Appointments and Staff
Appointment Secretary: Nichole E. Wood
Clinical Staff:
Patient Care Coordinator: Janet L. Jones, B.A.
Assistant Patient Care Coordinator: Betsy J. Lamoy, R.N.
Assistant Patient Care Coordinator: Zandra V. Gadsden, LPN
Consultants in Speech Pathology and Swallowing Disorders:
Allison Geller, M.A., CCC/SLP
Deonne Malick, Ph.D., CCC/SLP
Linda Stachowiak, M.S., CCC/SLP
Patient Appointments:
Our Swallowing Center is oriented to manage difficult, complex or unusual swallowing disorders on a consultative basis and to make recommendations to the patient's primary Gastroenterologist or referring physician for treatment and long-term follow-up.
Our physicians are full-time faculty members of the University of South Florida College of Medicine with responsibilities that include teaching, research, medical writing for publication, and administrative duties, but with a major commitment to patient care. However, they are not in the clinic every day and are not able to provide primary care medical services.
Therefore, to better serve our patients, it is important that patients be referred to the Center by their local Gastroenterologist who can work with us to manage their specific disorder. This policy insures that less complicated problems and those of an emergent or urgent nature will be managed locally and more promptly. By limiting the need for appointments here to manage and provide long-term follow-up care for less severe disorders, appointment times can be kept open for more complex swallowing problems.
Appointments are made by Gastroenterology physician referral through the Patient Care Coordinators at the Center, (813) 974-3374.
We require the referring physician to fax or mail all pertinent records prior to an appointment being scheduled. All medical records and x-rays pertaining to the patient's disorder are reviewed prior to scheduling an appointment. This procedure enables our physicians to anticipate whether additional tests may be necessary at the time of initial consultation to ensure a proper evaluation.