2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
3/05/2019 | 3:45 PM - 4:10 PM | Pennsylvania’s EI and EHDI Collaboration | International D/E
Pennsylvania’s EI and EHDI Collaboration
The coordination and information sharing between the EHDI Program, Early Intervention, and family support agencies is critical to ensure families of Deaf and Hard of Hearing children receive timely, necessary diagnoses and support services. The Pennsylvania EHDI program and the Bureau of Early Intervention Services and Family Supports (Part C) have taken aggressive steps to increase collaboration, beginning with a full data share agreement effective January of 2018 with both offices sharing detection, enrollment, and demographic data. As the data sharing process materialized, PA EHDI and EI took further steps to formalize and strengthen their coordination. Together with Pennsylvania’s Guide By Your Side program, EHDI and EI have developed a multi-tiered data share and review process which follows every identified baby who receives a confirmed hearing loss diagnosis to make certain families are connected with both family support and Early Intervention services. Monthly cross-referenced reports, regular communication and review, and partnered coordination with GBYS minimize gaps in information and follow-up. The collaboration between PA EHDI and EI has been a marked success for both programs, leading to unprecedented cooperation across the programs and an increased ability to reach families.
- Identify and explain the key resources needed for EHDI/EI data and process collaboration.
- Understanding the organizational processes and hurdles to creating an effective cross-agency partnership.
- Describe the results of data sharing on follow-up efforts.
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18878_10404MarkBeall.docx
Presenters/Authors
Anne Gaspich
(), Early Intervention Technical Assistance, Hands & Voices Guide By Your Side of PA, agaspich@pattan.net;
Anne Gaspich is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University. She is the parent of four children, the youngest of whom has hearing loss. Anne joined the Pennsylvania EHDI program in August 2011 as the Program Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Department of Health funded family support program, now Family Connections for Language and Learning. Anne is also a consultant for Early Intervention Technical Assistance on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Initiative. She has attended the National Early Hearing Detection and Intervention meeting 2013 – 2019 and received the Pennsylvania Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Award for Distinguished Service. She has presented at the annual PA state Low Incidence Institute and other statewide training.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Deborah Noel
(), Office of Child Development & Early Learning, dnoel@pa.gov;
Deb Noel is a Division Chief of Operations and Monitoring in the Bureau of Early Intervention Services and Family Supports, Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL). Deb is also on the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s committee, Education and Resources for Children with Hearing Loss (ERCHL) a stakeholder group to improve the outcomes for children.
Prior to joining OCDEL, Deb worked at the local level in Early Intervention for 15 years. During this time, she was a designated service coordinator for infants and toddlers who were deaf or hard of hearing.
Deb received her BA in Psychology at Millersville University. While pursuing this degree, Deb worked as well as supervised several group homes for adults several who were Deaf.
Deb has a passion in working with families of infants, toddlers and preschool-age children who are Deaf or hard of hearing. She enjoys the work with family and system partnerships.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Kevin Youngblood
(), Office of Child Development & Early Learning, kyoungbloo@pa.gov;
Kevin Youngblood is a graduate of Mount Aloysius College. Kevin joined the Pennsylvania Bureau of Early Intervention Services and Family Supports with the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) in October 2017 as an Early Intervention Advisor with specialized duties in Deaf/HH initiatives, such as trainings and data collection. Kevin is a member of the EHDI advisory group for Pennsylvania and has attended the most recent National Early Hearing Detection and Intervention meeting.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Mark Beall
(), Pennsylvania Department of Health - Bureau of Family Health, mbeall@pa.gov;
Mark Beall is the current EHDI Coordinator for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Mark has worked for the Commonwealth for over a fifteen years, in programs ranging from Vocational Rehabilitation to Public Health. Mark joined the Department of Health in 2016 working for the WIC program before transitioning to his current position in Newborn Screenings. His background includes specialization in program analysis and business analytics with a focus in process improvement and system modernization.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.