This year’s groundbreaking University of Puthisastra course on Adult Dysphagia Management would not have been possible without the support of a substantial grant from the Rotary International Foundation. The grant provides travel and living expenses for six volunteer speech-language pathologists (SLPs) across three rotations during the 2023-24 academic year.
These experienced Rotary SLP volunteers provide clinical supervision to 15 trainees at their workplaces as they evaluate and treat patients suffering from dysphagia (swallowing problems due to stroke or other neurological impairments).
In addition supporting the volunteer SLPs, the Rotary grant provides funds for two Khmer-English interpreters trained in medical terminology, ensuring seamless communication between the university trainees and the volunteer SLPs.
The grant also provides a stipend for Rotary Project Manager Yous Sreynoch. Sreynoch coordinates the work of the volunteer SLPs and of the two interpreters, and maintains critical relationships with the university and with participating hospitals.
Funding for the grant comes from contributions from Rotary clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area and from matching funds from the Rotary International Foundation. We want to offer special thanks to the Rotary Club of San Francisco – Castro, who initiated the grant, and to the Rotary Club of Phnom Penh, who administer the grant.
Plans are in place to extend the grant for another two years and to include a mentorship component in which selected trainees from Years 1 and 2 will receive training to become clinical supervisors.
By 2026, we aim to have established a critical mass of trained Cambodian dysphagia clinicians and clinical supervisors, allowing the program to become self-sustaining. Hospitals will be able to maintain and grow their dysphagia services without the need for onsite supervision by foreign-trained SLPs.
We want to express our heartfelt appreciation to the members and leadership of Rotary International for your belief in our project and its contribution to the health and welfare of the people of Cambodia.
Delegates from Rotary Club of San Francisco–Castro (left) visit Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh to meet with doctors, dysphagia trainees, and SLP volunteers