Teresa is awesome! She is so caring, knowledgeable, and compassionate. My husband had throat cancer that started with a tumor on his tonsil and spread to lymph nodes. He had 2 surgeries to remove it all and then followed up with radiation. He had a team of doctors and therapists throughout it all but Teresa made the biggest impact in his recovery. We had never met Teresa but got her name thru a friend so I emailed her and told her the story of what was happening. She gave me advice and then suggested we Skype/FaceTime so she could see my husband so we set up a time. Immediately when we "met” Teresa online it was awesome. The warmth she gave as she looked at us and starting explaining everything in detail was so helpful beyond words. She showed what mouth and throat exercises he should be doing and explained why they help and what area to concentrate on based on seeing my husband and seeing him do them. She gave us advice about foods, and what to eat and what to avoid and all in such a caring gentle but not lecturing way. We followed up with her via email and FaceTime and each time we walked away from the calls feeling so much better about his condition because of all her wisdom and knowledge and caring manner for which she gave all her expert advice. We will be forever grateful to Teresa for my husband’s recovery. Thank you Teresa for helping us get thru the worst time of our life and because of you, it all was a little better!
Sue Sopchak, Wife of Head and Neck Cancer Survivor, Atlanta,GA
Teresa Biber LoMonte and I met in 2010 when she was my internship supervisor. During that time I was trained in and discovered the benefits of using The Biber Protocol®. Now that I am a hospital based SLP, I continue to use the program. I have had several patients who were 100% dependent on their PEG tubes following radiation for head and neck cancer. Once they were treated using The Biber Protocol®, the majority were able to eat completely by mouth again. To this day, Teresa Biber remains a source of innovative therapy techniques to help with difficult cases.
Katrina Van Lieu, M.S.CCC-SLP Ft. Lauderdale, Fl
The first time I met Teresa about 15 years ago, after a brilliant lecture, I told her she was an all-star. She brings a passion for excellence to patient care, research, evidence-based medicine, and teaching. We have shared many patients and conferences through the years and it has been a privilege to work with her. She remains an all-star.
Meron Levitats, M.D.
Diplomate, American Board of Otolaryngology
I was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma on my right tonsil. The treatment I chose involved (2) neck/throat surgeries, (a neck dissection and a robotic procedure called TORS) to remove the cancer. These surgeries were then followed by radiation. There is no manual given to navigate the challenges incurred in your recovery and to select the best path to take that is unique to your individual needs and situation. Fortunately a friend of ours (my wife and I) introduced us to Teresa Biber LoMonte. From the moment we connected with Teresa via Skype it was apparent that you had her undivided attention. Teresa has a unique perspective that is blissfully removed from the standard approach and cancer treatment provided through the machine like healthcare/hospital organizations. She combines a thorough knowledge of nutrition with her experience and expertise in treating neck/throat cancer patients. The result for me was sound nutritional advice along with exercises appropriate to my treatment needs and personal abilities to push on through in my recovery. I’m indebted to Teresa’s advice since I feel it significantly decreased my recovery time and laid the foundation for successfully eliminating my cancer and putting me on the right track to getting back my normal eating/swallowing functions. I highly recommend Teresa for anyone battling neck/throat cancer recovery. Her sincerity and passion for what she does is a breath of fresh air through a difficult time.
John Sopchak, Head and Neck Cancer survivor, Atlanta, GA
I have known Teresa Biber LoMonte for over 15 years. We met when she was my grandmother’s Speech Pathologist after her first stroke. At that time I was in the early stages of the acute care/outpatient portion of my career. Teresa became a mentor, and a dear friend. Her dedication to her craft, her patients, and to building new pathways to help others is unending.
She is a pioneer in head and neck cancer. Her research, studies and practice have changed the lives of so many people from patients, to families, to other professionals. She is able to share her knowledge in ways that are understandable to the professional and the layman.
I have used The Biber Protocol® for over 10 years. I was trained directly by Teresa and she was so generous to allow me to bring graduate interns to observe and learn from her. Along with her own graduate interns, we have enhanced the lives of countless people using The Biber Protocol® of NMES.
Teresa is a dynamic educator. Attendees of educational courses with her come away with a wealth of knowledge that they can immediately apply in their own practices, as well as a thirst for more.
It is a great honor for me to count her as a mentor and a friend.
Shari Gill, M.S. CCC-SLP
Speech Pathology Coordinator
Wellington Regional Medical Center
Wellington, Fl
I am a stroke survivor with dysphagia. A friend referred me to Teresa Biber LoMonte for training and treatment using The Biber Protocol® in late October, 2017. In early November, Teresa trained me on the setup and usage of the NMES unit as well as the technique and proper electrode placement for optimal results of self-administration of the treatment. Improvement was evident after the first treatment. Administering it myself is a breeze as a result of her superb training. It takes me less than 5 minutes to set up for each self treatment.
After my 4th treatment I was able to chug 10 oz of water without having to clear my throat after, which is something I hadn't accomplished in the 9 years since the stroke that caused me to suffer with dysphagia. Eating has been difficult for that 9 year period due to the intense level of concentration I had to use to avoid choking and the very real possibility of aspiration pneumonia.
At the time of this writing it has been less than a month since my training on the self treatment of The Biber Protocol®. It feels great to be able to eat meals without having to concentrate on the act of swallowing so hard and after so many years of difficult, fearful eating.
