CSD823JCleftClinic

Contact information

2009-11-03T15:29:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite alums has already responded to the posting today on the blog. There are some software mismatches for transferring the file content from a PC to a Mac to a PDF, but the key points are clear. Blogspot does not allow for some simple editing features so an apostrophe may show up as a comma, for example. Contact information was requested, so here are some important addresses.

Simon, Lou Anna K

450 ADMINISTRATION BLDG EAST LANSING MI 48824-1046
517-355-6560
presmail@msu.edu
http://president.msu.edu/
Office: Presidents Office Operations
Office: Educational Administration
Title: President

Wilcox, Kim A

429 ADMINISTRATION BLDG EAST LANSING MI 48824-1046
517-355-1524
kwilcox@msu.edu
Office: Provosts Office
Office: Communicative Sciences & Disorders - Cas
Title: Provost & Vice Pres, Acad Afrs
Title: Professor

Board of Trustees personal email addresses:

http://trustees.msu.edu/about/

2009-11-03T13:14:00.000-08:00

Communicative Sciences and Disorders
Advancing Knowledge - Transforming Lives
Making People Matter

As you may know, the Dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, and theProvost at Michigan State University are proposing the elimination of the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders. This department educates and trains speech-language pathologists for work in: schools, at all levels; hospitals; rehabilitation centers; private practice; etc.; working with those with speech, language, voice, hearing disorders, as well as those with stroke, autism, PDD, mental retardation, etc. Virtually, if not literally, every intermediate school district, hospital, rehabilitation center, family, etc. in Michigan (and the nation), has great need for more speech-language pathologists. Likewise, virtually, if not literally, every intermediate school district, hospital, rehabilitation center, family, etc, in Michigan has greatly benefited from the outstanding knowledge and skills of an MSU-educated speech-language pathologist.

At this important time in the nation's and Michigan's economy graduates of this program are all about jobs, jobs, jobs. They get in-state, tax paying jobs; and work to habilitate and rehabilitate those with disabilities to allow them also to be employed, tax-paying citizens. The elimination of the department will actually lead to a loss of funds for MSU, not a savings. Students will go to another university for the speech-language pathology major, not just to another MSU major. The proposed elimination was done without consultation with students, faculty, staff, or other
important stakeholders. The department has not been allowed to have a permanent
chairperson over the past few years, and it has struggled without the benefit of a permanent chairperson who would give leadership and voice to its important needs and development.

We need your help. Please read this information, and then send or email letters of support for the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders to the MSU President Dr. Louanna K. Simon (presmail@msu.edu) , members of its Board of Trustees (http://trustees.msu.edu/contact.php), its Provost, Dr. Kim Wilcox (kwilcox@msu.edu), Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824

Over 43 million people in the United States have communication impairments.
Communication impairments affect the most vulnerable in our society - the young, the aged, the poor, the disabled.
By all indications, trends, and rating systems there is a dire state and national need for speech-language pathologists and audiologists.
The professions of speech-language pathology and audiology demonstrate tremendous growth opportunities. The U.S. Bureau of Labor rates both speech-language pathology and audiology among the "highest need" professions, and reports an expected need for a 36 % increase in the next decade.
Graduates get good, well-paying, rewarding, contributing, tax-paying, professional positions. The employment rate is virtually 100%+, given that most graduates have a choice of positions; and many, many positions continue to go unfilled.
The Department is ranked in the top quarter of such programs in the country, with markedly fewer resources than average.

Nationally, on average per program:

the undergraduate enrollment is 125 -- MSU's - over 250.
there are 100 applicants to master's degree programs per year, --MSU's -190.
there are 12 institutionally supported faculty -- MSU's-- 8.
there are 5 institutionally supported clinical supervisors --MSU's--zero.
the pass rate on the national certifying exam is 76% -- MSU's-- 98%.

