Eglin hospital welcomes first speech pathologist

Published Jan. 29, 2008
By Staff Sgt. LuCelia Ball
96th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Eglin hospital has a new weapon in its arsenal to assist the battle against disease and other health care issues here.

Maj. DiAnna Calvin, 96th Surgical Operations Squadron, is Eglin's first speech-language pathologist.

As a speech-language pathologist, Major Calvin offers patients evaluation and treatment options for communications disorders, swallowing difficulties and feeding disorders. Although she primarily works with adults, she can assist pediatric patients who have difficulty feeding or swallowing and assists with more involved patients, as well as language screenings for children up to 3 years of age.

"Eglin realized the need for a speech pathologist because the community is rapidly growing, to include a large number of retirees," she said. "This means there is an increased number of elderly individuals with communication, voice and swallowing problems to treat."

Major Calvin helps patients sharpen, and in some instances, regain their communication skills, and/or compensate for what they may have lost.

"I want my patients to get to the point of communicating independently while performing their activities of daily living," she said. "Even something as simple as greeting their loved ones over the phone can be a big step."

Common speech disorders seen in the clinic include: vocal hoarseness/weakness, aphasia and motor speech disorders caused by stroke/Traumatic Brain Injury, and stuttering.

Additionally, she sees patients with vocal cord nodules, cysts and polyps, which can affect the sound of the voice, and small children with clefts of the lip and palate.

Some area retirees suffer from dysphagia, a swallowing disorder which can lead to symptoms such as food sticking in the throat, or food/liquid aspiration, in which swallowed material ends up in the lungs instead of the stomach. In some cases, Major Calvin may evaluate these patients in radiology, where she can watch their swallowing in motion via x-ray.

Patients generally come her way from a primary care provider's referral. Major Calvin also works closely with medical providers like Maj. (Dr.) Brian Moore, the chief of Otolaryngology and head and neck surgery.

Once patients with voice disorders receive a consult to the speech clinic, Major Calvin typically performs a comprehensive vocal evaluation. This will include a physical examination of the larynx and pharynx (voice box and throat) in order to make a diagnosis. Many treatment options are available, to include computerized technology for biofeedback.

The treatment for communication and swallowing disorders depends on the nature of the problem. Typically, Major Calvin meets with a patient once a week. Some patients are treated with vocal exercises that are likened to physical therapy for the voice. Other techniques involve a focus on breathing, or exercises to strengthen mouth and facial muscles. There are also exercises and compensatory techniques to improve swallowing and eating. Some patients need to modify their diets to combat their physical symptoms while others must improve their vocal patterns/hygiene, such as drinking more water or limiting their speech to preserve their voices.

"Some people have hoarse and tired voices simply because they carry tension in their voice boxes, throat and shoulder areas," she said.

In extreme cases, such as following a stroke, there are patients who cannot communicate at all and depend on computers to speak for them. In these cases, Major Calvin is on hand to assist with choosing the right equipment for their needs.

In addition to clinic visits and therapy in the office, patients are almost always given a home program to augment the treatment. Each patient is unique and progresses at different rates, depending on the nature of the problem and many other factors. For this reason, the length of therapy varies from patient to patient. Once discharged from therapy, Major Calvin establishes a follow-up care plan, specific to each patient's needs.

"The ability to communicate and eat normally are vitally important aspects of people's lives. The loss or impairment in either one or both of these areas can be devastating," Major Calvin said. "I do my best to improve my patient's quality of life, which in turn makes my job very rewarding and fulfilling."