2000 Work Plans: Final Outcomes

Contact: Stan Dublinske
Senior Advisor for Planning
ASHA
301-897-0124
FAX: 301-897-7354

In 1999 the Legislative Council and the Executive Board identified two priority issues that were to receive increased focus and resources for the year 2000-1)Advocacy, 2) Teacher Scholars in Higher Education. Specific outcomes were identified for each of the priority issues and work plans that included strategies to achieve the outcomes were developed and implemented during 2000. Following are the final reports on the priority issue and outcome work plans for the year 2000.

ASHA PRIORITY ISSUES AND OUTCOMES: 2000

PRIORITY ISSUE 1: Advocacy

OUTCOME 1: A. Federal: Achieve the highest legislative and regulatory priorities identified in the ASHA Public Policy Agenda for the Year 2000.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Following is a list of the highest priorities included in the ASHA Public Policy Agenda for the Year 2000 related to federal issues and the accomplishments related to those priorities.

1. Seek increased federal funding for state early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs through the Walsh provision as authorized under the 1999 law.

• Funding for early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) state grants, also known as the Walsh provision, was more than doubled to $14.3 million.

2. Develop options for an alternative payment system and/or utilization mechanism and advocate to replace or refine the current Medicare prospective payment systems (PPS) including the Medicare Part B $1500 cap in health care facilities.

• The year-end federal budget agreement included a one-year extension of the moratorium on the $1500 Medicare cap on therapy services. Last year, ASHA secured a two-year moratorium covering the years 2000 and 2001. The budget package will extend the moratorium until the end of the year 2002.
• ASHA and its TriAlliance partners (APTA and AOTA) met with HCFA officials and its contractors in development of an initial report from the agency on alternatives to the $1500 cap on Medicare outpatient rehabilitation services that is expected to be released in 2001.

3. Increase availability of clinical research funding through the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

• The fiscal year 2001 budget for the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) increased by 14 percent, representing more than a $22 million increase over the President's budget request.

OUTCOME 2: Establish plans and processes necessary to ensure long term success in achieving ASHA's Public Policy Agenda.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Developed an enhanced ASHA consumer Web site that will allow consumers to write to their Representatives and senators regarding ASHA public policy issues from the consumer Web site.
• Established three networks of ASHA members that can be used to advocate for ASHA public policy issues: 1) State Education Advocacy Leaders (SEALs)-51 participants; 2) State Licensing Board Network-52 participants; 3) Medicare Intermediary and Carrier State Network-54 participants.
• Developed a Curriculum Guide for Advocacy in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology that was distributed to all personnel preparation programs in speech-language pathology and audiology and all state associations.

OUTCOME 3: Provide cost savings estimates related to the benefit of providing speech- language pathology treatment using the NOMS database.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Established a seven-person Member Advisory Group (MAG) that worked with a healthcare economist to prepare a report indicating the costs of delivering speech-language pathology treatment, the circumstances under which speech-language pathology treatment results in cost savings, and an enumeration of the savings resulting from speech-language pathology treatment.
• Modified the National Outcomes Measurement System (NOMS) to collect the data deemed necessary by the MAG and the economist to be used in cost-benefit calculations.

OUTCOME 4: B. State. Achieve enactment of state laws and development of state regulations indicated as the highest priority in the ASHA Public Policy Agenda that will positively affect ASHA members and the services they provide and ensure long term success at the state level.

Following is a list of the highest priorities included in the ASHA Public Policy Agenda for the Year 2000 related to state issues and the accomplishments related to those priorities.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1. Seek continued adoption of the "Universal Hearing Screening, Tracking, and Intervention" ASHA model bill in targeted states.

• Thirty-three states now support early hearing detection and intervention, including nine states (Florida, Kentucky, Maine, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, South Carolina, Oklahoma and the District of Columbia) that passed legislation this year. EHDI bills were pending in five states (Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Alaska).

2. Assist targeted states to link the Association's national certification program and the Certificate of Clinical Competencies (CCCs) through legislation and/or regulation as a means for salary increases for school-based members.

• Mississippi developed regulations to implement legislation passed in 1999 that provided an annual $6,000 salary supplement to audiologists and speech-language pathologists in the schools who hold the ASHA CCC. Similar legislation is currently under study in South Carolina.
• Eight state associations are currently pursuing legislative or regulatory changes for salary supplements with those holding the CCCs. To support these efforts, an advocacy kit was developed and has been distributed to all speech-language-hearing associations.
  
  In addition:
  
  
• Thirteen states were awarded grants to assist in advocating and lobbying for ASHA public policy priorities at the state level.
• Two advocacy packets were developed and distributed -- Salary Supplement Guidebook (400 copies) and Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Guidebook (105 copies).

