Strategic Plan

Issue C

2005 Year-End Progress Report (4^th Quarter)

Issue C: Lack of a scope of practice that includes all of the major components and new areas of practice in communication sciences and disorders has an impact on the visibility of the professions by consumers and stakeholders and their perceived value of the role of audiologists and speech-language pathologists.

Outcome 1: Revised ASHA scope of practice that includes all major component areas of communication sciences and disorders and new areas of practice.

Completed Strategies

1. Revise ASHA's model licensure bill based on revision of the scopes of practice for Audiology and Speech-language Pathology and promoted their use by state licensing boards.
2. Assist in the development and revision of practice policy documents to ensure that all major component areas of communication sciences and disorders are addressed along with new areas of practice.

Not Initiated

• Review the available scientific evidence on the efficacy and effectiveness of SLP/audiology interventions in areas which are not necessarily firmly established with ASHA's scope of practice.

Outcome 2: Increased number of practitioners who are involved in such areas as literacy, wellness, prevention, and other underserved areas of practice.

Completed Strategies

1. Assist in the development of practice policy documents to enhance knowledge and skills of areas within the scope of practice (e.g. apraxia, autism, dementia, early intervention, memory disorders, severe disabilities, supervision, and telepractice).
2. Publish an ACCESS SLP Health Care and developed an online information packet on Health Literacy.
3. Publish ACCESS Schools issues highlighting information on literacy, prevention, and other underserved areas of practice.
4. Engage in liaison activities with key national and state associations to promote the role of speech-language pathologists in areas such as literacy, wellness, and prevention.
5. Publish articles exploring the increased numbers of practitioners involved in literacy, wellness, prevention and other underserved practice areas in The ASHA Leader.
6. Disseminate resources available for increasing cultural competency to all members.
7. Publish an ACCESS Audiology on Health Literacy.
8. Published an ACCESS Audiology on the underserved area of practice Pediatric Assessment and Intervention.

Partially Completed

1. Revise the policy on the Clinical Management of Communicatively Handicapped Linguistic Minority Populations.
2. Develop a policy document on multicultural issues in audiology.

To be Continued in 2006

• Conduct an Audiology Conference to address the underserved practice area of Audiologic Rehabilitation by Audiologists.

Outcome 3: Increased advocacy for and use of public and private reimbursement systems that enhance the ability of consumers to receive quality programs and services in all education and health practice settings.

NOTE: The work plan for the Focused Initiative on Health Care Reimbursement has been developed to achieve the Outcomes for this outcome in the Strategic Plan. Following are additional strategies that have been identified by individual units within the National Office that relate to this Issue. Some of the indicated strategies may overlap with those included in the Focused Initiative work plan.

Completed Strategies

1. Conduct half-day specialized conferences to provide information on how to advocate/ negotiate for private health plan coverage for speech-language pathology and audiology services.
2. Disseminate a Medicare checklist for funding speech generating devices, develop a mentoring program to assist SLPs with funding for speech generating devices, coordinate the development, dissemination, and promotion of practice policy documents on supervision for Medicaid reimbursement in schools, and participate on staff teams to develop information and tools to expand reimbursement for SLP services.
3. Provide support for the State Advocates for Reimbursement (STARs) Network interactions.
4. Continue regular publication of "The Bottom Line" reimbursement column and other articles and columns related to reimbursement advocacy in The ASHA Leader.
5. Work with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to provide hearing benefit information and the key role audiologists play in hearing health care to promote broader coverage of hearing services and devices for federal employees and their families under the Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan (FEHPB).
6. Liaison with the ARA to assure that the reimbursement concerns of rehabilitative audiologists are addressed.
7. Update the current ASHA model benefits and advocacy materials (e.g. NOMS, Employer Insurance Packet, Employer and Consumer Checklists) for use by ASHA members to promote inclusion of comprehensive coverage of speech-language pathology and audiology programs and services in their own health benefits package.
8. Provide information to targeted professional associations, consumer organizations, state and local public health agencies, as well as the manufacturers, suppliers, and vendors that exhibit at the ASHA convention, to encourage them to enhance and promote coverage of speech-language pathology and audiology programs and services in their employee health benefits packages.
9. Develop new audiology reimbursement codes by providing definitions and vignettes, as well as helping facilitate the collecting survey data to present to the AMA coding processes and CMS.
10. Work with selected Special Interest Divisions to contribute to the development of new reimbursement codes and will have disseminated information about reimbursement codes to affiliates.

Eliminated

• Develop media relations/promotional strategies that promote ASHA's "Checklist" and the "Report Card."

Outcome 4: Increased perceived value by consumers, stakeholders, and colleagues in related professions of the services provided by audiologists and speech-language pathologists.

Completed Strategies

1. Develop a CD of typical communication development from birth to age five years, to serve as a companion marketing tool with the How Does Your Child Hear and Talk and Getting Ready for Reading and Writing brochures.
2. Develop products and engage in liaison activities to increase perceived value of audiology practice (Let's Talk for Audiology) (NIH Early ID Ad Hoc Committee).
3. Participate in screening and public relations opportunities to increase awareness of the practice of audiology and awareness of CCC/A in the title as qualifying information (Senate Health Fair, local health care screening events, film fest).
4. Develop consumer information packets to facilitate easy reproduction of important information about hearing, hearing loss, hearing aids, etc.
5. Attend consumer conferences in order to increase visibility of the profession (SHHH, AGBELL, and AARP).
6. Participate in public relations opportunities to increase awareness of the practice of speech-language pathology (local health fairs, film fest).
7. Disseminate consumer information (Let’s Talks) to facilitate easy reproduction of important information about speech, language, swallowing development and disorders.
8. Engage in liaison activities with key national professional and consumer groups to enhance the value of services provided by speech-language pathologists and audiologists.
9. Work with Special Interest Divisions to develop Power Point presentations for their affiliates to use when speaking to consumers, stakeholders, and colleagues in related professions.

Not Initiated

1. Produce media pitches, a new national public service campaign, (which includes broadcast, print, and billboard ads), and other activities based on 2004 consumer research and the strategies outlined in the Consumer Team recommendations.
2. Produce "free" Better Hearing and Speech Month awareness materials for use by ASHA members before a variety of consumer audiences.
3. Develop monthly media pitches and other specialized media (e.g. ASHA convention, Native American audiences, Hispanic audiences, school based associations/groups, etc.) pitches about communication disorders and the professions.
4. Coordinate the ASHA exhibit at a variety of national conferences/conventions (e.g., AARP, Council on Aging, National Association on Home Care).
5. Create marketing strategies (member forums, articles, updates to Marketing Web site, etc.) that support member efforts to reach consumer audiences.

Outcome 5: Increased knowledge of the scope of practice in communication sciences and disorders in other countries.

Completed Strategies

1. Schedule editorial coverage of international scopes of practice in communication sciences and disorders in The ASHA Leader.
2. Continue to be active in the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics.

NOTE:  There were a number of strategies that were eliminated or not initiated. These strategies were to be completed by the Director of the Public Relations Unit. Prior to initiating the strategies, there were personnel changes in the unit and a new Director was employed. Because of other public relations priorities, the indicated strategies were not initiated. They will be considered for the 2006 work plan.

Year-End Status of All Strategies for Issue C (4^th Quarter)

There are 41 strategies in the work plan for Issue C.