Reviews

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 "Dr. Watts and Jessica's course on the importance of esophageal visualization and the REST protocol is one that I think every SLP working with people with dysphagia should take. Not only do they review pertinent foundational information, they dive into the various etiologies at the esophageal level that can have upstream ramifications. Further, they discuss how recommendations commonly made by SLPs (ex. the effortful swallow) can result in downstream changes. Before the course's conclusion, attendees participate in implementing the REST via an interactive session."

  "An immense amount of vital information was covered in this course - so much so that I plan to take it again to continue to grow in my understanding of this area. Much gratitude to both Dr. Watts and Jessica for their dedication to this area of speech pathology and for the provision of these continuing education offerings!"  

 "What a valuable course! In years of conducting MBS, we’ve known how the esophageal phase of the swallow can sometimes play a significant role in pharyngeal findings and especially patients’ symptoms which aren’t always the most reliable. This course now provides us some concrete findings we can search for to better our care for the patient. The information presented during the course was interesting, applicable, and immediately implementable." 

  "This course was fantastic! Wow! The amount of information they presented on was outstanding, yet it was all very digestible. I love the videos they had to share and specific examples." 

 "I really enjoyed the presentation. I learned a lot about an area in speech pathology that doesn't get a lot of attention, and I think we got some great ideas on how to provide better patient care, streamline some aspects of diagnostics that may typically put patients on a wild goose chase (ex; GI->SLP->ENT and still no answers to their complaints) or a long wait to get answers, and tap into a missed revenue source across the company." 

 "Fantastic course! The information is easily digestible, engaging, and essential in completing VFSS. I am eager to begin implementation in my own practice. Hoping   Dr. Watts and Jessica create a Part 2!" 

 "So great! Can we add esophageal dysphagia to our yearly competencies and make every SLP in or organization take this course!!?? Seriously, what a game changer! I think if we all presented as a united front, radiology would be more willing to yield to our requests for APs and sweeps. I am sharing how this changed my practice with everyone who will listen." 

 "The REST Course was very informative and comprehensive. I was worried going in, as I have never felt comfortable with SLP’s role in the esophagus, but now, I feel very confident owning the relationship between all the phases of swallowing and am embarrassed at how I dichotomized their relationships in the past. I have already began implementing this and look forward to more information and research from this topic in the future." 

 "This course was very educational, and all information presented was done so well. I really enjoyed the discourse/dialogue we were able to have with the presenters. They were so personable and approachable. It really seems like they are in this to help our patients and field, not for financial gain. I really appreciate that."

  "They were great! I have already reached out to radiology about getting some EZ Paque to use. I have been turning all my patients in AP and doing what I can, and I have already found myself feeling more confident in just a few days."

  "This course has improved our relationships with GI already. I reached out to them to educate them on our new protocol, and they were very interested in what we had to offer. They said the way we write our reports is more helpful that our radiologists who use a +/- for the presence of motility or strictures in their reports. I can see this really going somewhere and us improving the lives of our patients so much!"

"Amazing! Such great information. I wish they could come back and inspire us yearly. Hearing them makes me want to learn more, do more and push our field!"

  "I thought the course was great! For being an all-day course, I thought content flowed well from start to finish. It was engaging and I appreciated how flexible Jessica and Stephanie were to answer questions throughout. Their passion in this area truly reflected in the course. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and providing us with the tools to help advance in this area within our own setting!"

  "Thank you so much for the extensive education regarding the REST. I am a CF-SLP. My final graduate school externship was at Tampa General Hospital in the acute care setting, where I worked closely with my supervisor to implement the DIGEST and REST protocols during our weekly MBS studies. Gaining hands-on experience with these protocols and now learning about them in such depth has been incredibly beneficial. I especially appreciated the numerous videos of esophageal dysphagia, which helped train my eye to identify abnormalities and develop a deeper understanding of their implications for the patient’s swallowing mechanism. This comprehensive training has significantly enhanced my clinical skills and confidence in managing dysphagia cases. As I begin my career, this knowledge will serve as a valuable resource. Thanks again."

 "I found the training provided in the course to be extremely valuable for my clinical practice. I feel more confident identifying esophageal impairments and making the right referrals for my patients. I highly recommend this course for SLPs that conduct VFSS."

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"Thank you so much - this was such an interesting and relevant course. Thank you for prioritizing clinically applicable work that translates to the quality of life of our patients!"

"You may recall from the course you provided for Novant Health that our hospital system was split on performing (or being allowed to perform) esophageal sweeps. Much has happened since that course, but I am very pleased to tell you that as of last week, our entire "Greater Winston Salem" market is now allowed to freely perform esophageal sweeps. I used the referenced articles from the course and paired it with supplementary text from the MedSLP collective and presented to our radiology colleagues last week. A battle that has been fought for almost a decade ended over a 30-minute meeting. The CEO (and lead radiologist) of our radiologist group admitted they had no idea why we were performing them and now have a better understanding of the swallow continuum. She admits that they were taught to dichotomize each swallow phase and did not give thought to up or downstream effects of the swallow. Previously, we had tried to educate one radiologist at a time, but that was ineffective and inefficient. With the backing of our rehab management team, we were able to call this meeting with the CEO & lead radiologists and make real changes. Without you all's work in this area, I would not have had the knowledge or confidence to tackle this fight."

"Thank you again for all your hard work in this area of our field. This is changing practice patterns that have been in effect for many years and it is CHANGING LIVES!" 

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"Best course I've ever taken. In all honesty, I left feeling extremely motivated to continue program development at my institution."

"Dr. Watts and Jessica Gregor have put together a course that should be a part of every single competency requirement for facilities offering VFSS. The information contained within this course is essential for anyone who evaluates and treats dysphagia patients. Understanding the impacts of esophageal dysfunction on the pharyngeal swallow is something that few SLPs really understand well, and many know nothing about. But this course is an excellent argument for why not only should every SLP understand esophageal impacts on the oropharyngeal swallowing mechanism and airway protection, but also why it is essential that SLPs screen the esophagus every single time that they complete a VFSS/MBSS. Just as the MBSImP has become the gold standard in fluoroscopy education and standardization of practices, so too, should the REST protocol become standardized practice for everyone who does fluoro studies. My only negative? As someone who evaluates feeding and swallowing disorders starting out in the NICU and throughout the life span, I would love to see a pediatric version for the pediatric population. Why? Because while there can be push back from some radiology departments regarding the appropriateness of SLP's completing an esophageal sweep in adults, in pediatrics most facilities are completely unaware of the potential benefit of viewing the esophagus at all with children, and instead go straight to an EGD if there are concerns. Or, worse yet, if aspiration isn't visualized on the swallow, the child receives a "pass" and the treating clinician is told to move ahead with foods and liquids that may be completely inappropriate for the child's current level of esophageal function, further compounding their PFD journey. Let's face it, we need to do better when it comes to our swallowing patients of all ages, and this course and protocol are a huge step in the right direction. Thank you, Dr. Watts, and Ms. Gregor for a wonderful, comprehensive, advanced level course and for developing the standardized REST protocol. I am excited to start using this new tool immediately!"

"I cannot thank Jessica and Dr. Watts enough for the information-packed course. I was excited about this CEU and it exceeded my expectations. The day went by so fast too- don't be intimidated with the length of time! All of the information was very helpful and will direct patient care so much better. It was very dense and informative. I will be recommending it to my medical SLP colleagues."

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