Description of Clinical Program
OVERVIEW
Medicine in the vocal arts is an emerging field devoted to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders in professional voice users. Such problems are not exclusive to voice professionals, however. At least one in four of all working Americans would find it impossible to pursue his or her profession of choice with a disabled voice.
It is believed that 7.5 million people in this country have diseases or disorders of the voice. A voice is as unique as a fingerprint. We rely on our voices to inform, persuade, and connect with other people. Voice disorders may prevent a professional singer from performing or a businessperson from effectively managing his or her affairs, or it may prohibit simple, daily verbal communication between elderly spouses.
In Los Angeles, known as the "Entertainment Capital of the World" - home to the motion picture, television, theater arts, and music recording industries, the need for this resource is especially acute. In addition, Southern California boasts a multitude of service sectors and educational institutions, all with individuals who require the gift of effective oral/verbal communication to maintain their livelihoods and enjoy life.
UCLA’s VOICE CENTER FOR MEDICINE AND THE ARTS
With more than two decades of clinical and research experience, UCLA’s Division of Head and Neck Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA has become a unique, national resource for all problems affecting the voice. The Voice Center for Medicine and the Arts consists of a multidisciplinary team of experts, including speech pathologists, voice scientists, and surgeons, work closely with referring physicians to optimize voice function. Many patients who had lost their voices have returned to normal, productive lives through treatments offered at the Center.
UCLA Medical Center has been ranked again among the top five hospitals in the country by U.S News & World Report, 2004, and "Best in the West." UCLA's Division of Head and Neck Surgery is consistently ranked in the top five voice programs in the nation and the leading voice center in the Western United States.
Patient Care
Providing comprehensive care while advancing prevention, diagnosis, and treatment is a hallmark of the UCLA Voice Center for Medicine and the Arts. In addition, it seeks to improve public awareness of laryngeal diseases through education and to enhance the knowledge and treatment of voice disorders through research. Basic science and clinical investigations are ongoing, with an emphasis on the development and evaluation of diagnostic and therapeutic protocols.
The Voice Center manages patients with a wide variety of vocal problems, ranging from common disorders, including vocal nodules, polyps, weak voice due to advanced age, and hoarseness resulting from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), to those of a more serious nature, such as spasmodic dysphonia, tracheal scarring and stenosis, laryngeal trauma and fracture, and laryngeal cancer.
The Voice Center was established at UCLA under the direction of Dr. Gerald S. Berke, Chief of the Division of Head and Neck Surgery, and a leader in the subspecialty field of "arts medicine." Dr. Berke is considered by his peers to be an international authority on laryngeal physiology. He is either an editorial consultant or board member of most, if not all, of the distinguished Head and Neck Surgery journals. Dr. Berke’s studies have produced the foundation for an extraordinarily productive voice laboratory dedicated to the assessment of laryngeal function.
Research and Education
The Voice Center is at the forefront of clinical research that is enabling future medical breakthroughs. Its basic research is helping the medical community understand the causes of voice disorders and assess the effectiveness of new treatments.
Over the past several years, UCLA’s voice and related programs have received nationwide acclaim. Prominent researchers and clinicians on campus have presented key papers and held offices in pertinent academic societies, such as Dr. Berke, who served as president of the prestigious American Laryngology Association in 2002-2003.
Faculty continue to be extensively involved in several major research areas: otoneurology, laryngeal and speech pathology, the human auditory laboratory, head and neck tumor genetics and immunology, photodiagnostic imaging, and imaging-guided interstitial laser therapy for head and neck cancers.
The Voice Center creates opportunities for residents and interns to train as head and neck surgeons, as well as to gain the experience needed in the highly competitive world of scientific investigation and academia. Several UCLA residents have received prestigious awards from national scientific societies for excellence in their research work.
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the UCLA Voice Center for Medicine and the Arts is to provide excellence and state-of-the-art care to patients with voice and swallowing disorders ranging from mild to severe, and to create and maintain an environment in which patients who have lost their voices can return to normal, productive lives through treatments, education and scientific research.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Established over two decades ago, the UCLA Voice Center for Medicine and the Arts is a unique, national resource for all problems affecting the voice. A multidisciplinary team of experts, including speech pathologists, voice scientists and surgeons, work closely with referring physicians to optimize voice function. As part of an academic medical center, the Voice Center maintains a strong international presence in both clinical and basic scientific disciplines where advances in experimental research and cutting-edge treatment options are being made.
Since 1982, the Center has received a number of grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the development of evaluation techniques aimed at improving the management of voice disorders. Additionally, ongoing studies of new treatments and procedures have resulted in new therapies, including phonosurgery, that can be conducted simply and safely on an outpatient basis.
PROGRAM APPROACH
Upon referral, patients receive a comprehensive vocal function evaluation to document vocal quality, pitch, loudness, and efficiency. Measurements include acoustic analysis and aerodynamic analysis of translaryngeal airflow and subglottal pressure. Laryngostroboscopy provides laryngeal imaging to monitor vocal fold movement and glottal configuration.
The combination of these measures provides a profile of laryngeal/phonatory function essential to clinical management, including voice therapy or phonosurgery in some cases. Referring physicians receive an in-depth written report of the team’s clinical findings and treatment alternatives. Patients may be returned to the care of their referring physicians upon conclusion of treatment.
Vocal rehabilitation includes medical and/or surgical treatments, which may be carried out by Voice Center staff or by the patient’s own physician. A Voice/Sound Studio, fully equipped with contemporary voice instrumentation in a space with maximum privacy and comfort, will be available for patients who have undergone surgery or other treatments to record their voices to test quality and effectiveness.
HOW TO GIVE
The Voice Center is appreciative of all gifts. Those that are unrestricted - from cash and securities to property - are particularly beneficial, because they can be used whenever and wherever the need is greatest. Endowments provide crucial ongoing support as well, in addition to being essential to the future financial well-being of the Voice Center.
Gifts of Securities
Many donors prefer to make their charitable donations in the form of stock gifts because of the multiple benefits available. Donors may avoid capital gains tax on appreciation of securities held more than a year, and the charitable income tax deduction is equal to the full value of securities held more than a year.
Gifts of real estate
For some, giving property is an attractive way of making a noncash gift while reaping all the rewards. Like a gift of stock, donors may avoid capital gains taxes on any appreciation the property has realized, and the charitable income tax deduction is equal to the full value of the unencumbered real estate.
In addition, there are no gift taxes, and because the property is removed from the donor’s estate, estate taxes are also reduced. Nearly any type of real estate may be contributed: undeveloped land, farms, commercial buildings, vacation homes, or the donor’s residence.
Planned or Deferred Gifts
Bequest and deferred gift planning creates many personal benefits. Federal laws encourage deferred giving by providing for tax savings, while at the same time allowing donors to receive income and benefits from charitable gifts. There are many plans that are available to meet the specific needs of individuals interested in leaving a legacy for future generations.
If you have questions or would like more information about making a gift to the UCLA Voice Center for Medicine and the Arts, please contact:
Adrienne Walt
Director of Development
UCLA Medical Sciences Development
10945 Le Conte Avenue, Suite #3132
Los Angeles, California 90095-1784
(310) 267-1835
(310) 206-3942
awalt@support.ucla.edu
Gerald Berke, M.D., UCLA Voice Center for Medicine and the Arts
200 Medical Plaza, Suite 550, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6959
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