Gap Education
Join a legacy of nearly twenty years of critical reasoning through unique case studies with dysphagia experts. Join five board certified specialists in swallowing disorders - four of whom are fellows of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association - with ~150 years of collective experience to explore case studies with videofluoroscopic imaging.
Each case represents challenging medical and/or cultural parameters. Information on differential diagnosis, medical issues, multidisciplinary management and instrumental evaluation findings will be discussed. Presentations will discuss evidenced-based treatment planning and patient-centered care. Audience interaction will be encouraged.
Target Audience: Intermediate level
CE Credit: 0.2 ASHA CEUs can be awarded to ASHA members. No partial CE credit is provided.
To earn a certificate, and ASHA CEUs if desired, eligible learners must do the following:
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View the entire recorded webinar.
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Complete brief self-reflection.
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Complete required items in a learner survey.
Available Now!
Learning Objectives:
1. State three key common pieces of information that is pertinent from a medical history that helps achieve a differential diagnosis.
2. Discuss the incidental findings that can occur from MBS/FEES/Manometric procedures and how these assist in developing a plan of care for the patient.
3. Compare the outcomes and patient quality of life from the diverse dysphagia etiologies.
Instructors
Debra Suiter, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, F-ASHA
Dr. Debra Suiter is Director of the Voice and Swallow Clinic and Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Her research and clinical work focus on the assessment and treatment of adults with swallowing disorders. She is a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and a Board-Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders.
Barbara Pisano Messing, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, F-ASHA
Barbara Pisano Messing is an experienced speech pathologist with over 35 years of clinical and administrative expertise. She has served as the administrative-clinical director of the Milton J. Dance, Jr. Head and Neck Center, Head and Neck Surgery, and Johns Hopkins Voice Center at GBMC in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Messing is widely recognized as a clinical specialist in head and neck rehabilitation and is a board-certified specialist in swallowing and swallowing disorders. Her contributions to the field include numerous peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. She is a sought-after speaker, presenting nationally and internationally on topics such as dysphagia, esophageal disorders, and clinical pathways and outcomes in head and neck cancer. Her clinical and research interests focus on head and neck cancer rehabilitation, dysphagia, and voice disorders. Dr. Messing earned her PhD from the University of Queensland, where her research centered on dysphagia in head and neck cancer
patients. She completed her doctoral program in 2020, receiving the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Higher Degree by Research Theses for her work, An Examination of Functional Outcomes Following Head and Neck Cancer and Enhancing New Pathways of Care.
Jo Puntil M.S. CCC-SLP BCS-S, F-ASHA
Jo Puntil is a highly respected leader in the field of Speech-Pathology, particularly in swallowing/communication disorders in Intensive and Acute Care. As an ASHA Fellow and past chair of the CFCC, she has made significant contributions to the profession. Her extensive background includes national and international lectures, and she has a strong presence on platforms like MedBridge, where she offers several courses. With over 35 years of experience, Jo has been instrumental in developing interdisciplinary rehabilitation programs in southern California and Utah, focusing on critical and acute care settings. Jo's numerous honors and publications reflect her dedication to advancing knowledge and practice in acute care, making her a valuable resource for both clinicians and researchers in the field.
Julie Blair, MA CCC-SLP BCS-S
Julie Blair is a senior speech pathologist at the Medical University of South Carolina and a member of the Head and Neck Multidisciplinary Team. She holds an adjunct faculty position at the College of Health Professions where she teaches an introductory course in Head and Neck Cancer and provides clinical supervision for the speech pathology graduate program at MUSC. Mrs. Blair earned her Master of Arts degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1994. Her primary areas of interest are voice and swallowing as it relates to the head and neck cancer patient. She has contributed to over 20 collaborative research studies and her work has been published in over a dozen peer-reviewed publications. She has presented at the local, national and international levels. Mrs. Blair received a Presidential Citation from the American Head and Neck Society in 2014 and was awarded the Head and Neck Multidisciplinary Team Clinician of the Year in 2004 and 2022. She is a
member of the Dysphagia Research Society and is a Board-Certified Swallowing Specialist. She has served on the Coordinating Committee for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders Special Interest Group and was co-chair on the development of the Dysphagia Competency Validation Tool.
Panel Moderator
Laurie Sterling, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, F-ASHA
Laurie Sterling is a Senior Speech Pathologist at Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital, with over 30 years of experience in critical and acute care. The majority of her career was spent at Houston Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center, where she specialized in dysphagia and dysarthria, particularly in patients with progressive neurological disorders. Laurie has published and presented both nationally and internationally, focusing on issues impacting patients with ALS. In 2017, Laurie shifted focus, embracing a new challenge at Texas Children's Hospital, the largest children's hospital in the U.S., to expand her expertise in diagnosing and treating swallowing disorders in pediatric patients. During her time there, she became a key member of the Lung Transplant Multidisciplinary Team. In 2021, Laurie returned to the Houston Methodist system at Clear Lake, where she continues her work in speech pathology. An ASHA Fellow, Laurie has contributed significantly to the field through her leadership roles, including
serving on the SIG 13 Coordinating Committee, the AB-SSD Board, the CAA, and the CFCC. She co-chaired the 2019 ASHA Convention and will again serve as Co-chair for the Centennial ASHA Convention in 2025 in Washington, D.C.
Disclosures
Dr. Debra Suiter
Financial Disclosures:
Salary - University of Kentucky
Gap Education - speaking fee for live webinar & royalties for recording
Non-financial:
No relevant disclosures
Dr. Barbara Pisano Messing
Financial Disclosures:
Salary - Atos Medical
Non-financial:
No relevant disclosures
Jo Puntil
Financial Disclosures:
Gap Education - speaking fee for live webinar & royalties for recording
Non-financial:
Reviewer For possible publication: AJSLP, AJSHR, DRS
Julie Blair
Financial Disclosures:
Salary - Medical University of South Carolina
Gap Education - speaking fee for live webinar & royalties for recording
Non-financial:
No relevant disclosures
Laurie Sterling
Financial Disclosures:
Salary - Houston Methodist Hospital
Gap Education - speaking fee for live webinar & royalties for recording
Non-financial:
No relevant disclosures
Schedule
Intro
Laurie Sterling
0:01 - 3:02
Case 1:
Base of Tongue Cancer with Imaging
Dr. Debra Suiter
3:02 - 22:07
Case 2:
Surgery or Not?
Jo Puntil
22:07 – 47:30
Case 3:
Chondrosarcoma of the
Larynx
Julie Blair
47:30 – 1:16:30
Case 4:
Laryngectomy: Interrelationship Between Dysphagia and Voicing
Dr. Barbara Pisano Messing
1:16:30– 1:37:42
Discussion Panel:
Dr. Debra Suiter
Dr. Barbara Pisan Messing
Julie Blair
Jo Puntil
Laurie Sterling
1:37:42 –2:00:50
Outro
2:00:50- 2:01:48
$30 - Standard Course Rate
Students: Email for 1/2 off
CFY: Email for 20% off