17th ANNUAL EARLY HEARING DETECTION & INTERVENTION MEETING
March 18-20, 2018 • Denver, CO
THE ANTONIA BRANCIA MAXON AWARD FOR EHDI EXCELLENCE
Nominations are invited for the Antonia Brancia Maxon Award for EHDI Excellence to be presented at the 2018 National EHDI Meeting in Denver, Colorado. This award honors the life and work of Dr. Antonia Brancia Maxon to promote effective Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs for all newborns, infants, and young children. Dr. Maxon was a pioneer in EHDI programs, beginning with her leadership in the Rhode Island Hearing Assessment Project in the late 1980's. She was one of the first to recognize the feasibility and value of universal newborn hearing screening and was a tireless advocate for connecting screening programs with timely and appropriate diagnosis and early intervention.
Her extensive contributions to creating excellent EHDI programs were abruptly ended by a tragic automobile accident in May of 2007. In memory of her contributions, an Award for EHDI Excellence is presented each year at the National EHDI Meeting to honor an individual who has made outstanding contributions to achieving excellence in EHDI programs nationally or in a particular state or region.
Presentation of the 2018 Antonia Brancia Maxon Award for EHDI Excellence will be made on Monday March 19, 2018 at the National EHDI Meeting in Denver, Colorado. More about the National EHDI Meeting, including past nominees and recipients can be found below.
Robert Cicco
We are honored to recommend Robert Cicco, for the 2018 recipient of the Antonio Brancia Maxon Award for EHDI Ecxellence. Dr. Cicco's knowledge, numerous innovative contributions, and long-standing involvement in the field of pediatric medicine have had great impact on the EHDI system nationwide.
Dr. Cicco was in practice for more than 35 years, and is well-known as an advocate for children's health. A long-time practitioner of family-centered care, he has worked closely with new parents, in both the NICU and early intervention settings, to ensure they feel confident and competent in their parenting abilities. He has presented nationally on the topics of parent/professional partnerships, family-centered care, humor in the healthcare setting, and developing advocacy skills. A true pioneer, Dr. Cicco's efforts have led the way in engaging parents as partners in systems of care for families.
Dr. Cicco has served as the EHDI Chapter Champion for Pennsylvania for almost 2 decades, and has been an active participant on the AAP EHDI Leadership Task Force/Leadership Team for over two decades. Dr. Cicco served as the Pediatric Advisor for the Pennsylvania Department of Health's EPIC-EHDI program, which provides education and evaluation of hospital newborn hearing screening programs. He also served as vice-chair of the board for the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, an independent advocacy organization dedicated to improving the well-being of all children in Pennsylvania. His work was recognized by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and he was named the "2012 Pediatrician of the Year." Most recently, substantial impact on EHDI systems was evidenced by his leadership as chairperson of the AAP EHDI Quality Improvement Expert Group.
Throughout two phases of learning collaboratives engaging pediatric primary care practices, Dr. Cicco guided practice changes that greatly improved tracking and follow-up for newborns, ensured referrals for diagnostic testing and early intervention, and integrated systems of surveillance for children at risk for late-onset hearing loss.
Lisa Kovacs, Director of Programs for Hands & Voices, shared, "I've had the great honor and pleasure of working with Dr. Cicco on the AAP EHDI Leadership Team as well as the AAP EHDI Quality Improvement Expert group. Through this work, I have witnessed his incredible commitment to ensuring EHDI excellence and improving the experiences and outcomes for children and families who are deaf or hard of hearing. As a parent, I am humbled by his extraordinary respect and passion for engaging parents as partners throughout the EHDI system."
Dr. Cicco is a trusted mentor, a compassionate physician, and an extraordinary colleague who offers meaningful guidance, support, and wisdom to all who have had the opportunity to work with him. He has certainly impacted the EHDI community by his teachings, his magic tricks, his humor, and his meaningful participation in all that he takes on.
Dr. Cicco embodies the spirit and passion of Antonia Brancia Maxon, and we are all better people, better professionals, and better providers, for having had the experience of working alongside Dr. Robert Cicco.