SHAV Advocacy Day -  January 16, 2012
RSVP By December 16, 2011
General Assembly Building
Room 4 West
9th & Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219

You are invited to join us on January 16, 2012 for an exciting and important day. Plans for Advocacy Day 2012 are underway!  This is your chance to meet with delegates and senators to voice what issues are important to you. CEU’s are available for the event.

What you need to do:

Agenda

9:30 am  –  10:30 am
Purpose and Pursuits, David Bailey, SHAV Lobbyist
Enjoy a light continental breakfast during Mr. Bailey’s presentation
                        
10:30 am - 11:30 am
Meet With Delegates and Senators

11:30 pm -12:00 pm
Debriefing
Same room where we gathered

12:00 pm
Lunch will be provided

This program is offered for .25 CEUs (Intermediate Level, Related Area)

Bill Tracking

Find Your Legislator

 

Posted - June 24, 2011

What One Person Can Do
Now until 1/11/12

Get known by your state senator and delegate - Find Your Legislator
Get known by your 2011 candidates for state officers: senator and delegate

Prepare and communicate 60 second version of your main issue

Get to know the opposition: position and people
Determine if there are points of agreement

What a Political Action Committee (PAC) Can Do
Now until 1/11/12

Encourage all candidates to respond to the SHAV PAC questionnaire.
Help supportive candidates in many ways:
Volunteer in Campaigns
Endorse Candidates
Host Fundraisers or Contribute to Campaigns

Expand Network of Willing Workers & Provide Advocacy Training

Cornelia Long, MS, CCC-SLP

Participate in Hearing on the Hill Day at the Capitol - January 19, 2012
Participate in SHAV Day at the Capitol
Work to pas the Audiologist's bill
Remind Legislators of their commitments

Want to get involved - Contact Cornelia Long, MS, CCC-SLP, Vice President of Governmental Affairs.

Posted - June 16, 2011

NOTIFICATION From the
BOARD OF AUDIOLOGY AND SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY

This email provides notification to the licensees of the Board of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology that the following two guidance documents have been recently posted to the public website located at http://www.dhp.virginia.gov/aud/aud_guidelines.htm:

30-8, Requirements to Hold Licensure in Virginia to Practice Speech-Language Pathology
30-9, Continuing Education (CE) Audits and Sanctioning for Failure to Complete CE
A guidance document is defined as "...any document developed by a state agency or staff that provides information or guidance of general applicability to the staff or public to interpret or implement statutes or the agency's rules or regulations..." Agencies are required to maintain a complete, current list of all guidance documents and make the full text of such documents available to the public.

 

Posted - April 15, 2011

Thank you for staying with us every step of the way!

The General Assembly passed our bill with 4 amendments and rejected the 5th that would have seriously compromised our bill. They approved Governor McDonnell's other changes to the bill, which would require state licensure of treatment providers, as well as prior authorization and independent reviews of treatment.

We are very grateful to our legislators for listening to the autism community.

The Governor has indicated he will allow the bill to become law.

We have an autism insurance reform bill in Virginia! We did it! Virginia will recognize autism as a medically diagnosed disorder and require medically necessary treatments, by law!

Thank you to everyone that called, wrote, emailed, prayed, drove, talked, prayed again and never gave up.

We have a lot of thank yous and in the coming days we will be asking that you take time to thank our supporters. We have so much to be grateful for.

Take a quick minute to thank:
the Governor, Email the Governor here
Senator Howell, district32@senate.virginia.gov
Senator Saslaw, district35@senate.virginia.gov
Senator Norment, district03@senate.virginia.gov
Speaker Howell, DelWHowell@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Hugo, DelTHugo@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Greason, DelTGreason@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Rust, DelTRust@house.virginia.gov

 

Posted - January 26, 2011

What Has SHAV Done For Me Lately

The SHAV Board and the PAC are extremely busy and has welcomed 2011 with a resiliency to tackle issues specific to our professions, clients and colleagues.

First, the PAC and SHAV have joined forces with Autism Speaks and the Virginia Autism Project to mandate autism coverage for children 2-6.

Secondly, FEES regulations continue to be a major issue with clinicians who practice in the clinical settings (hospital, nursing homes and ENT clinics) and we must all lend a hand and write letters in support of this practice being regulated versus legislated. In VA we want to ensure SLPs who are specifically trained can effectively deliver this practice without a physician being present. If you would like to comment please send comments to: leslie.knachel@dhp.virginia.gov.

Third an Audiology Bill has been introduced and is in subcommittee. Why? Currently VA audiologists must acquire two licenses to practice and must pass an examination in order to dispense hearing aids in the Commonweatlth and why is that? It is just the way it has always been. We are working hard to change this, especially since audiologists are the most educated professionals about hearing disorders in the hearing aid industry and most audiologists have sought or are seeking the AUD, which indicates that they are highly trained hearing professionals who can also dispense hearing aids.

