The National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders, with support from Cook Medical, is proud to present the second series of patient-centered webinars on the latest research and information on swallowing disorders. Experts in the field of swallowing disorders will present information on topics such as esophageal dilation, lymphedema, tracheotomies, and more! If you are a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) or know someone with a swallowing disorder, please share this web page with them.
Webinar # 4:
Tracheostomy Tubes and Swallowing Function
Dr. Roxann Diez Gross, PhD, CCC-SLP
Julie Kobak, MA, CCC-SLP
Date: Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Time: 8:00 PM EDT (7:00 PM CDT, 6:00 PM MDT, 5:00 PM PDT)
Description: This webinar will use an interview/discussion format along with informational slides with diagrams and photos for the purpose of explaining how tracheostomy tubes may affect swallowing. Individual questions will be taken by both presenters at the end of the presentation. At the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:
1. describe why tracheostomy tubes are placed
2. explain how tracheostomy tubes can affect swallowing function
3. recognize differences between bedside swallowing evaluations and instrumental swallowing evaluations
4. state how the Passy-Muir® valve helps to restore natural airway function
5. identify two therapies that can be used to improve swallowing function in persons with tracheostomy tubes
Presenters:
Dr. Roxann Diez Gross, PhD is the Director of Research at The Children’s Institute and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Science and Disorders at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Gross is also a licensed and certified speech/language pathologist with 28 years of clinical experience, who continues to treat adult patients with swallowing disorders. She has been an active educator and researcher for over 21 years. Dr. Gross is also a frequently invited national and international lecturer on dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). She has published several scientific papers and clinical book chapters. Her primary area of research examines interactions between breathing and swallowing in individuals of all ages with neurologic impairments and respiratory disease.
Julie Kobak, MA, CCC-SLP, received her B.S. and M.A. at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. She has been a certified and licensed speech language pathologist for 20 years and is currently working as the Vice President of Clinical Education at Passy-Muir, Inc. She has worked with tracheostomized and ventilator dependent patients at both pediatric and adult rehabilitation hospitals, including the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital for Rehabilitation. As a clinical educator, she has provided numerous lectures and inservices on the topic of tracheostomy and Passy-Muir® Speaking Valves at hospitals and conferences nationally and internationally.
Duration: About 45-60 minute presentation & up to 30 minutes of Q&A from participants
Cost: 2016 Members = Free! Click here to open our 2016 membership page and read about our membership benefits.
Cost: Non-members, pleases visit our FAQ page
The NFOSD is a 501(c)(3) organization with an all-volunteer Board of Directors and Medical Advisory Board. All donations, including membership fees, are tax deductible. Benefits of an annual membership include our “Swallowing Disorders can Affect Anyone” tri-fold brochure (including free mailing in the US), a discount on participation in our patient-oriented dysphagia webinars, access to our Medical Advisory and select Foundation board members on an as-needed basis, and inclusion of your NFOSD support on your resume or CV.
Fee Disclaimer: Fees must be paid online through the secure Network for Good DonateNow system. You can use a PayPal account or a credit card. The fee will be refunded if you end up with a poor Internet connection to the Webinar; it will not be refunded if for some reason your plans change and you could not attend. If you cannot afford the fee and think that the webinar would be beneficial, please email info@nfosd.com for a fee waiver.
Please add this to your calendar. All you need is a computer with sound capabilities, a web browser, and a reasonable Internet connection. To sign up, click the link below. Once you fill out the registration, the page will refresh and there will be a confirmation message that your registration was received.
Click Here to register. Seats are limited, so register now.
Medical disclaimer. This Webinar is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for consultation with an appropriate health care professional, as each individual’s medical situation is unique. It is important that you consult with your medical professional (e.g., physician, SLP) before implementing any course of treatment. Experiences that are new to you should be done with the help of a caregiver and when access to emergency medical care is available.
Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for information on becoming a member, webinar fees, time zone assistance, and other useful information.
The NFOSD would like to recognize and thank Cook Medical for their financial support of this Dysphagia Webinar Series.
PREVIOUS WEBINARS IN THIS SERIES
Webinar #1:
Living with Dysphagia: A Patient & Caregiver Panel
Date: July 14th, 2015 (Tuesday)
Description: This webinar will consist of a panel of patients and caregivers who have been impacted by dysphagia. The panel will be moderated by a medical speech-language pathologist with expertise in swallowing disorders. Each panelist will briefly share their experience with dysphagia. The webinar will then be opened to the audience to ask both general questions to the entire panel and specific questions directed towards an individual panelist.
Moderator: Ms. Mary Spremulli, MA, CCC-SLP, is owner of Voice Aerobics, LLC, a Speech-Language P
athology Private Practice located in SW Florida. She holds a speech-language pathology license in Florida, Ohio, and North Carolina, and a nursing license in Florida. She is a faculty member of Parkinson Place in Sarasota, FL, and a member of the Education Committee of the World Parkinson Program. . Ms. Spremulli has been a Clinical Consultant with Passy-Muir, Inc. for over 20 years providing education to professionals and patients, and she has published articles on the topic of patient education. Since 2013, Ms. Spremulli has hosted a monthly podcast focusing on topics related to living well with Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases.
