Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ

Twenty-four Speech-Language Pathology graduate students traveled to UPMC Williamsport for a clinical education experience on October 22, in lieu of their regularly scheduled "Disorders of Feeding and Swallowing" class. 

The experience was led by speech-language pathologist (SLP), course instructor, Jessie Webber. Webber, a full-time employee of UPMC, collaborated with five other speech-language pathologists to provide a unique and engaging clinical experience for the graduate students in her class. 

The collaborating speech-language pathologists included Mollie Herlehy, Tracy Coppadge, Carmen Bauer, Cassie Shaheen, and Lisa Godfrey, all of whom primarily work in adult acute care and/or adult inpatient rehab.

The evening started with Jessie Webber demonstrating what a FEES assessment looks like. 

What is FEES?

After a stroke, or due to neurological disease or trauma, a person’s swallowing function could become weak, putting them at risk for aspiration which could lead to pneumonia. Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) is an instrumental assessment that speech-language pathologists perform to get real-time and direct visualization of a person’s swallow to assess its safety and efficiency. 

The FEES assessment involves the use of a fiberoptic endoscope, monitor, video recording system, and other equipment placed on a mobile cart.  This assessment is especially beneficial for patients who cannot easily access a radiology suite. 

When performed, a flexible scope passes through the floor of the nasal passage and into the pharynx, allowing the speech-language pathologist to have a clear view of the larynx, pharynx, and upper esophageal sphincter. The patient is given a series of liquids and solid foods to eat, and the swallow can be observed and analyzed in real-time.

Students were shown the equipment used in the assessment, as well as the typical line-up of liquids and solids to be administered. Webber demonstrated the procedure and scoped fellow speech-language pathologist Tracy Coppage.

Students and speech-language pathologists went through the entirety of a FEES procedure. During the procedure, students identified anatomical landmarks, practiced feeding, and observed the physiology of multiple swallows in real-time.

The night concluded with a Q & A panel discussion. Students had the opportunity to ask all present speech-language pathologists questions Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ preparing for adult medical clinical placements, what its like to work in various adult medical settings (acute care, outpatient, skilled nursing, inpatient rehab), and general advice on becoming a competent clinician. 

Students felt they learned a great deal from the experience. Starting in the spring, they will be off on their medical externship placements, so the opportunity to participate in a clinical experience like this, in conjunction with their current coursework, was invaluable.