Also, we look forward to seeing you at our annual SHAV conference on March 16-19 in Richmond, VA. There will be courses on feeding issues in children, Pharyngeal-Esophageal Disorders in adults, and Adventures in hearing-NIH-audiology. I look forward to an awesome convention and I hope all of you can attend.

Sincerely,
Cornelia H. Long, M.S. CC-SLP
Vice President Governmental Affairs
Speech-Language Hearing Association

Posted - August 25, 2010

Outcome of the Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing Issue

Dear SHAV Board, SHAV PAC, SHAV Members and all of our esteemed FEES trained colleagues in the Commonwealth of Virginia:

On May 3, 2010, The Virginia Board of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (BASLP) received a joint position letter from Daniel W. Karakla, M.D., President of The Virginia Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery representing members of the Virginia Society of Otolaryngology (VSO).  The letter stated “there was a question regarding whether functional endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) can be performed by speech-language pathologists independent of otolaryngologists-head and neck surgeons.” Therefore, the position of the VSO was “that patient safety and care will be compromised if speech-language pathologists perform FEES without otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons’ supervision.”

The BASLP contacted ASHA to gather information on SLPs’ Scope of Practice for FEES and incidence rates for poor outcomes. On June 3, 2010, the BASLP met to discuss the issue during a regularly scheduled quarterly meeting. The meetings are posted on their web-site for public comment. There was a motion by the BASLP that “SLPs cannot perform FEES unless properly trained and in the presence of a physician.” This policy was posted on the BASLP website as Guidance Document 30-7.

This issue came to my attention on June 23rd when Janice Brannon, ASHA Director of State Special Initiatives called me. She informed me that ASHA was notified by concerned SLPs at Mary Washington Hospital of this policy statement. I began networking, emailing, and calling Janice Brannon, David Bailey (SHAV’s Lobbyist) our SHAV Board, SHAV PAC and interested SLPs from around the Commonwealth who perform FEES.

On July 14th, David Bailey had a meeting with Elaine Yeatts, Senior Policy Analyst and Leslie Knachel, Executive Director of BASLP to discuss our concerns with Guidance Document 30-7. He requested a public hearing. Ms. Knachel arranged a special hearing with the BASLP for public comment. Thank you David Bailey! SHAV and SLPs performing FEES owe you a debt of gratitude.

Via emails, two teleconferences and weeks of preparation and organization, we gathered many concerned SLPs who perform FEES. ASHA’s Janet Deppe wrote two letters of concern and support. I wrote two letters from SHAV and spoke with Leslie Knachel, Executive Director for the BASLP. Many of the SLP’s who could not attend the meeting wrote letters of concern and support to the BASLP including some otolaryngologists supporting SLP’s.

On August 11, 2010, the special meeting was held in reference to the Guidance Document 30-7.  Prior to public comment, the BASLP reviewed the history that led to the initial decision. Public comment followed. Our presenters who agreed to present for SHAV (although some are not Members of SHAV) were:

Lynda Lee Lunday, Sentara Obici Hospital, Suffolk
Frani Jamieson, INOVA Mt. Vernon Hospital, Alexandria
Catherine Reynolds, UVA Hospital, Charlottesville
Renee Bricker, UVA Hospital, Charlottesville
Lynne Fleming, UVA Hospital, Charlottesville.

Other presenters who came and spoke for the FEES cause were:

Susan Ward, Virginia Hospital & Health Association
Diane Rodil, Medical Facilities of America.

The BASLP members asked many questions. After all the comments were completed, the BASLP made a motion, which was seconded and the Guidance Document 30-7 was re-worded.  The new Guidance Document now states:

Policy on Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES)    
It is the opinion of the Board of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology that a speech-language pathologist (SLP), who is specially trained, may perform FEES pursuant to a physician order and under the general supervision of a physician provided there are protocols in place for emergency response.  An SLP is not authorized to possess or administer prescription drugs except as provided in § 54.1-3408B.     http://www.dhp.virginia.gov/aud/aud_guidelines.htm

SHAV and interested SLPs were invited to begin a dialogue with the VSO in order to continue with any regulation changes. Future meetings with the VSO will be held to ensure a joint and unified effort is formed to manage any additional regulation changes.

I want to thank everyone involved for your support.  I am very grateful for everyone who participated in developing this initial, successful response. I want to thank Janet Deppe and Janice Brannon from ASHA for their guidance and support. I would have been lost without David Bailey’s expertise on how to work within the political climate. I would like to thank the members of the Virginia Board of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology for arranging this special meeting.  A special thank you for those who presented at the meeting as listed above and to those who sent letters and read the countless emails from me.

This just shows us that “Yes we can!” And we did!!

Scott D. Rankins, M.S., CCC-SLP
SHAV President