George Barnes

George Barnes is a board-certified specialist in swallowing and swallowing disorders and has developed an expertise in dysphagia management, focusing on diagnostics and clinical decision-making in the medically complex population. George yearns to make education useful, research clinically focused, and quality care accessible. He cofounded a mobile FEES service to expand access to high-quality dysphagia services. George strives to go beyond the swallow in dysphagia management by looking at the whole patient, which is evident in his research on a pneumonia risk calculator.

His speaking engagements aim to bridge research and patient care. This has included talks with SpeechPathology.com, ASHA, Dysphagia Café, MedSLP Ed, EPSHA, SpeechTherapyPD.com, NYSSLHA, CSHA, SHAV, Hackensack University Medical Center, Iona University, the Medical SLP Collective, Swallow Your Pride, Fresh SLP, Private Practice Success Stories, and Speech Uncensored.

George has a track record of paying his knowledge forward to other professionals through his courses, his blog (The Scope), graduate school–level education, clinical fellowship and student supervision, the Student to Empowered Professional (S.T.E.P.) mentorship program, Medical SLP Collective mentorship service, ASHA special interest groups, peer review for ASHA course material, and his Medical SLP Coaching Program, which supports SLPs with the guidance they need to reach their clinical and career goals. He pushes forward various patient-centered initiatives through his work with the SIG 13 Dysphagia Editorial Committee, the NJSHA Dysphagia Subcommittee, and participation in various interdisciplinary teams in the hospital setting.

With a passion for food and a deep appreciation for the joy and connection it gives to our lives, he has dedicated his life to helping others enjoy this simple but deep-rooted pleasure.