Beyond Aspiration - Why Should We Care, and What Else Matters?

On today's episode, we scratch the surface on variables beyond aspiration that impact dysphagia-related pneumonia in our patients. Our guest, Dr. John R. Ashford, Ph.D., brings a wealth of knowledge from his experience in clinical practice, academia, and research. Furthermore, we discuss lab values,  education, life-long learning, and how SLPs can become more medically-focused in their patient care. Join us as Dr. Ashford provides valuable insights to help bridge the gap between research and practical clinical application. 

“What I know doesn’t belong to me; what people know really doesn’t belong to them; we’re nothing but conduits; we simply are passing along what others have taught us, and we’ve made sense out of it.” 
-Dr. John Ashford

Bio
John R. Ashford, Ph.D., is Education Director/Co-Owner of SA Swallowing Services, Nashville, TN. He is retired from the Department of Veterans Affairs as a Medical Speech-Language Pathologist, and as a Professor at Tennessee State University and the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Professional interests include understanding factors associated with pneumonia development in patients with dysphagia, and educating and training providers of FEES services.

Episode Resources:

https://www.sasspllc.com/ 

https://www.sasspllc.com/three-pillars-of-pneumonia

Immune: A Journey into the Mysterious System that Keeps You Alive (Book)

Chapters

• 0:00 Podcast Intro
• 1:30 Intro to John Ashford, Phd, CCC-SLP & The Three Pillars
• 6:03 Functional Swallowing & Translating Research to Practice
• 11:30 SA Swallowing Services - FEES and More
• 14:32 Predicting the Future of Dysphagia Care: Where Are We Heading?
• 21:20 The Goldilocks Principle in SLP Training
• 23:18 Lab Values
• 28:08 The Immune System and Dysphagia
• 35:20 Owning Your Growth
• 41:51 Strategically Leveraging Our Resources and Working Together
• 45:17 Humility & Authenticity
• 48:06 Closing Words