Panelist: Elisa Rudgers, mother of a child with dysphagia: My son’s name is Rydr Rudgers. He was diagnosed at 2 weeks old while in the NICU. He had his g-tube put in at 4 weeks old. His tube was removed in January 2014 (ha
lf-way through Kindergarten). Although he no longer requires a feeding tube, he is not able to eat & drink at an age appropriate level and requires a great deal of close supervision/monitoring when eating/drinking. Rydr continues to amaze all of us with the amount of time and effort he puts into learning/practicing how to eat and drink safely. His progress has been slow, but he keeps progressing!
Panelist: Jeff Mauerman, Oral cancer survivor with dysphagia, who, in January 2015, became the first patient in the United States to be implanted with the swallow expansion device (SED), which allows him to have manual control over the opening of his upper esophageal sphincter. Jeff is now consuming 100% of his hydration orally and is hopeful to eat solid foods in the future.
Panelist: Ed Steger, Head and Neck cancer survivor, was diagnosed with stage IV cancer in early 2005. He began wit
h radiation treatment which was followed by six surgeries, eight different chemotherapy regimens and 4 serious local recurrences. Twice during the 2005/6 timeframe, he was given months to live and spent 2007/2008 in palliative care. The recurrences stopped in late 2007, a result of intense toxic chemotherapy; he has had no evidence of disease since then. A 12 hour salvage surgery in mid-2006 left him with a life time of severe dysphagia and a moderate speech impairment. He became the volunteer president of the National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders in late 2011.
Panelist: Sonia Blue, stroke survivor: As a result of a stroke and then surgical removal of a brain lesion in 2003
, Sonia’s dysphagia left her tube-dependent for 6 ½ years. Traveling the country to pursue all available treatments to no avail, Sonia began working with Dr. Belafsky and Jan Pryor in 2005. With their help and her own efforts, her tube was removed and she began eating again in 2009.
Panelist: Norma Angus, wife and caregiver of Pete who was diagnosed with multisystem atrophy, which is classified as one of the Parkinson’s Plus syndromes. Pete experiences severe dysphagia and with Norma’s help, has remained aspiration free.
Webinar # 2:
The Most Common Causes of Solid Food Dysphagia –
Advanced Techniques of Diagnosis and Management
Dr. Peter Belafsky, MD, MPH, PhD
University of California – Davis
Date: Monday, September 14 ,2015
Description: The webinar will provide an exciting review of beyond state-of-the-art techniques of the diagnosis and management of solid food dysphagia. Topics include acid reflux, cricopharyngeus muscle dysfunction, esophageal stricture and webs and eosinophilic esophagitis. By the end of the webinar, the participants will have an advanced understanding of the endoscopic and surgical management of these disorders.
Presenter: Dr. Peter Belafsky is Professor and the Director of the Voice and Swallowing Center at the University of 
California, Davis. He holds a joint appointment in the Department of Otolaryngology at the UC Davis School of Medicine and the Department of Medicine and Epidemiology at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. He is the recipient of numerous awards and grants and was the lead investigator on the World’s 2nd laryngeal transplantation. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts, holds numerous patents, has edited and authored 4 books, is the co-founder of two medical device start-up companies, and was the President of the Dysphagia Research Society in 2013. Dr. Belafsky’s primary research focus is the innovative treatment of profound swallowing disorders. He has created a medical device that can manually control the upper esophageal sphincter, is working on an innovative dilator for upper esophageal sphincter stenosis, is developing a comprehensive swallow propulsion system, and is evaluating the use of muscle stem cells for dysphagia rehabilitation. He has dedicated his career to improving the lives of people with profound swallowing impairments. He is also the Medical Director of our foundation, the NFOSD.
Webinar # 3:
Dysphagia and Incomplete Glottic Closure
Dr. Gregory Postma, MD
Georgia Regents University
Date: Tuesday, December 2, 2015
Description: Vocal fold (VF) motion abnormalities may result in incomplete glottic closure and are commonly seen in patients with dysphagia. We will review the pathophysiology of dysphagia and examine the results of surgery in these patients. Various surgical techniques for VF augmentation in the office and the operating room will be discussed.
Presenter: Dr. Greg Postma is a Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Georgia Regents University and is the Director of the Center for Voice, Airway and Swallowing Disorders since 2005. Dr. Postma received his medical degree from Hahnemann University in Philadelphia and he completed his residency in Otolaryngology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He took a fellowship in laryngology and professional voice at Vanderbilt University and joined the faculty at Wake Forest in 1996. He is a past President of the American BronchoEsophagologic Association (ABEA) and the Dysphagia Research Society. He is the author or co-author of 100 peer-reviewed publications and has written 50 chapters and invited articles as well as edited 3 books. He has given more than 600 presentations on a wide array of laryngologic topics. He has been selected as one of America’s Top Doctors, a reference that identifies the top 1 % of physicians in the nation, for the past thirteen years.