Ohio Academy of Audiology

President's Message

Greetings Colleagues:

It gives me great pleasure to be writing to you on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Ohio Academy of Audiology (OAA).   This is a busy year.  There are many committees in the initial stages of development.  Some of these committees are the result of the online membership survey conducted in August 2007.   The OAA Board asked member’s the following questions, “What will be the top issues facing Ohio in the next five years?” and  “What are the potential limitations that would prevent advancing audiology in Ohio?”   Members were also asked how OAA could best serve them.    Let me assure you, the OAA Board was listening.  A 15 member Long Range Strategic Planning panel was established that included board members, general membership and student liaisons.   This panel not only prioritized the goals but also developed an action plan for the next five years.  Some of our priority goals are:

• maintain legislative advocacy efforts
• develop future leaders in audiology
• increase member interest
• increase public awareness of audiology

This plan can only be made possible with the support of audiologists.   Please consider this an invitation to get involved.  One of my main goals this year is to get more audiologists involved.  Please do not hesitate to contact me if you are interested or need further information. 

Another way to get involved is to attend the annual Legislative Breakfast on February 20 at the State House Atrium.  This is an excellent opportunity for audiologists to discuss our profession with our state legislators.  Once again, OAA will be offering a continuing education event immediately following the breakfast.   We are honored to have Dr. Robert Keith speaking at our event.  He is yet another well accomplished Ohio audiologist.  His is best known for authoring several auditory processing diagnostic tools, including the SCAN.  He is frequently invited, both nationally and internationally, to speak on the subject of auditory processing disorders.

It has been brought to the attention of the OAA Board that some members, myself included, are unfamiliar with all the acronyms used in OAA communications.  I want to explain a few common acronyms here.   The Ohio Audiology Conference (OAC) pronounced as “oak” is a biennial three day conference held on the odd number years.  Our next conference is February 19-21, 2009 and will take place in Central Ohio.    This conference provides audiologists an opportunity to be exposed to the current topics in audiology and obtain multiple continuing education units at one location.  OAA invites respected speakers and researchers to present, many of whom later have presented at AudiologyNOW and other national conferences. This is a fantastic opportunity for all audiologists to experience innovative topics without having to traveling out of state!   Committees for the OAC are in the process of forming.   Volunteering for the OAC is a great opportunity to get involved without a large time commitment.

Another common acronym is the Ohio Speech and Hearing - Governmental Affairs Coalition (OSHGAC).  This organization was created to educate state leaders and advance goals of audiologist and speech language pathologists.   The Ohio Academy representatives are Karen Mitchell, Susan LaChance and Erin Miller.  These three individuals make up the OAA representation in the OSHGAC.  They are dedicated and diligent in their efforts to monitor Audiology concerns and ensure that they are expressed to current legislators and through government policy.  We are very fortunate that these three individuals have been on this committee for several years.  They have learned fundamentals of government policy and continue to educate members in the state legislature about audiology, especially as new legislators are elected.   The Ohio Academy of Audiology offers sincere appreciation to Karen, Susan and Erin for their continued efforts on behalf of audiologists in Ohio.

I encourage you to review the current legislative topics related to audiology.  You can find these on the OAA website in the Member’s only section.  Please remember to write or email your legislator as audiology issues arise.  You can locate your legislators and find their contact information on our website.  Please remember that your continued support allows us to support legislators who understand the concerns of our profession.  The 2008 annual Political Action Committee (PAC) fund drive is now underway.  Your financial contributions to the PAC are a necessary investment in the future of audiology.  I encourage you to help support our PAC

On a final note, it is my privilege to serve as president of the Ohio Academy of Audiology.  As for those who have served in this position before me, I am truly humbled.  Those leaders had a vision and a mission to organize Ohio audiologists and promote the profession.  They realized that in order for audiologists to be recognized, that the Ohio Academy of Audiology had to become an advocate in legislation.   The leadership developed over the years and led Ohio to not only the forefront of change at the state level but also to represent and lead at the national level.   The Ohio Academy of Audiology continues to look to the future of audiology in Ohio and how best to serve its members.  The debut of the new Ohio Academy of Audiology vision and mission statement is now posted on the website.  I encourage you to place a bookmark for the OAA website http://www.ohio-academy-of-audiology.org/ and check it regularly for updates and other audiology links. 

I encourage you to become actively involved in the Ohio Academy.  If you are interested in a volunteer opportunity, please email me with your areas of interest and availability.  OAA is your organization.  If you have any questions or suggestions please contact me by email at:  schuh_a@yahoo.com
 
Best Regards,

Ann C. Schuh, Au.D.
Ohio Academy of Audiology
President

President's Message Archive