August 2022 Newsletter

Blue Skies, Humidity, Hot Sun! Summer is still with us!

Monthly Motivator

Your talent determines what you can do
Your motivation determines how much you are willing to do
Your attitude determines how well you do it!

DiagnosTEX August schedule

Due to some unique staffing issues this summer, we will be running mobile clinics many Monday-Fridays in the months of August and will return to regular schedules of Monday – Thursday in the Fall.

New addition to the DiagnosTEX family

We are excited to announce a new addition to our team! Colt Hobbs is a new tech at DiagnosTEX. We are so excited to have him a part of our small family and we know you will enjoy getting to know him just as we have.

New DiagnosTEX Educational Handout – Eating Guide to Pureed Diets

Get one next time we see you or find it on our website. Great resource for your patient and families on puree diet.

August summer CE Courses

The Ampcare Hybrid: Online/On-Demand and Live ESP certification course is offered for 0.8 ASHA CEU’s (includes 4 hours of online pre-coursework and 4 hours of Zoom webinar training). The pre-coursework online training consists of an Introduction and 6 modules, with each module completed on-demand at the participant’s own pace. The pre-coursework is required prior to attending the Zoom portion. Each Hybrid: On-Demand + Zoom training will have limited participants to allow for appropriate interaction during the training. Next one scheduled on August 24 & 25, register online at www.ampcarellc.com.

Summer vacation days are slowly going away and COVID cases on the rise

All COVID policies remain in place at DiagnosTEX. All patients will be screened over the phone before scheduling. All staff are monitored daily with temperature screenings, and will provide care in masks and gloves. DiagnosTEX staff will not enter buildings and will meet the patient at the door. Healthcare staff is allowed to observe on the van in the stairwell only, no families are allowed on board. DiagnosTEX staff will get off the van to speak to the family or any other staff, if necessary. In the not so friendly environment of social media with appalling unprofessionalism and HIPAA violations that take place on it daily, we believe most everyone knows that the DiagnosTEX staff is available to everyone (SLPs, staff, patients and families), by phone or email and we pride our small business on open and DIRECT communication. We have no desire in discussing patient care on a national platform in front of an audience that do not qualify as “need to know”, although we all watch it happen daily. Our promise to you, is that you will never see any of our therapists discussing any another therapist’s evaluations (BSE, FEES, MBSS) or quality of their treatment of any patient we see, on social media. It is disrespectful to our colleagues, unprofessional and against our standards, ethics, and our morals and honestly against DTEX policy, but we will respond to anyone who discusses ours. We take what we do very seriously and very personally. It is our responsibility and our job to stand by what we do, and protect all of those involved (staff and patients).

OUTPATIENT - DiagnosTEX is expanding MBSS services in DFW

By this fall, we will be initiating our outpatient services located in North Richland Hills for both adults and pediatrics! We are excited to announce that Jennifer Meyer, M.S. CCC-SLP will be assisting us with the pediatric program. Jennifer is a popular international speaker in the areas of NICU and Pediatric Dysphagia and has received exceptional ratings for her courses. She has over 30 years’ experience specializing in pediatric feeding disorders, working in Neonatal Intensive Care Units, developing outpatient hospital-based feeding programs, providing consultation and program development for Early Childhood Intervention Programs and Home Health Companies, and serving as past Assistant Clinical Professor at Texas Woman’s University and Clinical Coordinator of the Center for Assisting Families with Feeding and Eating (CAFFE). Through her private practice she continues to serve as consultant and mentor in her mission to teach therapists to see themselves as facilitators in treating the child, supporting the family, and bringing back the fun, joy and family connection in eating. Her passion and our passion, to provide the best dysphagia care and quality MBSS, is the perfect fit at DiagnosTEX and our new venture. We could not be more excited about the future possibilities in dysphagia evaluation and treatment options we can provide. We want to create something that positively changes everything for our community, as we got into this business to serve others!

It is the season for Ice Cream!

Thickened Ice Cream is such a simple pleasure for dysphagia patients

Single serving (1/2 cup):

Nectar thick – 1 Simply Thick nectar thick packet
Honey thick – 1 Simply Thick honey thick packet

Soften ice cream for 15 minutes and scoop into food processing bowl.
Process ice cream and SimplyThick gel until mixed or particles in ice cream are thoroughly pulverized.
Pour/scoop into individual serving dishes or one container suitable for freezing.
Remove from freezer when ready to serve.

Note: Ice cream with SimplyThick gel does not thin at room temperature. Pureeing ice cream blends SimplyThick well and a wide variety of ice cream flavors can be used, and toppings such as caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, etc. Final texture is soft and spoonable at room temperature.

Critical Control Points (CCP):

Freeze, and maintain freezer at 0°F or less.
To order: 800.205.7115 or visit www.simplythick.com

Dysphagia Tidbit – Oops, did you skip the esophageal phase?

You may never have heard of a rare condition called “nutcracker esophagus” or “jackhammer esophagus.” Many doctors are unfamiliar with it, too. Nutcracker or jackhammer esophagus targets the smooth muscles that usually move food seamlessly from your throat down to your stomach. “Nutcracker esophagus” can trigger chest pain, difficulty swallowing and the feeling that food is getting stuck. It is often misdiagnosed. But in jackhammer esophagus, the muscle contractions are too strong. And in esophageal spasm, the muscle contractions are too rapid. Nutcracker esophagus is a rare condition. The exact cause of nutcracker esophagus is unknown. However, it seems to be related to an issue with the muscle function and thickness of the esophagus. For some people, the spasms seem to only happen when they eat cold or hot foods. Doctors have identified a few factors that may increase your risk of developing nutcracker esophagus. These include: being over 50 years of age, being female, having heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). While nutcracker esophagus can be very painful, you may be able to manage it with medications and techniques for relaxing the muscles in your esophagus. In some cases, you may simply need to avoid certain foods. It is important to look at the esophagus when diagnosing dysphagia so proper referrals can be made.