As a person with firsthand experience of nearly a decade of difficulty with dysphagia, I confidently recommend anyone with similar problems get trained on and use The Biber Protocol®.
Pat Quinn, Stroke survivor, Coeur d'Alene, ID
Pat asked me to add this:
On April 18, 2018, I ate a whole bowl of popcorn sans any difficulty. No choking on hulls. I was careful, though, and made sure it was all chewed sufficiently so as to make an almost liquid bolus. That was the first time in a decade. :D
I was extremely lucky to have Teresa Biber LoMonte as an instructor during my clinical rotation in graduate school to become a speech-language pathologist. During my time shadowing Teresa, I was amazed at her knowledge base and ability to use self created methods, such as the Biber Protocol®, to rehabilitate patients. Her passion as an SLP along with her talent to problem solve were infectious. Patient's loved her and her results! After graduation, that same passion infected me and I began my focus on oncology rehabilitation. I have been employing the Biber Protocol® since my clinical rotation with Teresa in 2011, and have seen results that can't be found elsewhere. The Biber Protocol® allows for a multitude of uses, including dysphagia, voice, and facial paralysis and is able to be customized to each patient that walks through the door. With a caseload involving oncology, each patient is unique in their presentations and needs. I have been able to tailor a specific treatment plan for each of my patients, while incorporating the Biber Protocol® within, for extremely positive results. Teresa's passion for helping others is clearly apparent in her work and she has been able to find a means to further that passion with the Biber Protocol®.
Kara Skelley M.A. CCC-SLP
Head & Neck Oncology Rehab Inc.
Greensburg, PA
Lucky for myself and my future patients, I was trained during graduate school in the Biber Protocol®. I feel very blessed to learn about my absolute most valuable therapy tool so early on in my career. I fully believe that this has been the most important training I received and provided my patients with more benefit than any other therapy tool I utilize. I have been able to advance the diet and increase the PO intake of almost every single patient that I have treated for dysphagia, as a result. Because of the Biber Protocol® I was able to give hope to the hopeless and improve the condition of my patients when they were told it was not possible. I cannot recommend this training and therapy anymore highly.
Kristen Kiss, M.S. CCC-SLP
SPEECH PLUS of South Florida
Lighthouse Point, Fl
I’ve known Teresa for 10 years. She is my mentor and dearest friend. Teresa has gone above and beyond to help patients in every way possible. She is knowledgeable and passionate about her work. She trained me in the Biber Protocol®. I have used it with patients with a variety of disorders associated with dysphagia including head and neck cancer, strokes, and vocal fold paralysis; obtaining positive outcomes. I am forever grateful to Teresa for training me, continuing to assist me as a clinician when I have difficult cases, and providing me with a strong foundation for what we do as clinicians. I am the Speech-Language Pathologist I am today, because of Teresa.
Jessell Posada, M.S. CCC-SLP
Staff SLP at Maimonides Medical Center
Brooklyn, NY
I first met Teresa in 2003 when I recruited her to teach a group of eager young Speech Pathologists how to use Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation to re-educate the swallow musculature in our dysphagia patients. Fifteen years later, I am still learning from Teresa. She has been a tremendous mentor and dear friend over the years. Teresa has had the amazing opportunity and privilege of teaching Speech Pathologists all over the world how Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation/The Biber Protocol can be a valuable tool in the treatment of the dysphagic patient.
In the last 23-years as a Speech Pathologist, I have had the opportunity to learn and utilize a variety of NMES protocols, however I can confidently say that I have had the most success in getting my patients back to a P.O. diet with the Biber Protocol. In my experience with consistent 30-40-minute sessions daily, I have had 90% of my patients return to some form of p.o. intake within 12-15 days.
Teresa is incredibly knowledgeable, professional and dedicated to helping her fellow professionals understand the science behind her protocol and why it makes sense. Her hands-on approach to teaching not only makes learning NMES fun and interesting, but also helps the therapist feel comfortable using the protocol from day one. I feel fortunate to have met Teresa 15 years ago. Learning NMES/The Biber Protocol has influenced and changed the way I deliver dysphagia treatment to my patients. Knowing that I can utilize a treatment modality traditionally used by Physical Therapists to influence the restoration of the swallow musculature is truly amazing. However, what’s even more amazing is thanks to Teresa not only have my patients been blessed, but so have I. I have treated over a thousand dysphagia patients in my career and there is nothing better than watching a patient’s swallow function become restored… it’s truly an incredible gift!
Laurie E. Coldren, M.A.,CCC-SLP
Director of Physical Medicine & Rehab Services
Complex Care Hospital @ Tenaya, NV
This is to certify that I have personally worked with Teresa Biber LoMonte while at Broward Health Imperial Point. At the time I was a Hospitalist so we had many cases together. I can honestly state that she was excellent and superior in her specialty and we miss her at BHIP. I enthusiastically recommend her for her job related endeavors.
Yours Truly, Stephen Silverstein, D.O.
Innovative Health and Wellness
Pompano Beach, Fl
Teresa Biber exemplifies all that you hope to find in a healthcare provider. She is extremely competent and knowledgeable in her field, intuitive and creative, honest and respectful, and most of all she sincerely cares. Having worked with Teresa for a number of years I would recommend her unequivocally.
Robin Varon, PT
Former Director of Rehabilitation
Broward Health Imperial Point
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl