2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
3/11/2025 | 2:15 PM - 2:45 PM | Moving the Needle for Successful Outcomes in Alabama: 1-3- 6 | 309
Moving the Needle for Successful Outcomes in Alabama: 1-3- 6
Alabama Department of Public Health’s (ADPH) Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program has a long-standing relationship with UAB School of Public Health (SOPH). SOPH supports reporting, program evaluation and quality improvement for EHDI in Alabama. In 2023, EHDI and SOPH designed and implemented qualitative activities to assess the related system of care and identify challenges and successes. SOPH conducted eight in-depth key informant interviews with statewide leaders providing screening, assessment, linkage, and referral to services and family engagement from November 2023 to January 2024. A report and recommendations were shared with EHDI and the state advisory council. From these findings, Alabama designed and conducted a learning collaborative (LC) to address one outstanding need -general lack of knowledge of 1-3-6 performance measures and best practices to achieve these. The LC was a partnership between EHDI, SOPH and Hands & Voices. Learning was focused on 1-3-6 and roles within the system of care to meet these. Following the LC, Alabama EHDI and SOPH in partnership with Leadership Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH) and UAB School of Medicine faculty designed a training in Motivational Interviewing (MI) with the goal of connecting families of children newly diagnosed with hearing loss to available interventions. Three MI learning sessions including skills practice were completed with all attendees. After the session attendees’ complete participants completed a survey to understand how participants were able to apply MI techniques with families to improve access of care for their children. We are utilizing findings and recommendations to move the needle on our performance measures and to enhance our partnerships with families and state partners.
- Participants will demonstrate ways to incorporate program evaluation to determine needs for quality improvement.
- Participants will identify strategies for creating successful collaborations with system of care partners to focus on improved care to patient and families.
- Participants will recognize how to utilize changes in performance measures to determine successful implementation of program improvement.
Presentation:
3545975_18209Mary Ellen Whigham.pdf
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Mary Ellen Whigham
(Primary Presenter), Alabama Department of Public Health, mary.whigham@adph.stateal.us;
Mary Ellen Whigham is the Newborn Screening Nurse Supervisor and the Alabama EHDI Coordinator for the Alabama Department of Public Health.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.