2024 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 17-19, 2024 • Denver, CO
| Rhode Island EHDI Program Ensuring that Families are Supported and Engaged by Improving the Follow-Up Process, After a Diagnosis of Hearing Loss
Rhode Island EHDI Program Ensuring that Families are Supported and Engaged by Improving the Follow-Up Process, After a Diagnosis of Hearing Loss
Early intervention is key to promoting optimal language skills and communication and addressing hearing loss early to counteract the potential negative developmental consequences associated with a permanent hearing loss. Without proper documentation, a child diagnosed with a hearing loss will be considered lost to follow-up if they are engaged in services but an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) date has not been shared with RI-EHDI through KIDSNET, the Rhode Island Department of Health state database. Timely enrollment into intervention services for all children diagnosed with hearing loss is an area of focus for the RI-EHDI program. Engagement in services for children diagnosed with hearing loss began to decrease in 2013. To counteract the effect of delayed confirmation of EI enrollment the RI-EHDI program tested an alternate approach to ensure a referral was received by EI and that timely enrollment occurred. RI-EHDI established an automatic referral process that included contacting the parent to discuss the importance of Early Intervention and obtaining consent to communicate with Early Intervention. The initiative was carried out by the EHDI parent consultant. This and other expanded QI activities have proven to be effective in ascertaining services provided to children with a diagnosis of hearing loss. Data demonstrating the effectiveness of this initiative will be presented.
- Timely Intervention
- Timely referral
- Parent Support
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Presenters/Authors
Liza Then
(Point of Contact,Primary Presenter,Author), RI DOH, liza.then@health.ri.gov;
Liza is currently the manager for the Newborn Hearing Screening program and is the EHDI coordinator for Rhode Island. Liza provides oversight for the project and coordinate with other relevant statewide efforts. She previously worked as a parent consultant, and a Community Liaison for RIDOH’s Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Program. Dr. Then is fluent in written and spoken Spanish.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
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No relevant financial relationship exists.
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No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
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Financial relationship with RIDOH.
Nature: Non.
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Non-Financial relationship with RIDOH.
Nature: Non.
Betty Vohr
(Author), Women & Infants Hospital, bvohr@wihri.org;
Betty Vohr, MD has been the director of Women & Infants Hospital’s Neonatal Follow-up Clinic since 1974 and medical director of the Rhode Island Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program since 1990. She has been the national coordinator of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network follow-up studies since 1990. Dr. Vohr’s primary clinical and research interests focus on improving the long-term outcomes of high-risk premature infants and infants with hearing loss.
Dr. Vohr played an instrumental role in the development of the RI-EHDI (formerly RIHAP), which was established in 1990. Based at Women & Infants, RIHAP became the first public health program in the United States to achieve universal newborn hearing screening for all infants born in RI. She is a recipient of the Antonia Brancia Maxon award for EHDI Excellence, has served as a member of the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing.
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Leslie Bobrowski
(Author), RI College Sherlock Center, lbobrowski@ric.edu>;
Leslie Bobrowski is the Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator for RI’s Early Intervention programs and is employed by the Paul V. Sherlock Center for Disabilities at RI College. Under a contract awarded by RI's Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Leslie is responsible for the creation and sustainability of a comprehensive system of professional development and statewide technical assistance. Leslie has been instrumental in the development of a highly rated Introduction to EI training for all new staff members. She has developed continuous quality improvement processes for serving infants and toddlers with low incidence disabilities. Her work with community partners continues to ensure a coordinated approach across programs serving young children and their families.
Leslie has eight years of experience working in Early Intervention. She has been the Coordinator since January, 2016,
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Elsbeth Brown
(Author), RI-EHDI, brown@ripin.org;
Elsbeth is the Family Resource Specialist for the Rhode Island Hearing Assessment program. Elsbeth is the Mom of two snd has a son who has profound hearing loss.
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Sara Franklin
(Author), RHODE ISLAND EHDI PROGRAM, SFranklin@WIHRI.ORG;
Sara Franklin, Au.D, is the Program Coordinator for the Rhode Island Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program. Her duties include developing and managing the clinical components of the hospital and state-wide RI-EHDI program for infants. She interprets hearing screenings conducted throughout the state, provides patient referral sources and coordinates audiology networks. She oversees staff as well as technical staff at screening sites throughout the state of Rhode Island. She coordinates research activities and interfaces with statewide agencies such as Department of Health, Early Intervention, Newborn Screening Task Force, EHDI and Kidsnet. Prior to her position she was a clinical audiologist in the Department of Audiology at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island supervising the hearing screening staff, diagnosing and managing hearing loss in the pediatric and geriatric populations .
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Richard Lupino
(Author), DOH, Richard.Lupino@health.ri.gov;
Rich recieved an AS degrees from Community College of RI in Chemistry and an AS from New England Tech in Computer Science. He currently is the data manager for the Rhode Island EHDI data, as well as for other newborn and early childhood datasets.
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