Click play to listen to Mary Simmons give a short overview of this “Beyond Certification” course, a follow-up to the VitalStim Certification course.
APPROPRIATE DISCIPLINES:
• Speech Language Pathology
• Occupational Therapy
Course Description
There is more to an effective treatment session than just the addition of electrical stimulation. VitalStim® Therapy has provided clinicians with a powerful new modality to achieve higher levels of swallowing function and has revolutionized dysphagia therapy. If you are already Certified and would like to take VitalStim® Therapy sessions to the next level, then the VitalStim® II - Beyond Certification course is for you! This course builds on the core principles of a successful treatment session and includes a variety of advanced topics such as advanced kinesiology, exercise physiology, best clinical practices, patient selection, treatment planning and specific treatment protocols, goal writing, electrode placement selection and more. The attending dysphagia therapist will be equipped with many new therapy ideas and a more thorough grasp of the principles that influence decisions in planning treatment. Specific impairment based treatment protocols for CVA, Progressive Disease Processes, Head and Neck Cancer and more will be introduced and reviewed in integrative case studies. A model of how to advance a patient’s diet and provide sufficiently challenging treatment tasks will be presented and practiced through various patient examples. This interactive course offers innovative and effective therapy ideas to equip you with the knowledge to take your VitalStim treatment sessions to the next level! NOTE: Registrants must be Certified VitalStim Providers.
Instructor(s)
Jennifer Carter M.Ed. CCC-SLP; Charissa Moore M.A. CCC-SLP; Mary Nylin M.A. CCC-SLP
Jennifer Carter, M.Ed., CCC-SLP has been evaluating and treating adults with dysphagia for almost 2 decades. She is the owner/senior clinician at the Carter Swallowing Center, a private practice specializing in dysphagia in Denver, CO. Jen is also a consulting clinical dysphagia specialist for Empi/DJO and has provided instruction to hundreds of clinicians on such therapies as electrical stimulation and surface EMG biofeedback. She is a frequent speaker on dysphagia at local, state, and national conferences, and her certifications include VitalStim® Therapy and the McNeill Dysphagia Therapy Program (MDTP). Charissa H. Moore, MA, CCC-SLP, received her Masters Degree in Communication Disorders from Appalachian State University. Charissa is currently a Clinical Specialist in the VitalStim Division for Empi supporting and educating physician groups, administrators and SLPs on Dysphagia management and the implementation of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and other modalities in Dysphagia therapy. Charissa is also a Certified VitalStim Instructor. She has taught over 150 courses in dysphagia and MBS interpretation. She previously worked at First Health of the Carolinas Hospital as the Rehabilitation Director. There she was instrumental in developing a continuum of care for pediatrics and adults with dysphagia, including a hospital-based Esophageal Clinic. She serves as a knowledgeable resource in dysphagia to therapists around the country.
Mary Nylin, MA, CCC-SLP, is a Speech-Language Pathologist currently instructing dysphagia therapists throughout the USA. Mary has been instrumental in developing a Dysphagia program in outpatient and inpatient departments and was involved in developing the speech department of Pediatric Rehab facilities. Currently, Mary is the Senior Clinical Specialist in the VitalStim division at Empi. In her role as Clinical Specialist, she spends her time speaking to physician groups, administrators, and Speech-Language Pathologists on Dysphagia management and the implementation of NMES into Dysphagia therapy. Mary also fields clinical questions from therapists around the country.
Financial Disclosure: Jennifer Carter, Charissa Moore and Mary Nylin receive honoraria from CIAO Seminars for the presentation of this course. Mary Nylin is also employed by DJO, the manufacturer of VitalStim® but does not sell the equipment. Non-financial Disclosure: Jennifer Carter and Charissa Moore use VitalStim® in her clinical practice.
Course Objectives
At the completion of this course, participants will be able to:
Describe the rationale for using VitalStim Therapy for dysphagia from a neurophysiological perspective
Discuss the current state of research in the use of NMES for dysphagia
Describe and demonstrate an effective exercise therapy program considering key kinesiological principles
Design and execute a diet progression tailored to the individual patient receiving VitalStim Therapy
Identify patients who are appropriate to receive VitalStim Therapy
Discuss necessary modifications to the use of VitalStim Therapy and active exercise therapy based on various diagnostic limitations (e.g., fatigue, hypersensitivity, the presence of co-morbidities, and more)
Demonstrate a problem solving approach to choosing the best possible and most appropriate electrode placement
Formulate concise and effective short and long term treatment goals and track objective treatment outcomes with evidence-based tracking tools
Agenda
Day 1
07:30 - 08:00
Registration (continental breakfast)
08:00 - 08:30
Current Treatment Q & A
08:30 - 10:00
Review of core principles (kinesiology, exercise physiology, NMES)
10:00 - 10:15
Break
10:15 - 11:00
Review of the research
11:00 - 12:00
Patient candidacy
12:00 - 01:00
Lunch (on your own)
01:00 - 02:30
Advanced electrode placements (lab)
02:30 - 02:45
Break
02:45 - 04:15
Advanced treatment planning and execution (lab)
04:15 - 04:45
Tricks of the trade
04:45 - 05:00
Q&A
Day 2
08:00 - 08:30
Q & A, review of day 1
08:30 - 10:00
Cortical Stroke Case Study
10:00 - 10:15
Break
10:15 - 11:30
H & N Cancer Case Study
11:30 - 12:30
Lunch
12:30 - 01:30
Brainstem Stroke Case
01:30 - 02:30
Esophageal Disorders Case Study
02:30 - 02:45
Q&A
CEU's
Contact hours pre-approved for:
CIAO is an ASHA Approved Provider (#AAWA) SLPs
CIAO is an AOTA Approved Provider (#4119) OTs
13.0 HRS SLPs & OTs
This course is offered for 1.3 ASHA CEUs (Advanced level, Professional area).
This course meets PDU requirements for NBCOT
CIAO is an IACET Approved Provider
The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.
CIAO is regognized on the NBCOT Provider Registry (meets PDU requirements for NBCOT)
CIAO has been approved as an Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET), 1760 Old Meadow Road, Suite 500
McLean, VA 22102. In obtaining this approval, CIAO has demonstrated that it complies with the ANSI/IACET Standards which are widely recognized as standards of good practice internationally. As a result of their Authorized Provider membership status, CIAO is authorized to offer IACET CEUs for its programs that qualify under the ANSI/IACET Standards."
