<< BACK TO AGENDA

ABSTRACT INFORMATION
Title: 'One Size Does Not Fit All; Increasing Newborn Hearing Screening in Wisconsin's Plain Communities'
Track: 1 - EHDI Program Enhancement
Keyword(s): Amish, Mennonite, Newborn Hearing Screening
Learning Objectives:
  1. At the end of this session 90% of participants will be able to identify 2 or more strategies for increasing newborn hearing screening in Plain communities.
  2. At the end of this session 75% of participants will be able to identify two groups that they could collaborate with to increase newborn hearing screening in Plain communities in their state

Abstract:

In Wisconsin, some families in Plain (Amish, Mennonite and other) communities who choose to deliver in home or clinic settings with a birth attendant who is a member of their community do not have access to newborn hearing screening. There are many barriers to access to hearing screening for these families. Due to the initial cost of the equipment and the ongoing costs of calibration and maintenance it is not feasible for most Plain birth attendants to own the equipment to provide this service to the families they care for. Plain families face financial, cultural and transportation barriers to accessing newborn hearing screening in a clinic or hospital setting. Wisconsin Sound Beginnings is piloting several innovative strategies to increase access to initial hearing screening for Plain families including: providing an Amish birth attendant with an ABR screener and training, support and supplies for performing newborn hearing screening; providing training, equipment and supplies to local public health departments to provide newborn hearing screening; collaborating with licensed midwives in the area to do in-home newborn hearing screening; and using regional outreach screeners to provide in-home initial hearing screening. In two areas of Wisconsin with high Plain populations, Wisconsin Sound Beginnings staff has hosted meetings to bring together Amish Birth Attendants, Public Health Departments and Licensed Midwives to make collaborative plans for providing access to newborn hearing screening for all Plain families in the area. This presentation will highlight what WSB has learned in our efforts to increase newborn hearing screening in Plain communities and will focus on the importance of looking at different strategies for increasing hearing screening in different communities.
Presentation: This presentation has not yet been uploaded or the speaker has opted not to make the presentation available online.
Handouts: Handout is not Available
CART: CART Transcription is not Available
PRESENTER(S) / AUTHOR(S) INFORMATION
Jeanne Gustafson - Co-Presenter
Wisconsin Sound Beginnings, Chippewa County Department of Public Health
     Credentials: BS
      Jeanne came to EHDI work through her experience as the parent of a child who is hard of hearing. Jeanne has served as a Parent Guide with the Guide By Your Side Program and as a Follow-Through Parent Guide for WSB. She currently serves the northern region as an Outreach Specialist, providing in-home and in-community hearing screenings for babies. Jeanne serves many Amish and Mennonite communities, providing out of hospital outreach and education and building relationships with several traditional midwives and public health departments that serve the area.
      ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial - No relevant financial relationship exist.

Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Gretchen Spicer - Primary Presenter,POC
Wisconsin Sound Beginnings
     Credentials: CPM LM
      My name is Gretchen Spicer. I am a CPM LM and retired EMT-P. During my 14 years as an active CPM I attended about 700 deliveries, mainly for Amish and Mennonite families. I am passionate about social justice issues in midwifery and the need to diversify both the group of women that are served by CPMs and the midwifery workforce. I am currently employed by the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene as the Out-of- Hospital Outreach Coordinator. In this position I work to make sure that all families choosing out-of-hospital delivery have access to affordable and culturally appropriate options for newborn blood, hearing and pulse oximetry screening. I live on a small farm in Southwestern Wisconsin where my husband and I raised our 7 children. We milk three cows and try to grow as much of our food as we can.
      ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial - No relevant financial relationship exist.

Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.