OUTCOME 5: Establish plans and processes necessary to prepare ASHA leaders within states to advocate on issues that have national impact on the professions.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Installed a database of 5000 ASHA members to date who have agreed to contact state legislators as part of the ASHA EdNet and HealthNet.
• Awarded grants to four parent organizations to develop parent-professional grassroots networks to advocate on state issues related to children with communication disabilities.
• Developed a curriculum guide and training program for use by state associations to provide information to members on how to develop grassroots networks that can be used to advocate for ASHA and state association issues.

  
  OUTCOME 6: C. Local/Self: Provide members with access to the necessary skills for: self- empowerment and self advocacy, conflict resolution, negotiation strategies, clinical supervision, and marketing; and increased ability to articulate the value of audiology and speech-language pathology services.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Developed workshop modules on Effective Negotiation, Advocacy/Marketing, Conflict Management, and Trainer Training. Two hundred and eight members participated in convention presentation in the modules. One hundred and fifty five members requested the workshop kits.
• Published over twelve articles in The ASHA Leader on creative local advocacy efforts and included tips on how to advocate.
• Developed four NOMS outcome data reports that could be used for advocacy and distributed them to 18,000 ASHA members.
• Developed a document on how to negotiate with school unions for use by ASHA members.
• Developed two documents addressing cultural and linguistically diverse populations were developed --1) Second Language Learners: ASHA Readings; 2) Clinical Issues when Assessing African-American Children: ASHA Readings.
• Developed an audiology advocacy information series for professionals and consumers that included the following documents: Early Hearing Detection and Intervention; Hearing Loss and its Implications for Learning a Communication; Preventing and Identifying hearing Loss Through Audiologic Screening and Audiology Services; Hearing Assistive Technology and Audiologic Rehabilitation; Vertigo; and Healthy People 2010.
• Developed two fact sheets, one for audiology and one for speech-language pathology on "Using Omnibus Survey Data for Advocacy Efforts and Negotiations" for distribution to ASHA members.

  OUTCOME 7: Increase ASHA member activity and success in addressing policy and program development issues in the workplace.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Developed two marketing kits providing consumer information related to communication disorders and promoting the services of ASHA certified audiologists and speech-language pathologists, one for audiologists and one for speech-language pathologists and made available for sale to members.
• Published a list of suggestions from ASHA members for effective advocacy/marketing activities in The ASHA Leader.
• Developed a brochure promoting audiology and speech-language pathology services and a fact sheet on Migrant Farmworkers for use with labor unions, managed care organizations, health plans and businesses that were made distirbuted to state associations and sent to 129 migrant health and education organizations.
• Developed Radio Public Service Announcements (PSAs) related to audiology and speech-language pathology that were distributed to 1200 radio stations nationwide.
• Developed a Public Relations Handbook that was made available to members.
• Printed the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing position statement that included information on establishing an infant hearing screening program in the American Journal of Audiology (AJA) . Two thousand five hundred reprints have been distributed.
• Prepared material on groups that could provide ASHA members with financial support, speaking and presentation venues, and community service opportunities that could be used to raise awareness of members' services and the professions.

  OUTCOME 8: Increase reports by policy makers, program administrators, and consumers that they value the services of audiologists and speech-language pathologists.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Conducted four focus groups, one with experts on healthcare policy with legislative and/or Federal agency experience, one with clinical program directors, and two with physicians to identify how speech-language pathologists and audiologists are perceived, determine the level of awareness and effectiveness of ASHA, and gain insights into the factors influencing the hiring of speech-language pathologists and audiologists. A report that included conclusions and recommendations was prepared.

PRIORITY ISSUE 2: Teacher Scholars in Higher Education

OUTCOME 1: Increase the number of students committed to careers in research and teaching in higher education in Ph.D. programs in the discipline.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Conducted a Science and Research Forum to promote research and science careers in academic programs attended by over 100 students and faculty including 25 doctoral level students.
• Established a mentoring relationship between four senior science and research investigators with the 25 doctoral level students who attended the Science and Research Forum

  OUTCOME 2: Provide opportunities for undergraduate and master's students who identify themselves as potentially interested in careers in research and teaching in higher education to gain short-term, first-hand exposure to researchers and research activities in college/university settings.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Established, as part of the Research in Higher Education Mentoring Program, 23 researcher/mentor and student pairs to provide students with the opportunity to explore careers in research and teaching in higher education.

  OUTCOME 3: Provide opportunities, primarily for young investigators who have completed Ph.D. programs and are in the higher education/research work force, to acquire additional research knowledge and skills that will benefit the quality of their research and their ability to obtain funding, and enhance their likelihood of continued employment in settings of higher education.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Conducted a Grantwriting Workshop attended by over 90 research and science scholars included 10 junior research scholars that provided information on how to prepare competitive grant applications.
• Secured funding from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation (ASHF) to co-sponsor the Grantwriting Workshop in 2001.