Public Meeting Notice  Meeting of the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program Advisory Committee

Quorum was reached for this meeting.

Appointed members present

• Jennifer Bentley
• Joan Butterfield
• Michelle Eisan-Smith
• Jennifer Fleming
• Marly Kenna
• Delvina Labrecque
• Marty Lapointe-Malchik
• Christine Majeskey
• Kathy Manfield
• Jane Stewart
• Sarah Stone

Appointed members not present

• Aimee Knorr

UNHS staff in attendance

• Martha Morris

Others in attendance

• Regan Andrade
• Cheryl Glovsky
• Kristin Hartman-Joshi
• Todd Higgins
• Sarah Honigfeld
• Lauren McGrath
• Pat Noga
• Amy Szarkowski

Materials distributed

• Agenda
• Draft minutes from June 24, 2019 meeting
• JCIH Year 2019 Position Statement: Principles and Guidelines for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Programs
• Massachusetts Early Intervention Consortium Annual Conference Save the Date and Request for Proposals

Welcome and Introductions

Kathy Manfield, Chair, welcomed the group and introductions were made. Communication protocols were reviewed.

Meeting business

Notes were distributed from the June 24, 2019 meeting. Marly Kenna made a motion to accept, and Michelle Eisan-Smith seconded. The vote to accept was unanimous.

Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program Update: Sarah Stone provided an update on the priorities for the HRSA grant application. The funding is for 4 years. HRSA continues to have goals around 1-3-6 and loss to follow up. There are additional measures around family to family support, deaf and hard of hearing adult to family support, development of a state plan for screening for children up to age three and provider education. There was no language in the grant guidance around shared plans of care or learning communities. Massachusetts did submit an application for funding and should be informed in the spring. Data reporting to CDC is earlier this year and staff is working diligently to close 2018 data. Two family events were held this fall, one in New Bedford and one in Holyoke.

Joint Committee on Infant Hearing Statement: Kathy Manfield led the conversation around the updated statement and the implications for birth hospital and diagnostic center guidelines. Committee members offered comments on general aspects of the statement including early intervention, telepractice, risk indicators, the language of ‘fail’ instead of ‘did not pass’. There was discussion about how the family experience at the birth hospital shapes the rest of the family’s interactions with the system. There was discussion regarding genetic testing and if parents are carriers, and the baby passed the hearing screen what the appropriate protocol should be for recommending further diagnostic testing. There was discussion about tracking what happens while a child is in Early Intervention and compliance monitoring. Joan Butterfield gave an overview of the upcoming changes to the client data system in Early Intervention.

Sarah Stone explained that this was the first of many conversations that the Advisory Committee will have as the birth hospital guidelines are examined and updated. Sarah will send a poll to appointed members to determine upcoming meeting availability. The Committee will meet more frequently as the guidelines are in process.

Adjournment: Jennifer Bentley motioned to adjourn the meeting. Delvina Labrecque seconded. The committee vote was unanimous.

1. Welcome and introductions: Kathy Manfield, Advisory Committee Chair
2. Meeting business
   • Meeting notes from June 24, 2019
3. Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program update: Sarah Stone, Director, Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program
4. Joint Committee on Infant Hearing Statement: Discussion on new statement and effect on UNHS policies for birth hospitals and diagnostic centers
5. Discussion — meeting frequency
6. Adjournment