Category: News & Events

Created to transform the local systems of care in communities across the United States, Feeding Matters’ Advocacy and Early Intervention Model (AIM) brought together more than 28 community partners interested in establishing replicable norms for identification, early intervention, and healthcare reimbursement for children with pediatric feeding disorder.

Over the last 18 months, the Arizona AIM Task Force has been hard at work examining the needs of the local Arizona community and determining which of these local needs point to a greater demand from the feeding community at-large. The issues that arose during the community analysis included a lack of awareness on pediatric feeding disorder, the inability to access providers, and an inadequate pool of qualified providers.

With this in mind, the task force identified education and professional collaboration as high areas of need for the field.

To meet this need, Feeding Matters is launching its newest program – the Professional Collaborative. This mentoring program for medical professionals and clinicians in Maricopa County will feature curriculum and resources on pediatric feeding disorder, with the goal of eventually expanding the program nationally.

The Professional Collaborative aims to reduce medical risk and co-morbidities by increasing participation in meaningful life function necessary for health and wellness. This program will also reduce the economic stress of prolonged medical dependency, promote caregiver mental health, lower the risk of child neglect and injury, ensure access to high quality care, and decrease overall costs through efficient service delivery. Additional benefits from the formation of the Professional Collaborative include the following:

• Therapists will be able to utilize a local network for collaboration and expertise/advice.
• Referrals to the proper healthcare provider will be made more accurately and effectively, thereby decreasing waitlists for medically-fragile children.
• Enhanced collaboration through a highly-skilled cohort of medical professionals will enable enhanced care.

Interested in learning more about Feeding Matters Professional Collaborative? Register for our monthly healthcare professional newsletter or click here to vote on curriculum topics and submit your own ideas!

Biennially, medical professionals and allied healthcare providers from around the world gather in Phoenix for Feeding Matters’ International Pediatric Feeding Disorder Conference. The two-day event provides gastroenterologists, neonatologists, occupational therapists, pediatricians, psychologists, speech and language pathologists, students, and numerous other disciplines the opportunity to convene with the leading experts in the field to advance their knowledge on pediatric feeding disorder.

The upcoming 6th International Pediatric Feeding Disorder Conference (IPFDC) – endorsed by the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) – will feature a poster session focusing on the latest in feeding trends and research, as well as educational sessions with more than 20 internationally renowned feeding experts, including keynotes:

Diagnosis of PFD: Practice and Intervention
Dr. Jaime Phalen, MD, FAAP
University Health System

What’s New in Motility Disorders?
Carlo di Lorenzo, MD
Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about the evaluation and treatment of children navigating pediatric feeding disorder.

Mark your calendars to join us January 17-19 at the Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Spa; sign up to be the first to know when registration opens; apply to present your work in the field of pediatric feeding; or submit an abstract for the poster session today.

And we will see you in January!

To create a world in which infants and children with pediatric feeding disorders thrive, Feeding Matters collaborates with many partners, like Epic Medical Solutions and Mead Johnson Nutrition, who recognize and accept that these infants and children struggle to receive the nutrition and care their bodies need.

Epic Medical Solutions
Established in 2016 through the integration of industry leaders Medco Medical Supply and Option 1 Healthcare Solutions, Epic Medical Solutions has over 45 years of experience in the home medical supply industry, providing enteral nutrition, respiratory, and medical supplies.

Providing education and support, Epic Medical Solutions’ Pediatric Enteral Education Program (P.E.E.P.)^® is a valuable resource for families transitioning to tube feeding at home.

Mead Johnson Nutrition
With a longstanding commitment to nourish the world’s children for the best start in life, Mead Johnson’s research and development team connects a virtual, global network of leading scientific experts, research initiatives and data sources to pursue cutting-edge research and then efficiently and effectively transfer innovation into products containing the highest-quality ingredients.

Thank you Epic Medical Solutions and Mead Johnson Nutrition for your ongoing support of our efforts to further advances in pediatric feeding disorders by accelerating identification, igniting research, and promoting collaborative care for children and families.

Feeding Matters is proud to be a beneficiary for the 12th annual Arizona Biz Bash, taking place on Thursday, October 4 at downtown Phoenix’s hottest, new venue, The Van Buren. As a beneficiary, Feeding Matters, along with New Pathways for Youth will receive the event proceeds from this annual, high-energy event. And, we need YOU to help to join in on the fundraising efforts!

About Biz Bash
The not-to-miss party of the year, Biz Bash is the signature event for CoBiz Financial and puts the FUN into FUNdraising year after year. Biz Bash is a cool, lively, hip night on the town bringing together 650 community leaders, friends, and CoBiz clients. And even better – it’s all for a great cause – to give back to our local communities. The Biz Bash experience includes an evening of music, dancing, a foodie fest – with multiple, unique food stations, a hosted bar and an opportunity to bid on items in the high-end silent auction. Since its inception in Colorado in 2001, Biz Bash has donated more than $5.5 million to Arizona and Colorado nonprofits serving children and families focusing on an urgent children’s need.

Biz Bash entertainment will have feature Scottsdale-based 10-piece power horn band the Groove Merchants. With one of the most versatile rhythm sections around, their concert is all live, featuring the greatest dance music from Motown to today’s top-40 hits. Their infectious performance is energetic and pure fun!

Save the date and join us on October 4 at 6:30 p.m. for an unforgettable night! Get your tickets today.

Buy Tickets or Sponsor
Make a Donation
Donate to the Silent Auction

Recently, parenting blog, Houston New Moms, collaborated with Feeding Matters and Ramya Kumar, a certified Speech Language Pathologist, to discuss why children pocket food in their mouths and how to know when it is a sign of a feeding issue. Generally thought of as a normal developmental process, pocketing food can hint to a sensory, learning, or psychological issue. According to Kumar, “while pocketing food every now and then is typical during the process of building skill, doing it for too long or repetitively can increase choking risk and be a red flag for decreased sensory awareness or oral motor weakness.” Visit the Houston New Moms website to read the full post and learn more about food pocketing.

We know how hard it can be to get your questions answered by medical professionals, and we understand the struggle in determining the right next steps in your child’s feeding journey.

That is why Feeding Matters is launching the new Office Hours workshop series. Each complimentary, 60-minute session will allow families navigating pediatric feeding disorder the opportunity to have their burning questions answered by medical and allied healthcare professionals while learning more about valuable topics.

Join us on Thursday, September 13 for our inaugural workshop Office Hours with Michelle Mastin, PhD: Intensive Feeding Therapy. Dr. Mastin, a clinical psychologist and program director of the Children’s of Alabama Intensive Feeding Program, will discuss intensive feeding therapy, including a definition and common terminology, to help you determine if this may be a fit for your family.

Live participation in this workshop is only open to the first 150 registrants, so sign-up today! Don’t fret: everyone who registers will receive a recording of the workshop and the ability to view it at their leisure.

Please email programs@feedingmatters.org if you have topics you would like discussed as a part of the Office Hours workshop series.