Further,

The Department has been awarded national accreditation from the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Departmental faculty and academic staff are engaged across the University's mission and vision of multidimensional excellence in teaching, service, and research.
Faculty are involved in distance learning initiatives.
Faculty are actively involved with numerous trans-collegiate projects and programs to include: cognitive sciences, education, infant and early childhood studies, genetics,radiology, epidemiology, physics, etc.
The Department has several overseas' initiatives to include study abroad activities, and humanitarian based projects in Mexico, for example.
Departmental faculty and academic staff are actively involved at the professional levels with such groups as the Michigan Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the Council for Exceptional Children, the National Black Association of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists, etc.
The faculty has had extramural funding from the NIH and the U.S. Department of Education, as well as from numerous private sources.
It presently holds extramural funding from the NIH, the NSF, and private sources.
Ph.D. students in the program have received numerous prestigious grants and awards from extra-mural and intra-mural programs, (i.e., NIH, Bamford-Lahey Foundation, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation, Michigan Speech-Language-Hearing Association, MSU Cognitive Sciences Program.
The Department's students are among the highest in GPA, and honors' college enrollment.
Undergraduate, master's and doctoral students have been recognized with local. state and national awards.
The Department provides real-life academics-in-action externships providing thousands of student-service learning hours to the state each semester.
The Department uniquely serves the very important land-grant/outreach mission and vision for Michigan State University. There are thousands of service contact hours annually via the unit's on- and off-campus practicum education and training facilities and activities.
The Department is, should be recognized and supported as, core to the MSU mission and its guiding principles of: advancing knowledge and transforming lives, assisting people in gaining access to an improved quality of life, advancing diversity, and making people matter within the community.

CSD epitomizes Michigan State University's guiding principle: we advance knowledge in many ways.....perhaps more importantly, we transform lives of our students and the patients we serve.

MSU State News article: proposed budget cuts

2009-11-02T05:55:00.000-08:00

The following link is from today's State News (11-2-09). It summarizes some of the thoughts about the impending budget cuts. Also, along the margins are lists of the other areas to be cut.

http://www.statenews.com/index.php/article/2009/11/cost_cuts_might_cause_msu_to_discontinue_number_of_programs#comments

Clarification of the recent media reports about the elimination of CSD

2009-10-31T06:06:00.000-07:00

For those who may be interested in the recent announcements about the MSU budget cuts. The Department of CSD will be eliminated over the next few years. Eventually, what remains of CSD will be absorbed into the Department of Communications The undergraduate degree program will not accept new students beginning in January 2010. The MA program will continue, at least as of this round of budget cuts; that is what we have been told. The decision to eliminate the department was made by the college administration and by the University's Provost, Dr. Kim Wilcox (a CSD faculty member and an ASHA Fellow, BTW). CSD facutly had virtually no input into the decision. It is not clear how this decision would save the university any funds, or with the loss of the undergraduate tuition, it may actually lose revenue. We were told that the decision to elminate the undergraduate program is because of the drastic decline in state funding to the univeristy, and an attempt to increase graduate enrollment at the institution.

There are 300 undergraduate students and ~62 graduate students who are currently enrolled. It is noteworthy that CSD has:
- the highest overall GPA in the college;
-the highest number of majors in the honor's college in CAS;
-the lowest number of students on academic probation in the college;
-the highest number of graduate school placement in the college;
-the highest employment rate for our MA graduates (100%) in the college;
-the largest student group in the college (NSSLHA membership = 130);
-each graduate class contributes over 16000 hours of clinical service to the community;
-the longest running study abroad program in communicative disorders in the USA;
-a program where over 95% of the graduate students have an international health care experience;
-a 97% pass rate on the national exam (Praxis).

2009-10-25T16:47:00.001-07:00

More pictures can be found at shutterfly

We are coming home!

2009-10-19T10:40:00.001-07:00

Some of us arrived home from the Yucatan late last night. The remainder of the group is in the air now on the flight back to the USA. Here are some of the pictures from the last week. More will be added soon.

