John Kelly

M.P.T.

A graduate of the University of St. Augustine’s graduate Physical Therapy Program. John has over 17 years’ experience with acute inpatient and hospital-based outpatient rehabilitation and currently an outpatient clinical director for Siskin Rehabilitation Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee. John continues to balance full time patient care with administrative responsibilities. John is NDT certified and an experienced manual orthopedic therapist working toward his clinical doctorate and manual therapy certification. John is a certified VitalStim® Instructor and has taught orthopaedic and electrotherapy courses across the country. John is an accomplished clinical instructor and consistently is recognized for his exceptional patient rapport and strong evaluations from course participants.

Financial Disclosure: John is a salaried employee for his position at Siskin Rehabilitation Hospital. John Kelly receives honoraria from CIAO Seminars for the presentation of his live courses. He also receives royalties for the purchase of his recorded course(s)
Non-financial Disclosure: No relevant non-financial relationship exists.

Mary Nylin

M.A. CCC-SLP

Mary is the former Senior Clinical Specialist in the VitalStim Division for Chattanooga Group supporting and educating physician groups, administrators and SLPs on Dysphagia management and the implementation of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation in Dysphagia therapy. This role also included active work with research, education, and new product development. Mary is one of a select few Certified VitalStim Instructors. She has taught over 300 courses in dysphagia and MBS interpretation. She previously worked at Baptist Memorial Hospital Rehabilitation in the Inpatient, Outpatient and Pediatric departments. Mary was instrumental in developing the Dysphagia program in the outpatient department and the speech department of the Pediatric Rehab. She serves as a knowledgeable resource in Dysphagia to therapists around the country.

Financial Disclosure: Mary receives honoraria from CIAO Seminars for the presentation of her live courses and royalties for the purchase of her recorded courses.
Non-Financial Disclosure: Mary uses VitalStim Therapy in her clinical practice.

Yorick Wijting

PT, DPT

Yorick received his Physical Therapy degree in the Netherlands and his DPT at the University of St. Augustine, Florida. He has extensive training and practical experience in biophysical agents and teaches nationally and internationally to medical professionals on their therapeutic use. Yorick has been instrumental in developing the use of electrical stimulation by Speech Language Pathologists in the treatment of dysphagia. Yorick currently lives in California and runs his private practice in Gilroy, CA.

Financial Disclosure: Yorick receives honoraria from CIAO Seminars for the presentation of his live course(s) and royalties for the sale of his recorded course(s). Yorick is the author and an instructor for the VitalStim Therapy Specialty Program.
Non-Financial Disclosure: no relevant relationships exist

Lesley Mateer

M.A. CCC-SLP

Lesley Mateer, M.A. CCC-SLP is the president of Career Improvement & Advancement Opportunities, Inc (CIAO). Since 1999, she has dedicated her company to taking care of fellow therapists and providing quality, affordable continuing education across the United States. As a Speech Language Pathologist and Rehab Director, Lesley trained healthcare professionals and students on various topics such as Customer Service, Medicare Guidelines, Corporate Orientation, Ethics, Rehabilitation, Motivation and Leadership.
Financial Disclosure: Lesley is the president if CIAO Seminars, the owner of the VitalStim and Beyond, DINES Specialty Program and VitalStim Renewal course.
Non-Financial Disclosure: No relevant relationships.

Karyn Casey-Dudgeon

SLP

Karyn is a Speech—Language Pathologist in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her work combines running a multidisciplinary private practice, a teaching appointment at the University of the Witwatersrand, and delivering a range of training workshops for ICU staff, care facilities and fellow rehabilitation professionals. She is a presenter at a number of workshops and keynote addresses at local and international conferences on the subject of swallowing disorders. Karyn is a reviewer for a number of scientific journals and is the current President of the South African Neurological Rehabilitation Association and of the Local Organizing Committee for the Word Congress of Neurological Rehabilitation to be held in Cape Town in 2020. Karyn’s primary clinical interests are in the areas of adults with a range of neurogenic disorders of speech, language and swallowing. She has a specialist involvement in the rehabilitation of dysphagia, and research interests in the relationship between cognition and dysphagia in dementia, as well as Motor Neuron Disease (MND) and dementia. Karyn completed her primary VitaIStim training in the USA in 2008 and her advanced training in 2010. She serves as a mentor for a number of VitaIStim practitioners in South Africa.

Anel Kachelhoffer

SLP

Anel graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Pathology from the University of Pretoria. She completed her Community service in 2004 at the Metsimahov District Hospital Complex in Sasolburg. Post community service she pursued her passion in practicing speech pathology in the adult neuro population. In 2006 Anel joined Rita Henn and partners where she practiced as an adult neuro speech therapist focusing on dysphagia. She has excelled as Neuro Unit manager for the practice at one of the largest Rehabilitation facilities in South Africa. She also mentored younger therapists and supervised speech therapy students from the University of Witwatersran. Anel completed her VitaIStim Certification in 2009 and has since then been involved in treatment of patients with dysphagia using traditional swallowing techniques in conjunction with electrical stimulation. In addition to VitaIStim Certification she is also Bobath trained and certified to perform myofascial release. She is currently the practice manager at the Randview Rooms of Rita Henn and Partners.

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