Thursday, September 27, 2007

St. John’s Speech-Language Pathology Professor Launches Volunteer Program at St. Vincent’s Medical Center

As the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign heats up, several candidates are looking at the issue of health care, arguing that many Americans’ inadequate insurance coverage prevents them from seeking proper treatment. In the case of aphasia — an impairment of the ability to use or comprehend words, usually acquired as the result of a stroke or other brain injury — many of those afflicted are unable to access the clinical care and support they need.

This lack of access has motivated José Centeno, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Speech-Language Pathology and a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP), to take matters into his own hands: last year, he joined a small handful of other concerned SLPs and began offering pro bono clinical services for stroke survivors and their families at St. Vincent’s Medical Center, in Manhattan. Beginning September 17, Centeno, a leading expert in the effects of aphasia on bilingual individuals, and his colleagues will launch what is perhaps the country’s first volunteer program dedicated to Spanish-English bilingual aphasia patients. NEXT...............

Chance to help people affected by a stroke

The event is intended for people interested in volunteering for their communication support service in East Yorkshire.

Volunteers are especially needed to provide home visits to people who have aphasia, a condition often caused by stroke which affects a person's ability to speak, understand, read and/or write.

Training is provided to enable volunteers to work with stroke survivors on all aspects of communication, with the aim of building up confidence and independence, and achieving the best possible recovery from stroke.