April 2009 Newsletter
April 2009
Happy Spring, Happy Easter
Clinical Café Newsletter
By: Ronda Polansky M.S. CCC-SLP
Monthly Motivator:
Setting: Tranquility
Learn to be still in the midst of activity to discover the strength found in inward reservoirs previously unknown.
NEED CEU’S????????????????
TSHA annual convention is in Austin this year April 2-4, Pam and I will be there all 3 days, hope to see some of you there! I will be giving a talk to students on various job sites and also a product promotion session on E-Stim, be looking for it and come see us!
April CEU Conference – I will be doing an “EAT AND MEET” mid-day Friday conference in Corsicana, Texas on Friday April 24th from 10:30-3pm. Lunch provided plus 4 CEU’s! The conference will be “Strategize with Strategy’s” Professional Imaging has invited me to do this, so if you are interested in attending, please call them at 1-866-675-MBSS
May Conferences – Saturday May 2, 2009, Deciphering Dysphagia with E-Stim Neuromuscular Re-education of the Submandibular Muscles to Increase Laryngeal Elevation Using Class II NMES Device
7.5 TSHA CEU”S – Houston, TX Texas Professional Imaging LLC is a Mobile MBSS company in East Texas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, not a part of DiagnosTEX, LLC. They have invited us as a guest speaker, please call their Corp office 1-866-675-MBSS to register or for any questions about the conference. Limited seating.
Saturday May 30, 2009 –DSI – Dysphagia Scene Investigator. 6.0 TSHA CEU’s in Austin, Texas. Professional Imaging LLC is a Mobile MBSS company in East Texas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, not a part of DiagnosTEX, LLC. They have invited me as a guest speaker, please call their Corp office 1-866-675-MBSS to register or for any questions about the conference. Limited seating.
Upcoming DiagnosTEX Holiday – DiagnosTEX will observe Good Friday on April 10th. Please keep this in mind when scheduling your MBSS. We wish everyone a glorious Easter Sunday.
Dates to Remember in April
7th – World Health Day – Brings together all health professional and specialist to promote better health. www.who.int/world-health-day
16 – National Healthcare Decisions Day – www.nationalhealthcaredecisionsday.org
22nd – Earth Day – www.earthday.net
24th – Take our Daughters and Sons to Work Day – www.daughtersandsonstowork.org
6th-12th – National Public Health week – www.apha.org
13th-19th National Patient Advocacy Week – www.aha.org
20-26th March of Dimes Walk America – www.modimes.org
20th-26th Administrative Professionals Day and Week – www.iaap-hg.org
27th-May 3rd – National Volunteer Week – www.pointsoflight.org
National Occupational Therapy Month – www.aota.org
National Parkinson’s Awareness Month – www.parkinson.org
SLP Giveaways
We have clipboards again; ask for yours if you do not have one! We also have printed yellow
Post-it notes for you to use to document the patients current Vitals before the MBSS. Ask for your post-it pad next time you see us.
Therapy Caps
The Senate Budget Committee approved an amendment offered by Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and John Ensign (R-NV) that would provide funds for the expressed purpose of improving the Medicare outpatient rehabilitation benefit. The amendment calls for a budget neutral reserve fund that could be used to repeal the therapy caps. The Senate is expected to vote on the budget resolution on Monday; March 30.The budget resolutions provide a framework that guides the work of congressional committees for the remainder of the year. Inclusion of funds to improve the Medicare outpatient therapy benefit is an important first step. While this does not guarantee that repeal legislation will be part of any Medicare legislation this year, it does place a higher priority on addressing the therapy cap issue. Your continued action on this issue is important. Please contact your members of Congress and request that they support S. 46 and H.R. 43 legislation that would repeal the Medicare outpatient therapy caps. Please TAKE ACTION today!
Dysphagia Tidbit – Montgomery Thyroplasty Implant
This was designed to treat disabilities associated with unilateral VC paralysis: absent or impaired voice, aspiration and ineffective cough. The prosthesis was invented by Dr. Montgomery after 3 years if research and 5 years of clinical application. The thyroplasty implant is a one-piece plastic prosthesis which is inserted by way of an incision made in a natural fold of the neck. Once inserted, the implant pushes the paralyzed VC to the midline so that the opposite functioning cord can contact it to phonate and close the airway when needed to prevent aspiration and produce an effective cough. The implant is made from a medical grade polymer material which, once implanted, remains firmly in place. It is easily removed if VC function returns or if change of size is indicated. Five sizes are available for male and female.