2006 Focused Initiatives

Focused Initiative: Personnel Issues in Healthcare and Education

Third Quarter Progress Report (July-September)

For each of the 2006 Focused Initiatives, a work plan that includes the strategies to be completed in 2006 was developed. During the 3^rd quarter of the year, the strategy implementation teams initiated activities necessary to complete the strategies by the dates indicated. View the 2006 work plan for each Focused Initiative. The following report highlights some of the actions that were initiated during the 3^rd quarter and includes information on the status of all strategies included in the work plan at the end of the 3^rd quarter. Note that many of the strategies are continuing throughout the year and during any one quarter there may not be any new activities/deliverables that were completed. For additional information related to ASHA's Focused Initiatives, please contact Stan Dublinske, Senior Advisor for Planning at sdublinske@asha.org.

3^rd Quarter Highlights

Conference calls were held with advisory groups from SNF and hospital settings to identify issues related to personnel shortages in healthcare.
The "Supply and Demand for Speech-Language Pathologists" document was updated.
The Forum on Strategizing Solutions to Personnel Shortages in Speech-Language Pathology meeting was held Sept. 28-30. The agenda, presentations and notes from group discussions are posted on the ASHA Web site.
ASHA has awarded grants to the Idaho, Tennessee, Texas, Louisiana, Oregon, Oklahoma, Michigan, New Hampshire, Louisiana, Ohio, and Indiana State Associations to provide financial support to assist them in meeting challenges related to reducing personnel qualifications.
"Recruitment Efforts that Work: Healthy Strategies for Finding and Keeping SLPs" was presented at the 2006 Schools Conference. The presentation provided information on successful state and district recruitment and retention models and strategies.
The School Finance Committee (SFC) provided training on accessing funds for school programs and services to participants at the 2006 Schools Conference. Members learned how monies flowed from Federal Government to the state and finally to the Local Education Agencies (LEA), how Medicaid Funds were distributed and ways to access funding from their LEA and local business and philanthropic organizations.
Two articles promoting the contributions of speech-language pathologists in healthcare appeared in the September issue of Caring magazine (home care publication); an article on dysphagia was placed in Provider (skilled nursing publication), and one in Advance for Directors of Rehabilitation (online version).
The brochure "Reward Yourself: Career in Health Care" was completed and announcements on its availability placed in The ASHA Leader, on ASHA email lists, and the health care ezine.
Discussions with the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) have led to an agreement to develop draft legislation that could be introduced in 2007 requesting that the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) create a new Rehabilitation category (that includes speech-language pathologists and audiologists) within its Allied Health designation to facilitate increased allocations of funds for pre-service training.