THE ANTONIA BRANCIA MAXON AWARD FOR EHDI EXCELLENCE
Patricia A. Burk
Ms. Burk joined Oklahoma’s program as follow-up coordinator in 2006 and transformed that position into the true definition of a "Follow-up Coordinator". In 2005, our loss to follow-up/documentation (LTF/D) was 40%. Through her dedication, leadership and resourcefulness, this rate was reduced to 10.8% by 2009, placing our state fifth in the nation for lowest LTF/D. She became Program Director in 2009 and has continued to enhance Oklahoma’s processes and resources. During her tenure, she has implemented systems of change that improved all aspects of the NHSP. Her dedication has garnered respect statewide and nationally.
One reason Oklahoma’s LTF/D decreased significantly during her term as follow-up coordinator, was her dynamic approach to hospital in-services for screening personnel. In fact, she was asked to develop a national webinar on this subject that was shared with EHDI programs nationwide. Another successful result of her hard work has been the reorganization of our Oklahoma Audiology Taskforce (OKAT) – first established in 2000 when universal screening was mandated in the state. While it had been relatively successful, she wanted to increase its productivity and to diversify its membership.
With taskforce re-organization which she began undertaking in 2009, many products and activities have been shared statewide and nationally. For example, she believed that by creating subcommittees, members could focus more readily on their interests and areas of expertise, thus increasing productivity. She proposed and then incorporated five subcommittees: Protocols, Childhood Provider Outreach, Genetics, Pediatric Audiology, and Family Support. She added telephone and video conference options for participation at OKAT quarterly meetings and a teleconference option for subcommittee meetings. These options reduced members’ need for travel and also increased member attendance. When OKAT began in 2000, membership consisted primarily of audiologists and a single speech-language pathologist. Through Ms. Burk’s efforts, current membership of the taskforce and its five subcommittees include: nine audiologists, six speech-language pathologists, a genetics provider, three educators of deaf children, four hospital screening personnel, two parents, five audiology interns, the NHSP staff, and Oklahoma’s AAP Chapter Champion!!
Ms. Burk is a board member of Oklahoma’s Chapter of Hands and Voices and partners with the Oklahoma Family Network in family support efforts. She served nationally as a board member of Directors of Speech and Hearing Programs in State Health and Welfare Agencies. She is active in Oklahoma’s Speech-Language-Hearing Association (OSHA) as a member, a frequently invited conference speaker, and a contributor to its quarterly newsletter. She authors monthly submissions to Oklahoma’s AAP Newsletter addressing newborn hearing screening and concomitant follow-up. She partners with the University of Oklahoma’s Doctorate of Audiology Program offering the NHSP as an avenue for research for their required capstone and enthusiastically mentors their AuD students.
Her leadership, vision, and energy continue to ensure that Oklahoma’s NHSP remains one of the nation’s best! For all of the above reasons, we humbly feel that Patricia Burk is most deserving of this prestigious awa