Winding down

2009-10-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

Outstanding. Simply an outstanding effort by the graduate students for their efforts over the last several days. I have tried to load videos and pictures but it seems the wireless portal where the clinic is located is not fast enough to support the uploads. Once we are home, I will update this site with pictures and videos. However, on this last afternoon our our clinic I am pleased and impressed with the efforts of each member of our team. It is rewarding to hear the comments from observers who mention the way the students eagerly accept the responsibility for any patient, no matter how complex, and the professional, confident manner in which they evaluate the case.

Tomorrow we will meet with all of the patients or their families to discuss the candiates for the virtual clinic. Tomorrow is a predictor of our success; it is also a time to reflect on the future. The future of some of our cases will be determined, but the future of these 21 graduate students is secure. They will be valuable, capable professionals. It has been a pleasure to work with them.

Here we go!

2009-10-09T15:03:00.000-07:00

The packing is done. #39 has begun. Most of the group will arrive in Cancun on Wednesday, October 14th. It is hoped that each day some video content will be posted here for those who wish to follow the project and it's participants.

For anyone who is interested there is an event on Saturday, Oct. 10th at Xcaret to announce the new Angel Notion Hospital. For those who would like to watch the event please see the link as shown in this posting from the Angel Notion Blog.
___________________________________

Angel Notion has the great pleasure to invite all of you to a cocktail presentation of our grand project “Angel Notion Hospital” in Playa del Carmen. We are honored with the presence of our distinguished mayor, Roman Quian Alcocer. The cocktail will take place on October 10, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. at the Occidental Grand Xcaret, Salón Xcaret, Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo.

RSVP - 984 877 5108 and 984 119 0945.

If you are unable to attend you may login to see a simultaneous presentation with this link. Don’t miss it!

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/angel-notion—october-10th-conference

Departure: 15 days away

2009-09-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

We are deep in the throes of planning the upcoming project. The Virtual Clinic connection will be in place on October 9th. There will be 20 patients who will be interviewed and scheduled for the dates of the project. We will be in Mexico from October 14-18th. Here's a picture of this year's group of graduate students.

Planning the next adventure

2009-07-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

The plans for the next project have begun. We are anticipating a project in the Nicte Ha this fall. Tentative dates at this time are from October 14-18th, however, the major concern at this time is the airline travel costs and the flight arrangements. This will be a large group! More than 30 will participate in this project. Initially, we will process the patients via the Virtual Clinic in preparation for our time in Mexico. Some updates of the previous projects and many nice pictures are on the Angel Notion web site and its blog. The site can be found at www.angelnotion.com

more soon!

It's that time of year, again!

2008-09-15T15:56:00.000-07:00

Fall, 2008

We are planning another project in the Yucatan this fall. The Virtual Clinic format that is being used in 823J is the framework for the upcoming trip. Groups of CSD graduate students have been working with 6 children and their parents via web cam technology. We anticipate traveling to the Yucatan to work in the Nicte Ha clinic in early November. More information to be provided very soon.

We're home after a successful trip!

2007-11-13T07:09:00.000-08:00

Julie Tobin with the oral hygiene supplies. Julie distributed the supplies to each group who made presentations in the classrooms.

Kristen and Annie with their translator.

Danielle describing how to use a toothbrush as Erin and their translator look on.

Our group getting ready at the school.

Melisa unpacking some of the supplies.

Erin's oral mech exam as Danielle completes the forms.

Lauren keeps a sibling busy while the family is involved with a clinical process.

Megan and Jennifer "at work."

Ashely having some fun with a child.

Hannah and her translator, Samantha, get identifying information for the chart.

2007-11-09T10:08:00.000-08:00

Rt unilateral lip/palate. Lip repaired.

HP fistula, hypernasal, VPI. Recommend pharyngoplasty, continue speech therapy as recommended today.

Sergio; quadraplegic after a cirus diving accident. Patent swallow function, functional speech production. Recommend removal of trach with appropriate monitoring by a local physician.

Burns from an industrial explosion. HE recommended.

A face from the school. Today the group provided presentations and demonstration of oral care for 10 classrooms.

Dr. Luis David Suarez, Lauren, Hannah and children from the school.

An adopted pet known as "Leemer."

Hannah Decker distributing toothpaste.

