2025 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 9-11, 2025 • Pittsburgh, PA
DAVID L. LAWRENCE CONVENTION CENTER
Award Winner/Nominee Details 2025
Tammy O'Hollearn
Tammy O’Hollearn, the Iowa EHDI Director, has dedicated her career advocating for Iowa’s children. For nearly 20 years, Tammy has worked to ensure that every Iowa child has access to timely and effective EHDI Services. With her commitment and expertise, Iowa has made significant strides in improving outcomes for children with hearing differences and their families. She has forged strong partnerships with medical professionals, hospitals, audiologists, and early intervention providers to streamline referral processes and reduce delays in identification and care. Tammy’s leadership has been instrumental in developing comprehensive protocols to ensure families receive critical information and support when their child is identified with hearing differences.
Iowa EHDI has a legacy of achievements, including improving the benchmark for infant health outcomes by 48% and being the first EHDI program to disaggregate data by social, geographic and health care delivery factors. Statewide partnerships with Early Head Start, home visitor programs, midwiferies, and Amish leadership have enabled children less likely to receive hearing healthcare services to receive testing and resources. Tammy’s advocacy led to recognition by the Iowa Speech-Language-Hearing Association for outstanding service.
Tammy has achieved publications in the American Journal of Audiology for her collaborative work to increase diagnostic capacity in Iowa:
- Sapp C, Stirn J, O'Hollearn T, Walker EA. Expanding the Role of Educational Audiologists After a Failed Newborn Hearing Screening: A Quality Improvement Study. Am J Audiol. 2021 Sep 10;30(3):631-641.
- Kelsey A. Dumanch, Lenore Holte, Tammy O’Hollearn, Elizabeth Walker, Jacob Clark, and Jacob Oleson. (2017). High risk factors associated with early childhood hearing loss: a 3-year review. American Journal of Audiology. Vol. 26, 129-142.
Tammy has expanded access to family-centered services by championing the inclusion of parents in every step of the hearing healthcare journey. Her advocacy led to enhanced collaboration between Iowa’s EHDI program and early intervention. She established a Family Support Program within Iowa EHDI, enabling families to access a wide range of resources and supports. She has worked to address disparities in access to services by advocating for solutions such as telehealth services. Tammy worked to pilot telehealth program approximately 15 years ago and is currently working to attempt telehealth opportunities to ensure that rural children may have opportunities for diagnostic services closer to home.
Tammy is national leader in the EHDI community and shared her expertise through presentations and active participation in committees to advance EHDI goals. Tammy serves on the Directors of Speech and Hearing Programs in State Health & Welfare Agencies (DSHPSHWA), Executive Committee for CDC EHDI Cooperative Agreement, and mentors new EHDI coordinators. Tammy’s ability to combine evidence-based practices with compassionate care has inspired countless professionals and families.
Through her leadership, Tammy has fostered a culture of excellence and collaboration within Iowa. Her vision, persistence, and unwavering commitment to the EHDI mission has made a profound impact on countless lives. Tammy consistently motivates and exemplifies passion EHDI’s goals. Her contributions embody the spirit of the Antonia Brancia Maxon Award for EHDI Excellence, making her a deserving candidate for this prestigious recognition.