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This is the fourth in a pilot series of occasional ASHA Executive Director Update postings. Many thanks to those of you who provided feedback regarding previous updates or provided suggestions for future ED updates. This update focuses on ASHA's Audiology Practices unit.
Audiology Practices Unit
The mission of the Audiology Professional Practices Unit is to: provide unique, customized, personal, and interactive professional consultation, programs, services and professional development related to audiology and hearing impairment for all ASHA members; and to provide a communication link/connection related to audiology among ASHA members and leadership, consumers, other organizations and professions, and units within the ASHA national office.
Key activities include:
Enhancing communications with audiologists and audiology graduate students through:
- Access Audiology (members only archive) - a bimonthly e-newsletter sent to over 20,000 subscribers
- Working closely with the ASHA Public Relations unit in developing messages for the public related to hearing and the profession of audiology, such as ASHA's highly successful and award winning 2003 PSA Campaign "Keep an Eye on Your Ears" (members only)
- "Audiology Connections" – published and mailed annually to all audiology members
- Customized technical assistance by seasoned and certified audiologists to members, students and consumers
- Meeting with ASHA members directly through exhibits, conferences and Convention
- ASHA Audiology Web page to increase visibility of the ASHA products/services related to audiology
Assuring the availability of current up-to-date practice policy documents, products and services related to the audiology profession through:
- Working with the Professional Development Unit in the national office in the development of CE products and materials, such as the annual audiology conference, web-enhanced telephone seminars, videos
- Collaborating with other national office units on initiatives such as:
- Audiology Roadshow: materials for academic instructors to use in disseminating accurate information to audiology students on the ASHA member benefits, services and resources
- Audiology specific content to inform policy makers in national public and private agencies.
- Developing new products designed to enhance audiology members professional service delivery, such as "Let's Talk for Audiology" (English & Spanish) series of patient education newsletters, and "Practical Forms for Audiologists"
- Reviewing and updating existing audiology related policy documents and serving as ex-officios to working groups for areas such as
- Audiologic Assessment of Children from Birth to 5 Year
- Auditory Processing Disorders
- Multicultural Issues in Audiology
- ASHA/Council on Education of the Deaf Joint Committee
- Joint Committee on Infant Hearing
Meet the Audiology Practices unit staff (members only)
Recruitment is underway to fill the recently vacated positions of two colleagues who are pursuing other audiology opportunities (Gail Linn who has returned to her private practice in Rockville Maryland; and Claire Bernstein who will be teaching and engaged in clinical research at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC).
National Office Staff Update
The following individuals are new to the ASHA staff since June 2004:
- Annette Gorey – Senior Administrative Assistant to the Chief Staff Officers for Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
- Sharon Hantman – Director, Membership Recruitment and Retention
- Heath Haynes – Director, Customer Service (Action Center)
- Kathryn Lynch – Production Editor
- Debra Shafer – Associate Editor/Writer for the ASHA Leader
Several staff have relocated or left ASHA for other opportunities since June 2004:
- Erica Blair-Lockney – Peer Review Administrator
- Carol Caperton – Project Manager, Clinical Trials
- Carrie Harris – Administrative Assistant to the Audiology and SLP Practices units
- Jodi Koehn-Pike – Managing Editor, Non-scientific Publications
- Ana Maria Turner – Manager, Non-Dues Accounts Receivable
- Laurie Wilson – Health Care Finance Information Coordinator
Recent ASHA National Office/Staff Awards:
- "Keep an Eye on Your Ears" noise awareness campaign – Questar Award from Publication Management's Magnum Opus Awards; and Citation for Excellence from the Advertising Club of Washington, DC
- "Focus on Marketing" 2003 series of articles in the ASHA Leader – Best Series of Articles from Publication Management's Magnum Opus Awards
- Commuter Connections Employer Recognition Award – the Washington, DC Metropolitan Council of Governments
- Recognition as one of the "25 Best Small Companies to Work for in America" – The Great Place to Work Institute, Inc (GPTWI) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Next Executive Director Update – the Multicultural Affairs and Speech-Language Pathology Practices units.
Feedback please!!! Please let me know if such information is of interest to you and what other topics or information you'd like to see included in future Executive Director Updates.
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