June 2024 Newsletter

Happy Father’s Day to all the DADs!
Do not forget to fly your American flag on the 14th
in honor of our country, our troops and our precious freedom!
God Bless America!

Breaking News! DiagnosTEX partners
with Patheous Health

Patheous Health, Inc., announces the acquisition of DiagnosTEX, LLC, as the leading modified-barium swallow (“MBS”) dysphagia imaging provider in the Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas area, to provide all options in dysphagia instrumental evaluation. The same quality DTEX mobile MBSS with same dedicated staff, are partnering with Patheous Health to now offer both onsite MBSS and FEES dysphagia imaging services for skilled nursing facilities, home health patients, as well as outpatient MBS adult and pediatric imaging in the DFW market and surrounding areas. Joining forces marks a significant milestone for both companies. Together we will continue to enhance and provide quality instrumental dysphagia services for adult and geriatric clients and also accelerate pediatric the pediatric program. Adding DFW Texas, Patheous Health service area now covers eighteen states and is the largest onsite dysphagia imaging provider in the U.S.

Personal Note: Behind every brand there is passion and a story. I have been blessed repeatedly over the years doing what I love. I would change very little. I care about service, I care about quality, I care about people, I care about doing the right thing, I care about expanding opportunities that brings more opportunities. My hope is that over the 30+ years in my profession as an entrepreneur/business owner and speech pathologist others would describe me as a loyal, committed, a passionate individual, who places ethics, standards, morals, and quality of service to others as the highest of priority for basic human decency and honest self-fulfillment. Some of the BEST parts of a life journey is who you get to share it with. I have shared so many treasured moments with so many of you through the years. My deepest gratitude for your trust and support and the friendships that have developed, I look forward to walking through the transition of this new DiagnosTEX season with everyone. I have been authoring the DiagnosTEX newsletters for over 20 years now, and have enjoyed sharing news, events, ideas, and other information with you every month, thank you for reading and subscribing to them!
-- Ronda Polansky

June is Dysphagia Awareness Month!

This is a month to raise awareness of the impact dysphagia has on individuals and their loved ones, and the often under-recognized diagnosis in our healthcare system. Join us this month to help raise awareness, learn more, and support one another. Let this be a month to recognize and celebrate the advances towards better treatment for those impacted by swallowing disorders. How are you helping recognize dysphagia awareness month? The best way to celebrate this month is to educate and advocate! Don’t forget to spread the news throughout social media and use #dysphagiaawareness so all can be aware of this debilitating disorder. Educational products below can be found at DiagnosTEX online SHOP at www.dysphagiadiagnostex.com.

  • ABOVE and BEYOND By: Ronda Polansky M.S. CCC-SLP - Patient, Caregiver, and Healthcare Professional Educational Reference Sheets and Handouts for Effective Dysphagia Rehabilitation. Over 30 handouts on specific disorders in dysphagia in ONE location to use in your practice, plus a resource section for SLP’s on cranial nerve testing, pharyngeal exercises, and treatment techniques. A need to have booklet in your therapy bag!! Cost: $40.00. (+S&H). Discounted to $30.00 for MBSH Month. Call us, we will get one out to you!
  • DVD or jump drive – What You Can Not See at the Bedside- By: Ronda Polansky M.S. CCC-SLP and Pam Ragland M.S. CCC-SLP. Copies of MBSS studies for education of staff and families on various disorders and clear episodes of penetrations and aspirations. Cost - $40.00 (plus S & H). Discounted to $30.00 for MBSH Month. Great educational tool for anyone! These are the same videos we presented at TSHA.
  • An SLP Should NEVER Lose Their Voice - Advocate for Proper Dysphagia Evaluations By: Ronda Polansky M.S. CCC-SLP Material to assist in educating Physicians, Administrators, Nurses and other Medical Professionals on Dysphagia and MBSS.

Our DTEX family has grown! New staff

We would like to welcome Anna Matthews to our clinical SLP team! We are excited to have her start our MBSS training program and feel she will bring so much passion and critical contribution to the expanding clinical program for both the adults and pediatrics!

Educational CE opportunities for YOU!

Ampcare’s patented and FDA-cleared system for dysphagia treatment takes traditional therapy approaches to the next level. Ampcare’s ESP (Effective Swallowing Protocol) unites the benefits of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) while incorporating proper postural strategies and resistive exercises.

CE opportunity in June!

Deciphering Dysphagia with Ampcare’s ESP™ (Effective Swallowing Protocol) On-Demand + Zoom Webinar
Monday - Tuesday, June 24-25, 2024
*8 Hours Advanced ASHA CE
❖ Accelerate Recovery by Combining Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation with Resistive Exercise
❖ Do More in 30 Minutes

Patheous Health CE Learning Opportunities

Live Webinars all summer long! Free Self Studies with Promo Code freeforphi24. Register at www.PatheousHealth.com.

Summer Forum at the Hurst Convention Center

Education is at the core of this event. A large portion of the money raised is put back into scholarships for the following year. These scholarships are awarded to individuals furthering their career in gerontology in Tarrant County. Additionally, they award the scholarship recipients during the afternoon general session. As a community of geriatric healthcare professionals, all guests, attendees, and sponsors are able to network for the entire day!

July 16, 2024 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM. DiagnosTEX will have a booth, come by and see us.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

DiagnosTEX Annual Conference this Fall! Dysphagia across the Lifespan – Pediatric to Geriatrics You don’t want to miss this! Details to come.

Dysphagia Tidbit

The Gardner Neuroscience Institute, received a $660,000 NIH grant, for a trial to test an at-home tongue endurance exercise aimed at improving swallowing function in stroke survivors. Brittany Krekeler, PhD, Speech language pathologist is the trial principal investigator. Unlike traditional therapies that emphasize total tongue strength, this trial will concentrate on improving tongue endurance, akin to repetitive, sub-maximal movements during eating. The study will enroll patients who are 3-6 months post-stroke, a time of heightened neuroplasticity, offering a window for potentially more effective rehabilitation. Participants will use a Bluetooth-connected device to perform tongue exercises, receiving real-time feedback. The exercises are designed to increase in difficulty over an eight-week period. The trial will also include MRI studies to observe brain changes related to learning the new tongue exercises. While the study initially focuses on stroke patients, the insights gained could benefit individuals with swallowing issues due to other conditions like head and neck cancer and Parkinson's disease.
News Medical Life Sciences Jan 11 2024