SASS Training Schedules & Courses Information
Course Dates - in Nashville, TN:
Basic FEES Training Courses
November 16-17, 2024
February 8-9, 2025
May 17-18, 2025
August 9-10, 2025
November 1-2, 2025
Advanced FEES Training Courses
March 15-16, 2025
September 6-7, 2025
Levels of Training:
Basic FEES Training: An intermediate professional-level specialty training course in the use of the Flexible Fiberoptic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) in the assessment of oropharyngeal swallowing disorders. This course is designed for Speech-Language Pathologists desiring specialty training in deglutition and its disorders. The course content includes presentations on the anatomy and physiology of the swallowing mechanism specific to the endoscopic view, medical issues encountered with nasoendoscopy, specific equipment necessary for FEES administration, infection control measures used with cleaning the endoscope, how to handle and manipulate the endoscope, standard definitions of terms, scoring scales for analyzing FEES studies, and methods of systematic analysis of findings. Hands-on, one-on-one supervised endoscope insertion laboratories using a 15-step progressive skill learning regimen. Each participant will complete 15 FEES procedures (not passes). Interactive activities using actual video clips of FEES studies to learn to view, score, and analyze.
Advanced FEES Training: An advanced professional-level specialty training course for Speech-Language-Swallowing Pathologists with previous clinical experience using FEES. This training is designed to improve observation, scoring, analysis, and interpretation of clinical findings related to oropharyngeal swallowing, and to write concise, information-specific reports Advanced evidence-based presentations are followed by interactive learning exercises with class reviews, discussions and debate. Plenty of opportunities to ask questions.
FEES Competency Training: FEES competency training is a one-week immersion program for qualified SLPs. To qualify, the potential trainee must first complete the SASS basic FEES training course. FEES training from other training sources is not accepted. Experience has shown that training course content and procedures vary greatly among training courses and trainees may not be adequately prepared for the SASS training experience, particularly with SASS standard protocols, scoring regimens, analysis procedures, and report requirements. The trainee is required to dedicate 100% of the training week to training. Training in Nashville allows the trainee to be supervised closely when traveling to facilities with SASS clinicians to assess real patient referrals. Competency training may be accomplished onsite at a contract facility if there is a sufficient patient availability.
Types of Training Courses:
On-Site Training Courses: Basic and advanced FEES courses can be provided by SASS on-location at facilities with one to two conference room spaces. The minimum course participant size is 10 SLPs. The maximum course size is 16. These courses may be open-registration (recommended) or private for staff only.
Nashville-based Training Courses: Nashville is SASS’s home. Both basic and advanced FEES courses are provided throughout the year. See schedule above. Training is held at the Select Specialty Hospital, 2004 Hayes Street, Nashville, TN. Course sizes are from 10 to 20. Groups of 2 to 4 from the same facility are encouraged to take the training together. No special group rates.
Open Registration Courses: All Nashville-based training courses are with open registration with a first-come, first-served registration. On-site courses may elect to hold open courses to allow SLPs from across the US, Canada, and other countries to register for these courses and provide a variety of experiences to the training experience. Allowing non-facility SLPs to register assists the host facility to meet the 10-participant minimum for a course.
Private, or Closed, Registration Courses: Private courses are requested generally by facilities, or healthcare organizations with multiple facilities, with larger staffs and training requirements. This assures they can meet the minimum requirement of 10 participants. Smaller facilities with limited staff/participant requirement may elect to remain private and invite other SLPs from local hospitals and facilities. No special rates or discounts.
Cancellation and Course Switching Policies:
All cancellations must be received in writing via email message.
If you cancel 30 days or more before the course date, full refund, less credit card processing fees.
If you cancel between 11 and 29 days before the course date, 50% refund, less credit card processing fees.
If you cancel 10 days or less before the course date, no refund. Course reservations and preparations (materials, food, instructors, equipment,—travel, lodging) have been made for you anticipating your participation, and cannot be refunded.
Requests to switch registration to a later course, if received 30 or more days before the date of the original registered course, will be made without charge.
Requests to switch registration to a later course, if received less than 30 days before the date of the original registered course, will be subject to a $150.00 reprocessing and rescheduling fee.
If SASS cancels a previously advertised and scheduled training course or event, all registration fees plus credit card processing fees will be reimbursed.