2024 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 17-19, 2024 • Denver, CO
Award Winner/Nominee Details 2020
Maria Cantu
Maria Cantu is an innovator, critical thinker, EHDI expert, and founding member and VP of Operations of OZ Systems International. Over 26 years ago she began as a hearing screener with the Sounds of Texas pilot.
"Maria's decades of tireless child health efforts began as a screener. After seeing the success of EHDI programs' electronic data integration, she pushed for similar technologies in other arenas. She led the way to automated electronic lab orders and electronic lab results for NDBS, and clinical decision support in CCHD, allowing for faster intervention. Maria delivers innovative solutions to improve outcomes and data quality for public health programs. She truly keeps babies' and clinicians' best interests at heart." - Brenee Mitchell, Regenstrief Institute
Today, she develops technology that ensures millions of babies, internationally, receive their newborn screenings and timely intervention.
"In my mind Maria Cantu is Wonder Woman and my gold standard for testing the hearing of babies. She once had two babies - was testing one with ABR and the other with OAE. Baby #3 began a loud howl of irritation. Maria went to the howling baby, performed a perfect snuggle wrap, picked Baby #3 up and patted until quiet, put the happy baby back, unhooked the baby getting ABR after checking the results, unhooked the baby getting OAE testing, and hooked up baby #3 for testing....all the while smiling and explaining what she was doing. From testing, Maria went on to many other responsibilities with OZ Systems, and I saw her excel at everything she did. She loves what she does, is beyond competent, and is the epitome of a high professional standard in all that she does." Joy O'Neal, Former Director of the Texas EHDI Program.
"The Newborn Hearing Screening programme in England has much to thank Maria for. Her expert support was crucial as we developed and rolled out the programme and she was always there for us." Gwen Carr, Former NHS England Newborn Hearing Screening Programme DD.
Nick Johnstone-Waddell, Public Health England, "I worked with Maria on the rollout of newborn hearing screening across England. I remember her enthusiasm, dedication to newborn screening and commitment to end users. I remember when a user spotted something that could be improved, she wanted to get straight on the phone to a developer and get it fixed for the next day. Maria's first instinct was always to help the users as much as she could, which I was really inspired by. Our mantra in the UK government is to always understand and meet the 'user needs' and Maria seemed to have grasped this before it became widely understood."
Maria understood the needs of multi-lingual and first generation families. With new Hispanic moms, she understood their fears and concerns – beyond screening and follow-up care. With nursing staff, she engaged them as equals. Maria is co-inventor of EHDI software, of pre-analytic tools for bloodspot screening and for assuring accurate critical congenital heart screening. The time has come to recognize her excellence in EHDI.