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ABSTRACT INFORMATION
Title: 'Hands & Voices Collaboration with Hospital Screening Programs to Address Loss to Follow Up'
Track: 5-Follow-up, Tracking, and Data Management
Audience: Primary Audience: Hospital/Birthing Center<
Secondary Audience: State Health Department
Tertiary Audeince: Audiologist
Keyword(s): loss to follow up, Guide By Your Side, families
Learning Objectives: 1. Formulate a plan to implement GBYS Follow Through program 2. Identify potential stakeholders for GBYS Follow Through program. 3. Approach hospitals to participate in a GBYS Follow Through program

Abstract:

Screening newborns for hearing loss only has meaning when follow up is successful in ensuring that those with hearing loss receive appropriate early intervention. Reducing loss to follow up is, therefore, critical to successful outcomes for children who are deaf and hard of hearing. This session will focus on three of the state Hands & Voices-Guide By Your Side (GBYS) that are collaborating with birthing hospitals to help ensure that families of newborns 1.) who refer from Initial Screening are able to take their infant for Outpatient Rescreening and 2). newborns who refer from Outpatient Rescreening are able to receive diagnostic testing from a qualified pediatric audiologist. GBYS Guides are knowledgeable about the early hearing detection and intervention process in their state and local region. They can speak to families from a parent’s point of view. A GBYS Guides are parents who have been through the process themselves. Different models for implementing GBYS collaboration with birthing hospital screening programs will be presented. A preview of Hands & Voices’ upcoming DVD will be shown. It designed to reach as primary audience: families whose babies have referred on from screening before they leave the hospital. Secondary audience reach would include ENT and audiologist’s offices, preschool child find, Hands & Voices/Guide By Your Side programs, early intervention home visits, and more. We anticipate that information will be helpful to states wishing to improve rates of loss to follow up.
Presentation(s): Not Available
Handouts: Not Available
SPEAKER INFORMATION
PRESENTER(S):
Jeanne Hollabaugh - Arizona Hands & Voices-Guide By Your Side
     Credentials: M.A.
      Jeanne has three children two of whom are deaf: Eric, 17 and Michael, 22. She was the former Program Coordinator for Arizona Hands & Voices-Guide By Your Side.
Lisa Kovacs - Hands & Voices
     Credentials: Parent
     Other Affiliations: Indiana State Department of Special Education Advisory Council, National Deaf Education Summit Committee, American Academy of Pediatrics EHDI Task Force
      Lisa lives in Greenwood Indiana with her husband Brian and 4 children. Her son has Auditory Neuropathy. Lisa is one of the founding board members for Indiana Hands & Voices and has been with the organization for over 8 years. She is currently the Program Coordinator for Guide By Your Side(GBYS). She is also the Director for GBYS Hands & Voices Head Quarters. She has extensive training in Educational Advocacy and Parent Support. Lisa serves on several councils and committees; Indiana Department of Education Special Education Advisory Council, National Deaf Education Summit Committee, and American Academy of Pediatrics EHDI Task Force. Lisa has a passion for training parents and helping them recognize their strengths and abilities in order to make informed decisions for their child and family. Lisa wants to see that all children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Laurie Nelson - Wisconsin Hands & Voices
     Other Affiliations: EHDI Advisory Board
      Laurie lives in Mineral Point, Wisconsin with her husband, Larry, and their two children, Cole (21) and Peyton (15), who is hard of hearing. Laurie is the Wisconsin Guide By Your Side Program Coordinator, is Vice President of WI Families for Hands & Voices and is the Parent Liaison with the Wisconsin Educational Services Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing – Outreach team. Laurie also coordinates a Statewide Family Conference the second weekend of March every year specifically for families who have children who are hard of hearing, deaf, have combined vision and hearing loss, or are deaf with additional disabilities.
 
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