2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference

March 13 - 15, 2022

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3/05/2019  |   9:40 AM - 10:05 AM   |  If You Build It, Will They Come? A Regional Approach to Establishing Effective Learning Communities   |  DaVinci A/B

If You Build It, Will They Come? A Regional Approach to Establishing Effective Learning Communities

To improve services for children who are deaf or hard of hearing, the VA EHDI Program and the Center for Family Involvement (CFI) at Virginia Commonwealth University worked to establish six regional EHDI Learning Communities. A needs assessment was conducted to determine the concerns and priorities of each regional learning community. The first regional EHDI Learning Community was launched in fall 2017. There are currently four regional learning communities at different stages of development. Each region addresses concerns based on the unique socio-economic, geographic, and cultural aspects of their community. The goal of the learning community is to provide support, network, establish face-to-face relationships, build on available resources, and affect policy development and change. To increase the collective knowledge, members engage in peer-to-peer information sharing and utilize community partners to provide education. This presentation will include how the Virginia Shared Plan of Care was developed with input from the regional Learning Communities. This plan utilizes a team-based approach including equal input from parents and professionals in developing individualized care for each child. The learning communities serve to empower parents and professionals to take on leadership roles to improve the services for children and their families. The initial regional learning community has a parent and a professional who have committed to assume leadership responsibilities in order to sustain the group with limited VA EHDI support. Utilizing a collective impact model, parents, professionals and Virginia EHDI Program staff have leveraged this unique opportunity to learn and work in pursuit of a shared goal - influencing systems change and improving outcomes for infants and children with hearing loss. This session will outline Virginia’s plan and progress and may be helpful to states seeking ideas to strengthen their learning community.

  • Understand Virginia's Learning Community Model
  • Identify key components of Learning Community creation and implementation (such as recruiting members, marketing the program, transitions in leadership and family engagement)
  • Learn about the ideas and strategies that have worked (and not worked) in other states through open discussion

Presentation:
18878_10262DeepaliSanghani.pdf

Handouts:
Handout is not Available

Transcripts:
18878_10262DaphneMiller.docx


Presenters/Authors

Kathleen Watts (), Virginia Department of Health, kathleen.watts@vdh.virginia.gov ;
Kathleen Watts has a Masters degree in Public Health Education. From 2000 through 2007 she worked for NCHAM as the Director of Training and Technical Assistance. That is where she developed her passion for helping identify children with hearing loss and providing support for their families. From 2007 through 2014, she was the Program Manager for the NC EHDI Program. Kathleen has played a leadership role in the development of collaborative ventures in various healthcare settings throughout her career and enjoys bringing groups of people together to address the concerns that affect them personally. Currently, she has been the Quality Improvement Coordinator for Virginia's EHDI Program.


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Daphne Miller (), Virginia EHDI, daphne.miller@vdh.virginia.gov;
Daphne Miller is currently the Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Health. The VA EHDI Program ensures all infant's hearing is screened at birth and if children are diagnosed with hearing loss they are referred to Early Intervention. Daphne has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and has worked with families and children over 15 years. In her spare time she enjoys binge watching shows, listening to music and spending time with family and friends. Daphne resides in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and daughter.


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Valerie Abbott (), Center for Family Involvement; Late Onset Hearing Loss Awareness Campaign, vjabbott@vcu.edu;
Valerie James Abbott is a parent-advocate, an award-winning author, and an EHDI-champion who serves as co-chair of the Virginia EHDI Advisory Committee. She works at the Center for Family Involvement at Virginia Commonwealth University, supporting the needs of families of children who are deaf and hard of hearing and leading projects that support the goals and objectives of Virginia EHDI. She has served on the board of Virginia Hands & Voices and in 2021 she founded the National Late Onset Hearing Loss Awareness Campaign with Justin Osmond, CEO of the Olive Osmond Hearing Fund. Valerie has published several articles online and in print about raising a child with a disability that have gained nationwide attention. Her children’s book Padapillo won (bronze) in the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award and is based on the true story of how her family discovered and came to terms with their daughter's late onset hearing loss.


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Deepali Sanghani (), Virginia Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program, deepali.sanghani@vdh.virginia.gov;
Deepali Sanghani is the CMV Follow-Up Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Health, Virginia Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (VA EHDI) Program. Deepali has a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and a Masters in Public Health. Deepali has worked in Public Health for over 5 years and has a passion for helping others. In her role with VA EHDI, she oversees hearing screening and cCMV screening follow-up. In her spare time Deepali enjoys reading, listening to music and spending time with family and friends. Deepali resides in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and two daughters.


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L. Ashleigh Greenwood (), Pediatrix Audiology Services, an affilliate of MEDNAX, Ashleigh_Greenwood@mednax.com;
Dr. (Lauren) Ashleigh Greenwood graduated from James Madison University in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She received her clinical doctorate in Audiology from Towson University. Following her doctoral program, Dr. Greenwood was a pediatric research audiologist at A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware. Dr. Greenwood returned to Virginia and joined MEDNAX as the Clinical Director of Audiology at Inova Fairfax Hospital, where she currently specializes in newborn hearing screening and the evaluation of infants and children with hearing loss, using electrophysiologic measures. Dr. Greenwood has served as Chair of the Virginia Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) advisory committee since 2016. She has worked closely with Virginia EHDI to improve the newborn hearing screening, diagnostic, and early intervention process for children with hearing loss. Dr. Greenwood is an active member in the Northern Virginia Learning Community.


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