Mississippi Speech-Language-Hearing Association

In honor of Better Hearing and Speech Month, Innovative Technology Treatment Solutions is offering 15 awards in honor of Better Speech and Hearing Month and Stroke Awareness Month. The purpose of the ITTS Award will be to help recipients zero in quickly on the most appropriate technology  to enhance talking, reading, writing, thinking, learning and memory in their situation.

Send an email to Joan@innovativespeech.com for an application. Learn more about the using technology to enhance treatment at  www.innovativespeech.com. Applications will be accepted thru May, 2008. Recipients of the awards will be announced in June.

The Louisiana Speech and Hearing Association will hold its annual continuing education conference June 6 - 7, 2008, in Shreveport. CLICK HERE for a conference borchure.

United Healthcare Children’s Foundation awards grants of as much as $5000 to help insured families pay for unmet serious health needs. Parents or legal guardians can apply for grants online at www.uhccf.org. The grants can cover treatment, services or equipment not fully paid for by the parents’ insurance such as speech therapy, physical therapy, prescriptions, wheelchairs or eyeglasses. To be eligible, children must be 16 or younger and families must meet economic guidelines, live in the United States and be covered by a commercial health insurance plan.

Your MSHA membership provides you with a direct connection to the most respected voices for communication sciences and disorders professionals in Mississippi. MSHA members are audiologists, speech - language pathologists, and speech/language/hearing scientists employed in schools, in health care facilities, in private practice, in universities, and many other settings across the state. MSHA membership is your link to a network of experienced and helpful colleagues.

With interests and concerns similar to your own, MSHA members are committed to providing the highest quality services to and advocacy for people with communication disabilities.  By targeting advocacy at the state and federal levels with input from a lobbyist and special interest committees, MSHA is able to negotiate strategies for effective legislation and policy development.  With members represented on the Advisory Council for the Mississippi Department of Health Licensure Board we have direct input with regard to licensure issues.

Membership in MSHA provides you with the resources and information you need to be successful at your job, advance your career, and better serve people with communication disorders.  MSHA helps provide easy access to other speech-language and hearing professionals in the state through the MSHA LISTSERV, MSHA web, and Membership Directory.  MSHA Executive Board members and Committee Chairs in specialized areas disseminate information about critical issues to MSHA members.

MSHA continues to develop a variety of continuing professional education opportunities.  Conferences and seminars are available at special rates for members.  The Annual Continuing Education Conference offers exciting learning opportunities with the latest research and practical applications to assist you in your practice.  Our goal is to assure that members have cutting-edge information about issues and concerns within their areas of interest.

MSHA is currently 600 strong; however, there are more than 300 licensed speech language pathologists and audiologists in the state who are not current MSHA members.  If you know colleagues who are not MSHA members, encourage them to join.  The true strength of any organization is its membership.

A.T. Still University and the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management are offering a workshop August 5 - 8, 2008, at A.T. Still Unviersity in Mesa, AZ. The workshop combines online preperation with a four day session in AZ emphasizing clinical procedures and hands-on practicum. Click Here for more information.

In 2007 the STAR Committee prioritized the issues of concern with regard to speech language services billed under Medicaid.  The following were considered critical points to address in legislation.1)    Following physician orders for duration and frequency of treatment as prescribed in the doctors’ order or the doctors “prescription” for service.2)    Reimbursement for therapy provided in multiple settings, allowing treatment at school and with private therapist.3)    Equity in the appeal process.  The same procedure should be followed in the event of service denial and service reduction. 4)    Increased reimbursement rates.There was no resolution with any of our identified Medicaid issues.  After several years of trying to work in a cooperative effort within the Medicaid system we hired an additional lobbyist for the 2007 legislative session.  Initially, key legislators were responsive to the issues brought forward by our grassroots efforts that included speech language pathologists as service providers and parents of children with disabilities.  With the lobbyists direction we were able to meet with legislators to discuss the need for additional monitoring of Department of Medicaid practices and the need for statute that addressed services to children.  However, our efforts were derailed by a crisis at the administrative level in the state department of health shifting the focus of attention to a different area of public healthcare, and testimony of a previous Director of Medicaid suggesting an overall restructuring of the system.  In the current legislative session the codes of the Medicaid bill have been reintroduced.  We are currently monitoring recommendations made in committee

During the calendar year 2007, MSHA followed through with several legislative initiatives.   Legislation regarding insurance coverage for hearing aids for children was introduced in 2007, however, died in committee.   Subsequent meetings with legislators and lobbyists revealed a statute requiring a report of economic impact.  A committee was formed and the report finalized in the fall of 2007.  Legislation was again introduced in January 2008.  As our lobbyist indicated the timing for introduction of this bill was poor with many newly elected legislators, numerous changes in committee chair positions, and adjustments in the state budget after the influx of federal monies post-Katrina making consideration of a substantive issue difficult at this time.  This bill died in committee.  We plan to reintroduce this legislation in the next session after an awareness campaign while the legislators are in their home districts prior to session.  Currently, we continue to monitor bills relating to experience increments and considered increases affecting the salary of speech language pathologists and audiologists employed in the public schools and state agencies.

Last year for our 3/21/07 meeting we had total cash assets of $154,429.74. 

I’m pleased to point out that at the end of 2006 we had $60,985.54 in CDs.  As you can see above, we now have $111,528.02 in CDs, a great increase toward our goal of having two year’s operating expenses in reserve.  At this moment the maturation dates are not as spread out as I would like, but we’re taking steps now to spread out the maturation dates so we’ll always have a little extra available for a short-term emergency. 

The reason we are trying to put so much money in CDs is that ASHA has recommended that state associations keep two full years operating expenses in reserve.  My personal goal is that once we have that put aside, we can use the interest as association income.  

Respectfully submitted,

Rebecca D. Laskin, M.C.D., C.C.C.   

Treasurer

 Respectfully submitted,  Rebecca D. LaskinMSHA Treasurer