2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
3/11/2025 | 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM | Using the Virtual Site Visit (VSV) Program and Tools to Conduct Hospital Site Visits | 308
Using the Virtual Site Visit (VSV) Program and Tools to Conduct Hospital Site Visits
NBHS programs require continuous and consistent support, guidance, training, information, education, and best practice resources to ensure program quality is achieved and maintained. The ongoing challenge of high rates of turnover reinforces the importance of the state EHDI program as a reliable and stable partner in this role. Without it, hospitals may rely on other conventions that may not offer practices commensurate with the standard of care; thus, compromising the quality of services provided to babies and families. Routine site visits provide an ideal method for state EHDI programs to create and sustain ongoing collaborative partnerships with their birth facilities.
Early hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs have utilized a variety of approaches to work with Newborn Hearing Screening (NBHS) programs over the years. Face-to-face, on-site visits have been reported as most effective, but not always feasible. Reported barriers preventing access and consistency include EHDI program staff turnover, funding, travel, and time restrictions.
Through funding provided by the Cares Act, the Newborn Hearing Screening Virtual Site Visit (VSV) Program was created to address the potential fallout to hospital program quality resulting from a lack of site visits during COVID. This was achieved through a collaboration of six state EHDI teams consisting of an EHDI Coordinator or program staff and a parent leader. During its development the potential of the VSV program in benefiting EHDI and hospital program quality on an ongoing basis was recognized.
This presentation will provide a review of the completed project; it’s tools, materials, resources and intended use beneficial for conducting face to face or virtual site visits.
- Describe what the Virtual Site Visit (VSV) program is and its intended use
- Describe the VSV resources and tools
- Describe how the VSV can benefit hospitals and state EHDI programs in their quality improvement efforts
Presentation:
This presentation has not yet been uploaded.
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Randi Winston-Gerson
(Primary Presenter), NCHAM, randi.winston@infanthearing.org;
Randi consults on a variety of EHDI related projects with the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM). She maintains her role as program manager for NCHAM’s Newborn Hearing Screening Training Curriculum (NHSTC), the EHDI-PALS Directory and the Newborn Hearing Screening Virtual Site Visit (VSV) Program. She has co-authored several research articles involving newborn and early childhood screening.
From 1998– 2015 she maintained the role of consulting audiologist for The EAR Foundation of Arizona and Arizona's EHDI Program which included the implementation of newborn hearing and early childhood screening programs. The emphasis of her work included program quality, systems development, and best practices. During that time she served on NCHAM’s Technical Assistance Network, assisting states in Region X with their EHDI program development efforts.
From 2015-2018 she served as Hearing Screening Program Manager at Audiology Systems.
Randi holds doctorate of audiology, is state licensed in Arizona and a member of AAA and ASHA. She serves as co-director of the Arizona Special Olympics Healthy Hearing Program.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with NCHAM.
Nature: .
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.