Audiology Connections - 2022 - 13

AUDIOLOGY BOARD OF DIRECTORS CORNER
Sharon Sandridge
It is hard to believe that my term
is over. Serving as the ASHA Vice
President (VP) for Audiology Practice
has been an incredible honor, and
I thank you for providing me this
opportunity-even in these very unusual
times. I think I can safely say that I am
the first VP for Audiology Practice to
serve during a pandemic (and I hope
that I will be the last)!
In my 2021 BOD Corner message,
I wrote about resisting serving as an
elected volunteer leader because I
was not interested in the " politics of
the profession. " I had been very active
serving in many capacities with the
American Academy of Audiology
(AAA), Academy of Rehabilitative
Audiology (ARA), and ASHA, but had
not sought an elected position until
2018. Amid planning the 2018 ASHA
Convention, as Audiology Co-Chair, I
decided to take the plunge and run for
ASHA VP for Audiology Practice. My
regret now is that I didn't get involved
sooner-because the politics of the
profession have been interesting,
challenging, and rewarding!
The audiology profession has
experienced many significant wins
during the past several years.
Because of the pandemic, we all
became acutely aware of the need
for telehealth. Perhaps that is why
the Interstate Compact, which allows
audiologists to practice across state
lines without separate licenses,
reached the criteria level (10 states had
to sign on) to move forward-with many
more states continuing to support this
movement. The most significant win,
in my opinion, is the uniting of the
three major audiology organizations:
ASHA, AAA, and the Academy of
Doctors of Audiology (ADA) to work
together for the betterment of the
profession. (Thank you, Neil DiSarno,
for all your previous work in breaking
down barriers between organizations!)
Together, ASHA, AAA, and ADA
drafted details of the legislation for
the Medicare Audiologist Access and
Services Act (MAASA). In June 2021,
AAA President Angela Shoup, ADA
President Victor Bray, and myself held
a joint town hall to promote MAASA
to audiologists across the country. The
three of us worked closely to present
different aspects of MAASA. I look
forward to our continued work to
promote and advocate for passage
of a bill that grants audiologists
practitioner status that will allow us
to be reimbursed for management
services and continued telehealth
delivery.
Meeting regularly with Drs. Bray
and Shoup throughout 2021 facilitated
keeping the lines of communication
open among our organizations.
Although each of us wore our
organization's hat, we came to the
table as audiologists first-with the
goal of advancing our profession. I'm
excited for our successors to continue
these meetings and form the bond that
Angela, Victor, and I have.
My final words to you would be a
call to action. Don't wait too long to get
involved, to participate in your state
and national organizations, and to
advocate for our profession. You will
find that volunteering is rewarding and
well worth the time commitment. You
will also find that advocacy can take
many forms. Everyone can advocate.
At work, you can advocate by
promoting hearing/balance/tinnitus
awareness and access. At the state
or national level, you can advocate
by contacting your state officials
or Congressional representatives
through their websites. Better yet, set
up an appointment to talk to your
representatives' staff. We still have a
long way to go to gain recognition as
a profession, so we all need to do our
part.
These last 3 years have been among
the best and most rewarding periods
in my professional life. Thank you for
giving me this opportunity, and I know
that ASHA's next VP of Audiology
Practice, Janice Trent, will serve ASHA
and audiology well!
Audiology Connections - 2022

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