May 31, 2006
This is another in a series of occasional ASHA Executive Director updates. These updates are intended to provide ASHA members with a more in-depth view of various National Office units, their key member services and the names and roles of ASHA staff in those units. Information about staff changes and ASHA National Office recognitions/awards is also included.
Many thanks to those of you who have provided feedback regarding the previous updates, or suggestions for future ED updates.
This update focuses on ASHA's Professional Development Unit.
ASHA Professional Development (APD) develops, conducts, and evaluates programs offered by ASHA for ASHA CEUs. APD offerings are determined in collaboration with the Scientific and Professional Education Board (SPEB). APD is mandated to generate a net surplus of nondues revenue over costs. In 2005, APD recorded more than 12,000 course completions (not counting Convention) and returned a net revenue over expenses of approximately $260,000.
At any given time, APD offers more than 100 continuing education programs in a range of formats:
- Conferences: Annual Schools, Health Care, and Audiology
- Journal self-studies: available in print or online, journals offer a convenient, low-cost option for individuals
- Telephone seminars: the most cost-effective format for groups. A group of any size can listen on a speakerphone, benefit from expert instruction, and earn ASHA CEUs for a flat fee.
- Multimedia programs: audio CD, video, DVD, or interactive CD
- Web workshops: live and self-study programs delivered through ASHA's eLearning classroom
APD is the CEU provider for the ASHA Convention.
To identify topics for program development, APD gathers input from sources including:
- Current trends in product sales and registration patterns
- Regulatory or legal issues affecting the professions
- ASHA committees, boards, and task forces
- Member technical assistance requests
- Data from ASHA surveys and course evaluations
- Articles approved for publication in ASHA's journals
These data sources yield potential course topics, which are reviewed by SPEB and result in an annual work plan that includes approximately 25 new course development projects each year. All self-study programs are peer reviewed for quality before they are released to the market, and are reviewed again at three-year intervals.
Program highlights for 2006 include:
- ASHA Health Care 2006, April 1-2 in Nashville, a sell-out with more than 400 attendees.
- ASHA Schools 2006, Intervention: What Works! Expecting 700-800 attendees in Phoenix July 14-16.
- The Aging Patient: New Perspectives in Audiology Service Delivery, an innovative "virtual conference" delivered entirely online September 19-21, 2006
Complete, current information on APD live and self-study programs is available on the ASHA web.
APD staff
- Stephanie Carrington-Brown, Program Assistant
- Jack Coursen, Program Coordinator
- Matthew Cutter, Managing Editor
- Sobia Nawaz, Instructional Designer
- Karen Niles, Director
- Parrish Swann, Instructional Technology Manager
National Office Staff Update
The following individuals are new to the ASHA staff since April 2006:
- Bethany Deitemeyer, Web Producer, Web Cluster
- Kevin Larkin, User Support Technician, Network/Desktop Management Team
- Carol Sachar, Staff Accountant
- Iris Smorodinsky, Librarian, National Center for Evidence-Based Practice
- Stacey Travers, Senior Administrative Assistant, to Chief Staff Officers for Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
The following staff has changed position within ASHA:
- Danielle Eastridge, Operations Manager, CE Registry (formerly Manager, CE Registry)
The following individuals have left ASHA to pursue other opportunities:
- Susan Frey, Instructional Designer, Professional Development Team
- Tiffany James, Account Manager
- David Tauriello, Director of Content Management
Recent ASHA and ASHA National Office/Staff Awards:
The ASHA Leader received a bronze in the Society for National Association Publishers (SNAP) Excel Awards competition for feature writing. The story submitted was "It Takes A Village" by Marat Moore, published in May 2005. It is a story of collaboration among family members, several Speech-Language Pathologists, a computer software developer, and a patient who had sustained a stroke to maximize communication opportunities through customized computer accommodations, allowing the patient to communicate by e-mail with friends and family.
New Workplace Award: On May 19, 2006 ASHA was one of six organizations to receive the (new) Health and Wellness Trailblazer Award from the Alliance for Workplace Excellence. This award is bestowed upon employers who demonstrate commitment to the overall physical and mental health of their workforce. According to the Alliance, winners of this award are leaders in finding effective business solutions that address the increase in stress on today's workforce and the rise in healthcare costs - according to Pamela M. Peeke, MD who specializes in fitness, for every dollar an employer invests in wellness measures, they get $15 of value back in areas such as increased productivity, less absenteeism and turnover, and lower healthcare costs. ASHA also received the Workplace Excellence Seal of Approval which it has won every year since the inception of the honor in 1999. This award recognizes employers that view workplace excellence as a strategic business imperative, allowing employees to succeed in their professional and personal lives while enhancing the business bottom line.
|