EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
MARCH 2-5, 2021

(Virtually the same conference, without elevators, airplane tickets, or hotel room keys)

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4/14/2014  |   2:30 PM - 3:00 PM   |  Leveraging Partnerships Through State Taskforces   |  City Terrace 7   |  1

Leveraging Partnerships Through State Taskforces

Does your state have long wish list of things you would like to do to improve the early hearing detection and intervention process? Is your EHDI program overworked? Is your EHDI program understaffed? Is your state taskforce or advisory council stagnant? If so, partnership can be the key to your state’s success. This session will show what happened when one state made drastic changes in an effort to create a gold standard of hearing healthcare, reinforce family-centered support, and enhance outreach education. In 2009, the Oklahoma Newborn Hearing Screening Program (NHSP) began to reflect on the purpose and productivity of the Oklahoma Audiology Task force (OKAT). This statewide task force was a key ingredient for implementing newborn hearing screening in the state many years before. However, participation had drastically been reduced and activities were limited. The NHSP decided to try something drastic....a complete makeover. Using a few simple premises, the task force was reconstructed through the development of five subcommittees (Protocols, Pediatric Audiology, Family Support, Genetics, and Childhood Provider Outreach). Subcommittees meet via phone with web access while quarterly meetings are held in person and via videoconference. Together OKAT created a vision, mission statement, guiding principles, and core values. Within the first year and a half, the once stagnant group increased membership and participation by five times and has developed several products. Many projects and activities (both completed and pending) will be shared that have been developed to improve statewide audiological protocols as well as improve coordinating care between primary care providers, specialists, subspecialists, and other health care professionals. The presentation will also discuss future plans and obstacles. Time will also be allotted for other states to share ways to improve state taskforces for maximum success.

  • Demonstrate ways to work with state partners through taskforces and subcommittees
  • Identify activities and review products that can be modified for other states
  • Review ways to use a variety of technology options for task force activities

Presentation:
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Presenters/Authors

Patricia Burk (Primary Presenter), Oklahoma State Department of Health, PatriciaAB@health.ok.gov;
Patricia Burk, is the EHDI Coordinator for the Newborn Hearing Screening Program at the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Patricia helps to promote early identification, diagnosis, and amplification of children with hearing loss throughout the State of Oklahoma. She also facilitates the Oklahoma Audiology Taskforce to address pediatric audiology initiatives across the state. Patricia holds a Masters in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Patricia is internationally certificated as a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist, Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist. She has experience as a Speech-Language Pathologist working with children and adults who have hearing loss. Patricia is a Quality Improvement Advisor for the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management and currently serves on the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing as a representative for the Directors of Speech and Hearing Programs of State Health and Welfare Agencies.


ASHA DISCLOSURE:

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Nonfinancial -

Deborah Earley (Co-Presenter), OSDH, DebbieE@health.ok.gov;
Debbie Earley has been an Oklahoma licensed audiologist for 35 years, with experience with a strong focus on pediatric audiology for 20 years. She currently is the Program Manager of Oklahoma’s Pediatric Audiology Program for the Oklahoma State Department of Health. She is passionate about public health and ensuring everyone and their families have access to quality audiology services no matter where they live in Oklahoma. She has been President of the Oklahoma Speech Language and Hearing Association (OSHA), the Chair of Oklahoma’s Board of Examiners for Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, Oklahoma’s representative for the American Speech Language and Hearing Association’s Audiology Advisory Council. In 2017, she received OSHA’s prestigious Honors of the Association Award.


ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -

Nonfinancial -