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DiagnosTEX August 2017 Newsletters

Aug 02, 2017 Posted by: Ronda Polanksy Newsletters

 

 

Blue Skies, Humidity, Hot Sun! Summer is still here! 

Monthly Motivator

Your work is to discover your skill and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.

Be thankful for the opportunities given to you to make a difference in the world.

That’s the mark of a true professional.

No Holidays in August – We will be running Monday-Thursdays as normal. The kids do go back to school though! Woohoo! We will be closed on Monday September 4th, for Labor Day.  Fun fact: The month of August was named for Julius Caesar’s adopted nephew Gaius Julius Caesar Octavius, who held the title “Augustus.” He named the month after himself. The “dog days of summer” refer to the weeks between July 3 and August 11 and are named after the Dog Star (Sirius) in the Canis Major constellation. The ancient Greeks blamed Sirius for the hot temperatures, drought, discomfort, and sickness that occurred during the summer.

DiagnosTEX has a NEW website under construction – We are so excited about the upcoming changes to our website. Our new website will have much more capability including the ability to sign up for conferences, scheduling paperwork, expanded resource site, blog, etc. Our Clinical Café will also be updated for access to dysphagia educational material and other resources, updated normal and abnormal MBSS videos, and all of our monthly newsletters. We will keep you updated on the launch date! You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

In Network Provider – We are working very diligently with multiple insurance companies to be included as an In-Network provider. We are currently providers for BCBS, Cigna, and finalizing process with United Health Care.  Much more to come, we will keep you informed as we complete the process.

Upcoming CEU opportunities this August –

Deciphering Dysphagia with Ampcare’s ESP™ (Effective Swallowing Protocol) on Friday, August 25, in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Our local SLP feature month! We have started a new feature to the newsletter by highlighting some of our great SLP’s in DFW! These SLP’s make a significant contribution to the evaluation and treatment of dysphagia! For the month of August we would like to feature Molly Knapik. Our staff has worked with Molly for approximately 2 years. Molly was born in Oklahoma and moved to Dallas after graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 2015. She decided, as soon as she entered the field, that her interest was in treating adults. Her roots include caring for people as members of her family are in healthcare as her sister is also an SLP in an OK hospital and her father is a neurologist. Their family is faithful to OU football and their OU mascot is the family dog, a Bichon Frise, named Boomer. Molly has been a jazz and tap dancer her whole life, but dancing on air is on her bucket list, as she wants to skydive. Her favorite food is Mexican food! Anyone for a frozen margarita right about now? The most exciting information about Molly is that she is getting married in 2 weeks! We are so happy for her and wish them nothing but a life of endless love and blessings in this new chapter of their life!  Thank you Molly for all you do for your patients!

Dysphagia summer treats! Simply thick popsicles – Yield: 8- 4 oz. Popsicles

Ingredients: Fruit Juice, Gatorade, or Lemonade etc. 32 oz.

1 (120g) Nectar Packet OR 8 (15g) Nectar Packets OR 8 strokes

1 (240g) Honey Packet OR 8 (30g) Honey Packets OR 16 strokes

Special Equipment Needed: Blender, Popsicle Molds

  1. Measure 32 oz. of your favorite fruit juice, Gatorade or lemonade into large mixing container or blender. Ensure there is at least 2-3” of head space.
  2. Dispense appropriate amount of SimplyThick gel into beverage based on desired consistency.
  3. Mix (blender, hand mixer or whisk) for 20-30 seconds or until desired consistency is reached.
  4. Pour thickened beverage into popsicles molds.
  5. Place in freezer until frozen.
  6. To best release frozen popsicle from mold, run under hot water.
  7. Serve and enjoy.

If you have any questions pertaining to the SimplyThick products, contact them at: 888.721.2023 / www.simplythick.com. For more recipes go to http://www.simplythick.com/Online-Recipes/Popsicles 

Dysphagia Tidbit: Iron Chef – Dining Dysphagia Style “Dining with Dysphagia: A Cookbook” makes the winning recipes from the Dysphagia Challenge competition accessible to all. The recipe book outlines eight easy-to-follow and easy-to-swallow recipes. Find it at https://speech.steinhardt.nyu.edu/dysphagia-cookbook/#recipes .This cookbook was compiled by the students and marketing team of NYU-Steinhardt’s new online master’s program, which started September 2016: Speech@NYU. This cookbook is comprised of 8 winning recipes created by the on-campus students from NYU-Steinhardt’s Annual Iron Chef Competition. One of the judges of the Iron Chef Competition for the last 3 years has been Sonja Molfenter, PhD, CCC-SLP, SLP(C), Reg. CASLPO, who is Assistant Professor in NYU-Steinhardt’s Department of Communicative Sciences & Disorders and Affiliate Faculty in the NYU School of Medicine. This past years Iron Chef Dysphagia Challenge competition, during which contestants prepare food that maximizes nutrition, texture, and taste for people with dysphagia.

For years, the on-campus NYU-Steinhardt SLP and Nutrition students have engaged in this interdisciplinary experience. The course culminates in an Iron Chef Competition where the students are given a hypothetical case of a person with dysphagia and need to create menus to meet the person’s needs. The course was developed and taught by: Erin Embry, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders and Director of Speech@NYU, and Lisa Sasson, Clinical Assistant Professor of Nutrition. Sasson stated: “The course was founded in the belief that although individuals may have limitations in their diets, they should not be deprived of the joy and satisfaction of healthy, delicious food. People who eat better have better overall health outcomes.”

Reference: https://speech.steinhardt.nyu.edu/dysphagia-cookbook/about/