Swallowing Wellness Information Group

Empowering Lives Affected by Swallowing Disorders

Swallowing disorders are some of the most poorly understood health problems in medicine, by both patients and health care providers. Most people are confused about swallowing impairments because they have rarely heard of them, even though swallowing difficulty impacts 1 in 25 adults (Bhattacharyya, 2014).

SWIG’s Mission is to empower individuals affected by swallowing disorders and improve health and quality of life through education, support, and advocacy. SWIG also offers free and low cost swallowing evaluations via our SWIG Community Screening Program.

We invite you to participate by attending the SWIG Forums (all virtual) and listening to the SWIG Podcast - All Free. Are you or a loved one affected by swallowing challenges? Join us for support, resources, and community. SWIG is sponsored by Swallowing Wellness, the world's first outpatient center dedicated to people with feeding and swallowing difficulty, located in Bethesda MD.

What We Offer:

• FREE Education about swallowing disorders

• FREE Support for patients, caregivers, and families

• FREE Advocacy and awareness initiatives

SWIG Forums is a free community program that offers information about feeding and swallowing for anyone who wants to join. Everyone who attends will understand the content and we encourage you to contribute. Attendees may include individuals with swallowing difficulties, caregivers, healthcare workers, policy makers, industry partners, researchers, business owners, and students.

Take a minute to learn more and sign up for SWIG Forums.

Welcome to the SWIG Podcast!

A refreshing new take on eating and drinking, providing easy-to-ingest knowledge about feeding and swallowing. The SWIG podcast also proposes somewhat difficult-to-digest truths about what humanity wants versus what the healthcare system offers.

Dr. Humbert is a world-renowned swallowologist, advocate for people with feeding and swallowing difficulty, speech-language pathologist, scientist, professor, entrepreneur, and trouble maker.

If you give us up to 30 minutes of your attention, we promise to give you some of the most educational and useful knowledge you never knew you needed.

Meet the SWIG Team

  • Candace Thomas, M.S., CCC-SLP

    SWIG FORUM DIRECTOR

    Candace’s therapeutic approach prioritizes patient autonomy and empowering individuals to actively participate in their care, with a focus on improving quality of life. She values meaningful community engagement to promote education and awareness about swallowing disorders. Candace has extensive clinical experience in schools, inpatient rehabilitation centers, assisted living facilities, and hospitals, working with both adults and children, including in an inpatient pediatric unit and a Level III NICU. Her Candace specializes in managing tracheostomy and speaking valve needs, cleft lip and palate, and neurodevelopmental disorders. She has a special interest in swallowing difficulties related to phobias and anxiety, as well as expertise in feeding tube weaning and supporting patients on their journey toward independence and enhanced well-being

  • Ianessa Humbert, Ph.D., SLP, CEO

    SWIG POSCAST CREATOR & HOST

    Dr. Humbert is a world renowned scientist, speaker, professor, advocate, business owner, and expert in the area of swallowing disorders. More importantly, Dr. Humbert has dedicated her 25 years of experience in swallowing disorders to restoring humanity in healthcare and emphasizing courageous common sense when training clinicians to serve their patients. Prior to founding Swallowing Wellness, her clinical research in swallowing physiology included positions at the National Institutes of Health, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and the University of Florida. Dr. Humbert is a gifted and influential speaker, with both national and international gravitas. She co-founded the Swallowing Training and Education Portal (STEP), which offers high-quality, low cost online training to clinicians, with over 40,000 course enrollment - and counting! Dr. Humbert also co-hosted two popular podcasts: Down the Hatch and Evidence and Argument.

  • The SWIG Community

    VIP

    You are the most important part of the SWIG Community. The Swallowing Wellness Information Group was created to serve YOU. Most people with swallowing difficulty report feeling overlooked in healthcare spaces and misunderstood in their communities. We need your voice and involvement increase awareness about swallowing disorders, to improve service delivery within the healthcare system, and to create opportunities to discuss the real lives and experiences among people with dysphagia.

    We welcome your input and suggestions as we navigate the direction of SWIG. The loudest voices should come from YOU, as we, the health care providers, take your message to systems that have the power to create a better options and improve your lives.