The usual end of the project "group picture." Clearly a look of people who know they will spend the rest of the day in the sun.

2007-11-09T08:05:00.000-08:00

"The twins" and Kelly presenting the oral care talks.

At the school, preparing for the oral hygiene

Dr. Luis David Suarez, Lauren and Hannah describing oral care and oral hygiene to a 1st grade classroom in the Colosio.

Referred for surgery and to dental/prosthodontics.

The office and waiting area outside of the clinic

MSU's presence in the Yucatan

Kristen, Annie and their translator, Samantha.

Currently in the clinic to work with issues related to feeding, speech and language, and for some discussion regarding hearing acuity.

2007-11-08T11:38:00.000-08:00

early in the day. off to a local school to do oral care for 500

Pictures from the first day, November 8, 2007

Packing day

2007-11-01T07:47:00.000-07:00

How will that fit in one bag? It won't.

Melisa and Ashley wondering if they have exceeded the 50# limit per bag.

Erin, Jennifer and Megan having more fun than they should with beenie babies that have been donated.

Melisa seems to be wondering "What have I done?"

Looks like Christmas? It may be for some children in Mexico.

Megan and Danielle, packed and ready to go.

Kristen asking........does anyone need a toothbrush?

This is it--- the last meeting before November 7th when we meet in Mexico. Time to pack. It appears that everyone will be checking 2 bags: one for project supplies, and one bag for the many donations from generous people. We have accumulated toys, art supplies and teaching materials. Local dentists in the EL area have donated hundreds of toothbrushes and toothpaste for the oral hygiene component of the project. The following pictures depict the our group in the process of dividing the donations and supplies.

Patient information beginning to arrive

2007-11-01T05:47:00.000-07:00

Unilateral complete cleft lip and palate

Jesus, at age 20 days, bilateral complete cleft lip and palate; feeding issue.

Juan, 9 months, bilateral cleft lip and palate, difficulty with liquids/solids, pre-linguistic nasalization.

____________________________________________________________

Yesterday we received a summary of 12 of the patients we will see next week. Several pictures have been posted as examples of our challenges. Most of the project planning has been completed. The group will have a final meeting today, all of the materials and supplies will be divided among the group to be carried onboard the plane and through customs. The clinic will be set up late in the day on November 7th.

We are "almost" ready.......no completely ready, but we are close.

A look back.......

2007-10-31T11:45:00.000-07:00

A look around the area.

End of the project dinners are a special treat. The Mayor will join the group for dinner at a local restaurant.

Dr. Duane Smith, an otolaryngologist, who has graciously donated his time as a surgeon and his skill as a teacher to offer unique and special educational opportunities to students.

Sara "J Blidge" Holaly, probably the individual who was the most influential in advocating for students to participate in the projects in the Yucatan. Sara is now a speech-langauge pathologist in the Grand Blanc public schools.

Moises, a wonderful success story.

Road in front of the Clinic.

Part of a strong history of MSU/CSD student involvement (thanks to "Blidge"). Lindsey McAvity and Kate Fager with several local children. Lindsey is a speech-language pathologist in San Diego, Kate is a CSD graduate who now works with pediatric swallowing cases at Wm. Beaumont Hospital.

Last day of a project. Laura Stevenson, Jenn Bobb and Laura Lashure with some of their new-found friends. All 3 of these former students are working in communicative disorders.

Dr. Diane Ogiela and one of many children she helped. Dr. Ogiela is now at the University of North Texas.

The usual activity of the first day of a project.

Emily Dunn, R. N. with Uli. (BTW, she finished her work in Playa then went on to finish FIRST in her graduating class at Georgetown University)

There have been 20 projects that have been completed since 1999. So far, there have been 154 individuals who have volunteered to participate; of that 154, 146 are MSU alumni, and 95 of the alumni were enrolled as MSU/CSD students at the time of their participation.

2007-10-28T11:59:00.000-07:00

These pictures provide a starting point. Some examples of the faces and the places where we will be in November. There is a history of success in Nic te Ha. As we prepare for our next project, the pictures should convey some of the emotions that happen during an average day.