In 2021, Bill Goodrich went to the doctor with what he described as a “raspy throat.” After the symptoms persisted, he was eventually referred to Blake Simpson, M.D., Abroms Professor of Otolaryngology in the UAB Department of Otolaryngology and co-director of the UAB Voice Center. It was under Simpson’s care that Goodrich was diagnosed with throat cancer.
“Fortunately, it was very early on, and they were able to actually remove the cancer without any really invasive techniques,” Goodrich recalled. “I didn’t have to have radiation or anything like that, so I was very blessed. I'll go ahead and just say that what Dr. Simpson has accomplished since he got here is really what we all want to see happen.”
Due to his positive experience with Simpson and the UAB Voice Center team, Goodrich generously chose to support the center’s mission with a $50,000 gift to the UAB Voice Center Acceleration Fund, specifically in honor of Simpson and his excellence in care.
“I think one of the things that needs to be accomplished through this is educating the public about the UAB Voice Center and all it can do for patients,” Goodrich said. “A lot of these conditions are treatable.”
The UAB Voice Center, providing diagnoses and therapeutic care for patients with voice, swallowing, and airway problems, opened in March 2020 under the direction of Simpson and co-director Edie Hapner, Ph.D., CCC-SLP. It has continued to grow steadily since then, with more than 47,000 arrived appointments and more than 12,300 patients since it was established.
The center has also grown in terms of providers. Mollie Perryman, M.D., recently joined the center as its second fellowship-trained laryngologist. To meet patient demand, the UAB Voice Center has also expanded its team of speech-language pathologists, improving access and reducing wait times.
“In addition to exceptional patient care, the generous gift from Mr. Goodrich will allow the UAB Voice Center to expand its mission to train early-career physicians and speech-language pathologists in state-of-the-art care, thereby expanding people's access to world-class medical care,” Hapner said.
The center also continues to expand in terms of specialties and services offered. For example, the UAB Voice Center’s reputation as a hub of care for professional voice is becoming widely known.
“We’ve been honored to care for renowned singers and performers, and now we’re expanding that work with a new outreach effort,” said Jacob Wright, M.M., M.A., CCC-SLP, speech pathologist at the UAB Voice Center. “By partnering with venues across the region, we’re ensuring that when artists face vocal challenges, their first call connects them with an unparalleled team—highly trained, deeply collaborative, and recognized leaders in the field—dedicated to protecting and restoring the voices we all love.”
In addition, the center has made progress in its laser surgery offerings, specifically using KTP laser treatments for vocal fold lesions and papilloma. These minimally invasive procedures are effective for a wide range of patients, helping restore healthy voice function while minimizing impact on the vocal cords.
“When you see the right team of people, no matter how big or small your voice problem is, there is almost always something that can be done to help,” Simpson said. “Thanks to Mr. Goodrich’s generosity, we are able to continue to expand and enhance our work at the UAB Voice Center and in doing so, help more patients in need.”
It is thanks to these efforts by the UAB Voice Center – and his personal experience in overcoming cancer with the help of Simpson – that Goodrich believes the center is poised for success as it continues to expand its services to the community.
“There's a real opportunity here to see a lot of growth,” Goodrich said. “Smaller universities elsewhere have done well in this field, and I think that we have an opportunity with Dr. Simpson to make it a really landmark part of UAB and beyond.”