Robert M. Traynor, Ed.D., MBA

Presidential Message

Robert M. Traynor, Ed.D., MBA

January 1, 2012

Welcome to 2012 and a New Year filled with challenges, issues and projects that need our attention as Audiologists. It is my pleasure to serve as your President for 2012 and I am pleased to have a group of hard working Audiologists that have stepped up to be part of our Board of Directors.  As your President, I hope to communicate with you at the website a few times this year for updates on what is happening with the Colorado Academy of Audiology (CAA).

In this first communication of the New Year, I want to discuss some of the goals and 1^st quarter projects of this year’s dedicated CAA Board of Directors. And, by the way, when you see one of these dedicated professionals, please give them a big “Thank You” for taking time out of their practices to serve the profession.  I also want to thank all of the colleagues and students that “STEPPED UP” to work very hard on the 2011 convention in Vail and those that attended.  As you may know, it was one of the largest turn-outs for a Colorado Academy of Audiology (CAA) Convention in history and in the terms of one manufacturer, “One of the best state audiology meetings ever”!  this gives us a tall order for next year, but we are up for the challenge.

Here’s what is going on as the year begins:

Professional Issues

Terri Ives, V P of Professional Affairs monitors the issues for us, follows up with the DORA on the sunset of our licensure, and is our first line of defense on the emerging issues that turn up virtually all the time. A recent pressing issue is the concern about United Health Care simply shipping hearing aids to their subscribers and having them “fit themselves”.Terri organized a recent conference call with American Academy of Audiology (AAA) President Teresa Walden so that we were apprised of what was being done about this issue on the national level. Your CAA board was assured by President Walden that this issue has been and will continue to be addressed aggressively by the AAA (cooperatively with the Academy of Doctors of Audiology) with appropriate letters various government agencies, United Healthcare and others that may make a difference. There is even a consumer protection suit initiated by the Ohio Academy of Audiology that is working its way through the system in Ohio. Ohio is one of the states where real change can happen in this area. Once changes happen in other states, they can support changes in Colorado and elsewhere. Issues that may come up for action during 2012 are as follows:

• Direct Access
• Hearing Aid Tax Credit
• Non-Physician Health Care Provider Scope of Practice
• Federal Appropriations
• Health Information Technology
• Falls Prevention
• Communications and Video Accessibility
• SGR Medicare Payment Formula

When these issues come up for action, I urge each of you to respond aggressively and in a timely manner. For more information about these and other issues, you can contact Terri or check out:  http://www.audiology.org/advocacy/priorities/priorityissues/Pages/default.aspx

Membership

Membership in your state academy is of the utmost importance.  To be your voice in Colorado, CAA must maintain certain percentage of membership among licensed audiologists.  When representing you to governmental agencies, the first thing they ask us is, “Do you represent the audiologists of Colorado”?  If we only have 25% of licensed audiologists as members it is more difficult to turn discussion our way, while if we have an 80% membership their decision is more likely to follow CAA recommendations.  The more Audiologists we represent the more influence the Colorado Academy of Audiology will have on the issues, no matter what the issues. Some of you may not realize, membership is for a calendar year, and those of you that paid your dues at the convention paid them for 201, so now your 2012 dues are due.  VP of Membership, Kristen Addison, has some programs for you as part of her IF NOT YOU THEN WHO Membership Campaign. I urge you to renew your membership, solicit new members with us, contribute your time and energy to CAA, and make us the official voice of Audiology in Colorado.   You can help Kristen and the current membership drive referring members to us and obtaining some valuable perks for yourself as well.  Check with Kristen and her Membership Committee for the specifics.

2012 Bylaw Revision

This year will revise the Colorado Academy of Audiology Bylaws.  Our CAA Bylaws date back to 1991 and desperately need revision.  Although the CAA Founders did a nice job in their initial preparation, the current document pre-dates the internet and numerous other legal changes governing professional associations, and their activities.  Over the past couple of years, there have been some issues that involved our Bylaws and our current document did not address the issues. Just when she thought that her CAA involvement would decline a bit, I asked Past President Sandy Gabbard to chair this select committee to review and modify the current Bylaws, check these changes with our attorney, and then offer them to the Board so they can be presented to the membership this year.  She hopes to have her first draft available for Board review in early 2012.

Committee Structure

President-Elect Dan Ostergren is busy working on the committee structure and student coordination for CAA. One of Dan’s active committees involves the schools, school audiology, and direct visibility for the profession of audiology.  Bill Matthews is Chair of the Science Fair Committee that will activate this year. His efforts and that of Lisa Cannon will be to involve school audiologists in the solicitation of Audiology related Science Fair Projects.  If you are interested in being part of this committee or establishing a committee in an interest area that needs CAA attention, please submit your inquiry directly to Dan for his consideration.

