Ashe Memorial Hospital speech language pathologist Hannah Osborne, M.S., CCC-SLP, Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) to help treat patients.Female speech language pathologist holding Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing technology next to a laptop.
Ashe Memorial Hospital speech therapy program introduces new technology
JEFFERSON, N.C. — Ashe Memorial Hospital recently introduced Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) to its speech therapy program.
FEES is a minimally invasive evaluation that allows the speech pathologist to look directly at the patient’s throat to assess their safety while eating and drinking. A FEES study is recommended for those patients who experience coughing or choking with food or liquids, unexpected or unintentional weight loss, have an increased risk of aspiration or may become tired during a meal, among other difficulties.
“I am pleased to offer the service of Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) to the patients at Ashe Memorial Hospital,” said Ashe Memorial Hospital speech language pathologist Hannah Osborne, M.S., CCC-SLP. “This is the newest technology in regard to evaluating disorders of swallowing.”
During the exam, a small, thin flexible tube with a camera on the tip, called a laryngoscope, is passed through the patient’s nose, allowing the speech pathologist to view the throat from above. Since the exam does not expose the patient to radiation or anesthesia, the procedure can easily be completed at the bedside of a patient in the hospital, or in an outpatient office setting.
As part of the evaluation process, patients will be given various types of colored food and liquid, to determine which food and drinks are the safest, and may be asked to complete different tasks, such as moving their head from one side to another or tucking their chin. The exam will be recorded so providers can view the images at a later time.
Osborne began offering the service to patients in November 2023 as a way to provide excellent, state-of-the-art healthcare to the Ashe County community while also decreasing the travel burden. Prior to bringing the service to Ashe Memorial Hospital, local physicians patients often would have to wait months after the service was ordered to get an appointment and drive at least 45 minutes or more to have the service completed.
“My goal with FEES is to utilize the data from the evaluation to create a care plan for my patients,” Osborne said. “I want to help them get back to eating and drinking the things they love, surrounded by the people that they want to spend time with, without the worry of coughing, choking or strangulation.”
For more information, please call Ashe Memorial Hospital's Rehabilitation Services Department at 336-846-0833.
About Ashe Memorial Hospital
For more than 80 years, Ashe Memorial Hospital’s dedicated team of board certified physicians, nurses and staff members have provided the highest quality medical care available to the people of Ashe County and the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. Ashe Memorial Hospital offers a wide variety of emergency, elective, rehabilitation and preventative health services.
Founded in 1941, Ashe Memorial Hospital is a fully accredited 25 bed critical hospital located in Jefferson, N.C. For more information, please visit ashememorial.org or call 336-846-7101.
