protocol has simplified his practice while improving the accuracy of identifying dysphagia. In this episode, we discuss why your “comfort level” doesn't matter, and we can’t be emotional with our recommendations, and instead use evidence based practice in these decisions. We also discuss how being conservative in our recommendations can have negative implications for our patients. Matt also discusses a “game-changing” paper for him written by Dr. Maggie Lee Huckabee about “Rethinking Rehab,” and how our treatment need to be specific, challenging, and monitored with feedback. Check out the show notes for this episode at www.swallowyourpridepodcast.com.

Nannette is an SLP with over 45 years of experience who wears many, many hats, and wears all of them very, very well. Her speciality is cognition, brain injury, and post concussive symptoms, but she works in an outpatient clinic where she also treats patients with dysphagia. Knowing that she did not have a solid background in dysphagia, Nannette took it upon herself to enroll in Dr. Jim Coyle’s dysphagia class at the Univ. of Pittsburgh a few years back. Nannette is extremely passionate about patients rights and ethics, and has also been educated by Dr. Paula Leslie who has written extensively about this topic. She brings an entire human element to treating our patients with dysphagia, and I could only hope that if myself or a family member was struggling with dysphagia, that they would be treated by an SLP that believes in and supports patient’s rights as much as Nannette does. In this episode, we’ll cover the ever popular topic of waivers and why they should or should not be used, how to present treatment options to our patients, and how to advocate for our patients as part of interdisciplinary team. Nannette also discusses the importance of having mentors and support from others in the field, and you’re never too old to learn new tricks. Check out the show notes for this episode at www.swallowyourpridepodcast.com.

Today’s Swallow Your Pride guest is Dr. John Ashford! Dr. A is an incredibly knowledgeable educator and clinician. Dr. A co-owns S.A. Swallowing Services with his better half, and together they have a team of excellent clinicians that provide mobile FEES around Tennessee. SASS also has a reputation for putting on some remarkable continuing education courses. Dr. A is very passionate about instrumental assessments and oral care, and has presented on his well researched topic of “The 3 Pillars of Pneumonia.” In this episode we discuss how a poor immune system, poor oral, and the events of aspirating all must create the perfect storm in order to cause pneumonia. We also get into the importance of instrumental assessments, and exactly how to perform oral care (Newsflash: It involves a toothbrush, and a toothbrush, and a toothbrush ;) Dr. A also discusses his favorite researcher that has helped to shape his thinking of swallowing disorders. Check out the show notes for this episode at www.swallowyourpridepodcast.com.

Today’s Swallow Your Pride guest is Tiffani Wallace! Tiffani is one of my most favorite people in this world, she's board certified in swallowing, a blogger, author, presenter, and speaker. She created the Dysphagia Ramblings blog, Dysphagia Therapy Group - Professional Edition on Facebook, and has authored the Dysphagia 2Go app for the assessment of swallowing disorders, and has co-authored the Dysphagia Therapy app for evidence-based treatment strategies. She is just super knowledgeable in the field of dysphagia, and is so passionate about getting patient’s with dysphagia the best interventions possible. In this episode we discuss how cranial nerve exams should actually drive your therapy plans, and how watching your patient aspirate can be a good thing! Tiffani also discussed some of her most favorite treatment strategies and research papers that have helped to shape her dysphagia practice. Check out the show notes for this episode at www.swallowyourpridepodcast.com.

Today’s Swallow Your Pride guest is Ed Bice! Ed is one of the most intelligent and knowledgeable swallowologists out there. Somehow he is not a researcher, but he is so well-versed in the literature and is incredibly passionate about sharing the research with his colleagues. If I had to choose anyone to treat me or a family member with dysphagia, Ed would be at the top of my list. Ed is currently a clinical consultant with ACP Synchrony who provides sEMG biofeedback devices to clinicians to use with their patients during dysphagia therapy. The Synchrony program uses an electrical stimulation waveform to enhance muscle strength and coordination required for normal swallowing. In this episode, we dispel the myth that the swallow is subject to fatigue. Ed presents us with an incredible review of the muscle physiology, what exactly we can tell at the bedside, and why there is no value in sitting and watching your patient eat. Ed also discusses several of his favorite research articles that have helped to shape his practice today. Check out the show notes for this episode at www.swallowyourpridepodcast.com.

Welcome to the Swallow Your Pride Podcast. Here, you will find interviews with some incredible clinicians and researchers with some evidence based research and treatment strategies. These people have made a name for themselves within their space, and are making a significant impact on their colleagues and patients. One of the most encouraging things is hearing other clinician’s stories and how they are able to apply the research to provide the best possible treatment for their patients with dysphagia. This is a place where we can be open and honest, admit what we don't know, and start to implement what works. I hope you all enjoy this show.

Introducing the newest podcast to join the Speech Science Network, Swallow Your Pride by Theresa Richard. Theresa Richard is a Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders, and owner and founder of Mobile Dysphagia Diagnostics. She completed her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Speech-Language Pathology from the University at Buffalo. She has completed Advanced FEES training under Dr. Susan Langmore as well as SASS Swallowing Services. She is a visiting guest lecturer at the University at Buffalo, Buffalo State College, Edinboro University, and Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center on the topic of FEES as well as a clinical instructor on the hands-on application and interpretation of the FEES as part of an ASHA approved CEU course with Dr. Eric Blicker. She is a member of ASHA Special Interest Group 13 (Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders), the Dysphagia Research Society, former President of the Nevada Speech-Language Hearing Association, and 3-time ASHA ACE Award recipient for continuing education. Her website is https://www.mobiledysphagiadiagnostics.com/about-us/ .