Web Site Update

CAA Secretary Abby Seaser and her committee is investigating the possibility of updating our website so that we can update the site on our own.  We also hope to offer special sections of our site to members that have logins.  These would include brochures, committees, professional affairs, Membership, etc.   Although this involves a significant investment, this is 2012 and our web site is now where we live and our face to the State, the nation, and the world. Thus, we need a site that is more interactive with the hearing impaired community, with a login for members access certain information, post documents for member review, report committee activities, video capability, and other special features which will offer more value to your membership in CAA. Hopefully, Secretary Seaser will be able to report more on the new web site by early spring. 

2012 Convention

Judy Drumright, VP of Education is busy firming up speakers and finalizing our contracts for our convention, October 4-6, 2012 at the Vail Marriot, Vail, Colorado.  Last year our convention was so successful that your Board has decided not to change the venue.  If you want to assist with the convention, contact Judy.  The convention is a large job and really involves all of us so…..if you are not able to be part of the official convention committee, please volunteer for projects and other duties on site.

Financial Audit

Emily Wakefield, Treasurer is in the process of obtaining an audit by a Certified Public Accountant for the Colorado Academy of Audiology books. We are investigating some specific accountants that specialize in professional association and non-profit organizations.These audits are required from time to time to insure that income and appropriated funds handles correctly and legally.   It has been quite some time since CAA has had an audit and your Board felt that it was essential account for your funds correctly as well as to support the Treasurer in the accounting process.  Emily feels that this audit will take place early in the first quarter of 2012 and will be available for review shortly thereafter.

So….. These are our important CAA activities and responsibilities, incurred as your Board assumed their new offices at the Convention and followed that with a Board meeting in November.   I will be back to you next quarter with the results of these projects, continuing issues, as well as emergent issues in the next few weeks.I remain committed to IF NOT YOU THEN WHO ……The Colorado Academy of Audiology is YOU, renew your membership, volunteer, contribute your time, energy, and effort and help us make Audiology a lasting, rewarding profession, and fulfill our advocacy for the hearing impaired.  Those Audiologists just visiting us….become a member, be part of the Colorado Academy of Audiology.

October, 2011—It is my honor to represent you as the President of the Colorado Academy of Audiology for 2011-2012.

As one that has been an Audiologist for well over 35 years I remember the days when we were primarily an academic discipline. Our training programs were in the business of educating audiologists so that they could go to other academic programs and train more audiologists. There was not much employment outside of academia, some hospitals, and ENT clinics. Our scope of practice was narrow and most of us had a Master’s Degree and, without the capability to dispense products, it was difficult to make a living as an Audiologist. Since that time, hard work, political action, changes in training programs, and technology have changed our profession forever.

Most young audiologists no longer obtain graduate research degrees (MA/MS; Ph.D/Ed.D./Sc.D.), but are now enlightened with a clinical credential similar to other doctoring professions. The Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) allows new audiologists to be effective clinically from their very first day out of school. Due to the efforts of your colleagues in CAA, Audiology is now a licensed profession in Colorado. Although we were one of the last states to become licensed, CAA member efforts, hard work and relentless lobbying paid off in licensure and survival of the first sunset revision. Progressive political action and lobbying by AAA, ASHA, and ADA has widened the practice venues for Audiologists to include Schools, Noise Control, manufacturer’s representatives for products and many of us now own independent business we call Audiology Private Practices. Audiologists can now be found in all corners of the state in both urban and rural environments providing high quality services and products to the hearing impaired. Politics, technology, and research have combined to produce new procedures such as ABR, OAEs, cochlear implants, cerumen management, balance assessment and rehabilitation, hearing aid dispensing and rehabilitation all adding to our scope of practice. Many of these procedures were nonexistent or only research projects in the 1970s making Audiology a very different profession than it was 35 years ago; now in 2011, it takes its rightful place alongside other doctoring professions.

None of local changes have happened overnight and not much would have happened without the hard work of CAA members, previous officers and committee members. Although the current generation of practitioners has made substantial changes to the profession, for licensure, widening the scope of practice, increasing the venues and specialization within the profession, there is always a continuing threat from Otolaryngology, hearing aid dealers, governmental regulation and others. It is time for the new generation of Au.D. audiologists to step up and move their profession forward as your colleagues have done before you. This, our 20th year as an organization, armed with a brand new logo and bright future ahead: our motto for 2011-2012 will be “IF NOT YOU THEN WHO?” It must be you, for you are the new generation, the future of our profession and it is now your turn to have an impact on Audiology. So, volunteer for committees, run for office in CAA and AAA, get visible in the community and become a voice for our profession. Encourage your colleagues to join CAA and make a difference. If you are a student member, be active in your SSA Chapter, it is the training ground for participation within CAA and our national associations.

Those of you I do not know, I hope to meet you over the next year, and to my old friends and colleagues, thank you for your confidence in making me your 2011-2012 President……and remember, IF NOT YOU…THEN WHO?

Robert M. Traynor, Ed.D., MBA
10/3/2011