TIMS University Webinar

Tackling Challenging Head & Neck Cancer Cases

February 5, 2025 at 8:00 PM EST | 0.1 ASHA CEUS / 1 PDH

Registration Link

Course Instructor

Jessica Gregor, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S

Jessica Wind Gregor is an Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology and board-certified specialist in swallowing and swallowing disorders at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona.  She established the first multidisciplinary swallow clinic within the Mayo Clinic Healthcare System with her ENT and GI partners for best patient care: Swallowing Clinic at Mayo Clinic Arizona - Overview - Mayo Clinic. Jessica also specializes in prevention, management, and rehabilitation of speech, jaw opening, breathing, and lymphatics in the oncology population, including alaryngeal speech and pulmonary optimization in total laryngectomees. She is an international trainer for the rehabilitative platform known as McNeill Dysphagia Therapy Program. Jessica is the Program Director for the Speech-Language Pathology Clinical Fellowship through the College of Health Sciences at Mayo Clinic as well as a clinical mentor for the national Medical SLP (MSLP™) Certification Program. Her research interests are head and neck cancer related lymphedema and the aerodigestive interplay of the swallow continuum. She co-founded Esophageal Co-Lab LLC with Dr. Stephanie Watts in 2023; together, they have been training SLPs to implement the REST during videofluoroscopic swallow studies and build multidisciplinary dysphagia teams for optimized and expedited patient care. Jessica earned her Bachelor of Science in Speech & Hearing Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2008 and her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at Rush University in Chicago, IL in 2010. 

Disclosures

Financial Disclosures:

  • Full time salary from Mayo

  • Esophageal Co-Lab LLC Cofounder

  • Contractor for Med SLP Ed

  • Contractor for MedSLP Collective

  • Contractor for FDI 2.0 LLC

  • Honorarium for this presentation

No non-financial disclosures.

Course Information

Description

This course is a clinical case-based learning experience designed for speech-language pathologists involved in head and neck cancer rehabilitation and survivorship care. Through four structured case reviews, participants will explore the SLP care pathway, from initial assessment through treatment planning, long-term surveillance, and quality of life considerations. The course emphasizes distinguishing when to prioritize rehabilitation versus compensatory or palliative management strategies and provides guidance for navigating difficult conversations related to health-related quality of life and patient-centered decision-making. Real-world examples, discussion, and Q&A will allow clinicians to deepen clinical reasoning, strengthen interdisciplinary communication, and apply evidence-informed approaches to complex cases in head and neck cancer care.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Define the SLP care pathway for head and neck cancer survivors.

  2. Distinguish intervention appropriateness of rehabilitation versus management.

  3. Identify approaches to difficult and uncomfortable conversations re: HRQOL. 

Agenda

8:00 - 8:10: Intro

8:10 - 8:20: Case 1

8:20 - 8:30: Case 2

8:30 - 8:40: Case 3

8:40 - 8:50: Case 4

8:50 - 9:00 Q&A

Satisfactory Course Completion Requirements

To successfully complete the course, participants must attend the entire live event and submit the post-course survey.

Registration Link