The visit made Amy Nordness, Ph.D., cry a little.
Well, just in the one eye.
Dr. Nordness, the director of the department of speech-language pathology and associate director of clinical services at the Munroe-Meyer Institute, was demonstrating her department’s Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of the Swallow (FEES) technology for members of the Nebraska Legislative League.
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Munroe-Meyer Institute Director Karoly Mirnics, M.D., Ph.D., shares institute highlights with members of the Nebraska Legislative League. |
“It doesn’t hurt,” she assured them, despite her right eye watering slightly as the device was inserted. Some members of the league — an organization made up of spouses of Nebraska state legislators and constitutional officers — looked relieved.
Dr. Nordness said she wanted to showcase FEES for the league because the technology is portable, so it can be moved across the state and used at a relatively low cost. She spoke to the league about the advantages of the technology, including making it easier to position the client for comfortable eating while inspecting anatomical structures during the eating process.
The tour of MMI also featured a discussion with MMI Director Karoly Mirnics, M.D., Ph.D., and a demonstration of the virtual reality therapeutic video games developed by MMI’s Jamie Gehringer, Ph.D., director of the MMI Virtual Reality Lab. It was the end of a busy day for members of the league, who earlier had met with Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., and other UNMC leaders and toured the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center and the SIM-NE truck.
League members asked questions of Dr. Mirnics on MMI’s statewide reach and the growth of autism diagnoses, among other topics. And although no one was willing to put on the virtual reality helmet to play one of Dr. Gehringer’s games — designed to promote therapeutic movement in children with cerebral palsy — league members left impressed by what they had seen and heard at MMI and throughout the university as a whole.
“The entire day was impressive from beginning to end,” said Rita Stinner, wife of John Stinner, chair of the legislature’s appropriations committee. “It was phenomenal.”
Stinner said she had known nothing about MMI before the tour.
“What a remarkable group,” she said. “This is a new area for me to think about and study. Dr. Mirnics is inspirational. And the innovative developments they are making — there’s so much good that goes on here, it blew us all away.”
Stinner had kind words for the rest of UNMC, as well, citing the Chihuly Sanctuary at the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center as a personal favorite.
“When I think about all the facets of this organization . . . I get excited for Nebraska, the people of Nebraska, and the people of the United States who are going to come here, for this is truly a destination for the entire United States.”
Excellent story, John. It's very impressive to read how UNMC/MMI takes care of a VIP group like this. Thanks for the interesting article!