Parkinson Voice Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the voices of people with Parkinson’s, has named Stony Brook Southampton Hospital Speech Pathology/Swallowing Program as a recipient of its 2023 SPEAK OUT! Grant Program.
“Stony Brook Southampton’s Speech Pathology/Swallowing Department is committed to offering Parkinson Voice Project’s SPEAK OUT! program to our East End community, through individual speech therapy and group therapy,” said Marta Kazandjian MA CCC-SLP, BCS-S, FASHA, NBC-HWC, Board Certified Swallowing Disorders Specialist, Clinical Assistant Professor and Manager, Dept. Head for Speech Pathology & Swallowing for Stony Brook Southampton Hospital and Stony Brook University.
Grant recipients include hospitals, universities, private practices, and other speech therapy clinics across the United States and abroad. Each clinic receives free training for their speech-language pathologists and graduate students, access to the eLibrary, and the opportunity for workbooks and funding.
“Up to 90% of people with Parkinson’s are at risk of losing their ability to speak. In addition, swallowing complications account for 70% of the mortality rate in this patient population. Our vision at Parkinson Voice Project is to make quality speech therapy accessible to people with Parkinson’s worldwide,” said Samantha Elandary, Parkinson Voice Project’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer.
This grant program honors the late Daniel R. Boone, Ph.D., a world-renowned speech-language pathologist who recognized in the 1950s that individuals with Parkinson's could improve their communication by “speaking with intent." Parkinson Voice Project’s highly effective speech therapy program is based on Boone’s teachings and combines education for the patient and family, along with individual and group speech therapy.
Stony Brook Southampton’s Speech Pathology/Swallowing Department is one of 364 organizations who received SPEAK OUT! Program Development Grants in 2023. The Program Development grants are one of three different types of grants awarded by Parkinson Voice Project in 2023. Other grants include 16 SPEAK OUT! Research & Therapy Center Grants 245 training grants for individual speech-language pathologists.
About Stony Brook Southampton Hospital (SBSH)
With 124 beds, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital (SBSH) is staffed by more than 280 physicians, dentists, and allied health professionals representing 48 medical specialties. SBSH offers a diverse array of clinical services, ranging from primary medical care to specialized surgical procedures, including cardiac catheterization, orthopedics and bariatrics. The sole provider of emergency care on Long Island’s South Fork, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital is a designated Level III Trauma Center and primary stroke center. The hospital includes The Phillips Family Cancer Center, a Heart and Stroke Center, Breast Health Center, The Center for Advanced Wound Healing, Wellness Institute, and 32 satellite care centers throughout the South Fork of Long Island. The hospital is the largest employer on the South Fork with more than 1,200 employees. To learn more, visit www.southampton.stonybrookmedicine.edu
About Parkinson Voice Project
Parkinson Voice Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization solely dedicated to improving speech and communication in individuals with Parkinson’s. The organization is headquartered in Richardson, Texas and has trained more than 10,000 clinicians in more than 40 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ethiopia, India, Israel, South Korea, Lebanon, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. For information, visit: https://www.ParkinsonVoiceProject.org