SLV Health Introduces Advanced Swallow Study Technology to the Valley: FEES Now Available In-House

SLV Health is proud to announce the addition of Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) to its suite of diagnostic tools, bringing state-of-the-art, evidence-based care for swallowing disorders directly to patients in the San Luis Valley.

This new, hospital-based service is designed to evaluate swallowing function in adult inpatients—particularly those with stroke, neurological impairments, acute onset or a history of dysphagia, or aspiration pneumonia. FEES allows the speech-language pathologists to identify swallowing difficulties through a superior, real-time view of the throat during the act of swallowing.

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“The introduction of FEES marks a critical step forward in delivering comprehensive, evidence-based care to individuals with dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) in the acute setting at SLVH.” says Christine Mullen, SLVH speech-language pathologist, who has established the program. “While clinical bedside swallow evaluations provide valuable information, they do not allow us to definitively rule out silent aspiration. With FEES, we are able to directly visualize the pharynx and larynx during the swallow, identify anatomical abnormalities or dysfunction, and detect aspiration events in real time. This instrumental assessment helps guide our plan of care, including diet recommendations and dysphagia interventions, throughout the patient’s hospitalization. Our goal is to reduce the number of patients who need to be transferred out of the Valley for instrumental swallow studies, while ensuring the highest quality of care is provided locally during their stay.”

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Before this addition, patients often had to be transferred out of the region for this type of swallow evaluation. Now, with FEES available locally, SLV Health eliminates that burden, ensuring timely, efficient, and high-quality care for those who need it most.

SLV Health remains committed to advancing rural healthcare with cutting-edge tools that prioritize patient outcomes. The arrival of FEES reinforces this commitment—keeping care close to home, where it matters most.