2024 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 17-19, 2024 • Denver, CO
Award Winner/Nominee Details 2023
Connie Donohue
The New York State (NYS) Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Program housed in NYS Department of Health is pleased to nominate Dr. Connie Donohue for the Antonia Brancia Maxon Award for EHDI Excellence to be presented at the 2023 National EHDI Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Following passage of Chapter 585 of the laws of 1999, requiring implementation of newborn hearing screening in New York State, Dr. Donohue was an integral part of the team that developed newborn hearing screening regulations, which became effective in October 2001. She oversaw disbursement of one-time $3 million State budget appropriation to 163 birthing hospitals at the inception of the statewide newborn hearing screening program to support implementation of the program. She was the co-principal investigator for New York's SPRANS grant and was a contributing staff member for the state Early Intervention Program's development of Clinical Practice Guidelines on Hearing Loss: Assessment and Intervention for Young Children (Age 0-3 Years).
In March 2013, Dr. Donohue received her Doctor of Audiology degree from Arizona School of Health Sciences. She provided full time audiology direct services for 16 years. She was an adjunct professor at The College of St. Rose in Albany for 19 years. She also co-authored Survey of Audiology: Fundamentals for Audiologists and Health Professionals, which was first published in 2004, with a second edition in 2008 and a third edition in 2019.
In September 2017, Dr. Donohue became the director of the Bureau of Early Intervention, which includes the statewide EHDI Program. She was the principal investigator for the HRSA and CDC grants. Additionally, Dr. Donohue initiated regulation changes for the statewide EHDI Program to align with earlier state statutory changes, the 2019 Joint Committee on Infant Hearing recommendations, and considering changes in the management of congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) in the neonatal period. She is currently serving as a member of the New York State cCMV Pilot Newborn Screening Advisory Committee.
Throughout her career, Dr. Donohue has shared her extensive knowledge of audiology and early intervention with colleagues working in the both the Early Intervention and EHDI Programs. Her passion, expertise, and leadership have constantly inspired and guided her colleagues and peers to improve services to young children with hearing loss and their families.