Listening is a vehicle for us to share information on cochlear implants and hearing loss with hearing healthcare providers, adult CI recipients (and those exploring CI), parents and family members interested in CI, educators who work with deaf and hard of hearing children, and anyone wanting to learn more about cochlear implants. 

ACI Alliance is a not-for-profit organization created with the purpose of eliminating barriers to cochlear implantation by sponsoring research, driving heightened awareness and advocating for improved access to cochlear implants for people of all ages. There is a wealth of information on our website. 

Our work at ACI Alliance follows our mission encompassing research, advocacy, and awareness. Accordingly, Listening covers all three.

We encourage you to share sign-up details for this free e-newsletter with patients, family members, colleagues or anyone who may be interested.

Lou Ferrigno shares experiences with ACI Alliance Executive Director Donna Sorkin at the Opening Session of CI2022 DC.

CI2022 DC took place last month in Washington, DC with over 1,200 people participating in-person and virtually. It was wonderful to be together in-person sharing new research, exploring the exhibit hall and meeting colleagues. CI2022 content and CEUs are available online for those registered for the in-person or virtual conference until June 21, 2022. 

Matthew L. Bush MD, PhD, MBA &
Lisa Park AuD with Lou Ferrigno

Matt and Lisa kicked off the meeting with their top ten lessons learned during the pandemic which included: The most terrifying and humbling words in the English language are “SHARE SCREEN”; elementary school math is more complex than auditory neuroscience; sweat pants are the new business casual; cognitive research has never been more   important…we can’t remember anything before March 1, 2020; and We’re not guaranteed tomorrow, so let’s recharge and reconnect today!… Let’s Enjoy CI2022!

Would you like to have ACI Alliance resources for your patients, families, and others? Visit our website for printable PDF resources including informational cards, position papers, clinical guidance, our “Tips” series, and more. We are happy to order and ship materials to your clinic, hospital, or organization.

Terry Zwolan PhD to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at CI2022 DC Opening Session on May 19, 2022.

The Lifetime Achievement award recognizes the contributions over the whole of a career and for the work and accomplishments of the individual being recognized. Each year the ACI Alliance honors a person whose life work has steadfastly promoted the values and ideals that guide and inspire us and our mission as an organization. This year, the award was presented to Dr. Terry Zwolan. 

"Terry was a leader in the CI community’s efforts to expand candidacy criteria when it became clear that children and adults with more residual hearing and those with single-sided deafness, would benefit from cochlear implantation. Dr. Zwolan has authored, and contributed to, nearly 100 peer-reviewed papers on cochlear implantation." - Donna Sorkin stated when presenting her the award at CI2022 DC.

Brittney Sprouse AuD, PASC

ACI Alliance welcomes Brittney Sprouse AuD, PASC to the Board of Directors. She is the Director, Audiology and Newborn Hearing Screening at the University of Chicago Medicine.

The Board of Directors exercises all corporate powers and manages the business and affairs of the Alliance. They establish program priorities central to its core mission of sponsoring research, increasing awareness and improving access to cochlear implants through advocacy while providing oversight of all activities carried out in support of its mission.

Alissa Parady, Executive Director

Urge the US Senate to Support EHDI Reauthorization     
Join the ACI Alliance is asking the Senate to support S. 4052 – the EHDI Reauthorization Act. EHDI has been instrumental in increasing newborn hearing screening rates from 46% in 2000, when Congress first authorized the program, to 98% in 2019. Before EHDI, the average age for identifying hearing loss in young children was 2 to 3 years of age—past the critical period when language acquisition has already begun. You can contact your Senator by clicking on our Action Alert. 

Urge Congress to Make Permanent Telehealth Waivers 
Ask Congress to make telehealth reimbursement for audiologists and speech language pathologists permanent! During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE), the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare (CMS) provided extensive temporary waivers aimed at easing access to healthcare via telehealth. This included granting audiologists and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) authority to be reimbursed for services provided via telehealth. Click here for our Action Alert.

National Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Awareness Month is held in June to increase awareness of CMV, the most common infectious cause of birth defects. CMV affects approximately 1 per every 200 births in the United States and is the most common cause of non-hereditary hearing loss. CMV is responsible for hearing loss in 1 in 5 children who have no other known risk factor or cause.

Learn more about ways to help your child with hearing loss learn to listen, talk, and reach their full potential. Living LSL covers the essentials of LSL and spells out the important need-to-know aspects of teaching a child who is deaf or hard of hearing to listen and talk. These webinars are on-demand so you can learn on your time. 

Congratulations to the student poster winners at CI2022 DC.

Gabriel Brandner BS from the Medical University of South Carolina; Facilitators and Barriers to Cochlear Implantation
Ankita Patro MD, MS from Vanderbilt University; Video Education Before CI Enhances Patient Knowledge and Confidence
Kristina Bowdrie BA from The Ohio State University; The Interaction between Temperament and Family-Related Environmental Confusion on Spoken Language

Student posters were reviewed by twelve hearing health professionals across the care continuum chaired by Jacob B. Hunter MD. Student participation is an important component in our efforts to increase clinical and research involvement in CI. We look forward to welcoming students to CI2023 in Dallas, Texas June 7-10, 2023.

The CI2022 Program Committee has identified the following presentations as the top podium presentations for Emerging Issues in Cochlear Implantation. These presentations are available on-demand CI2022 virtual platform for all participants and they will available this summer on our website for all members. 

A new study from Keck Medicine of USC has found that infants with hearing loss and severe developmental delays are better served with cochlear implants than hearing aids. The study was published in Pediatrics in May 2022.

The study found that cochlear implants improve the skills of deaf children with early developmental impairment across the board in every skill tested - cognitive, adaptive behavior, language and auditory. The work was carried out by the USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery led by John Oghalai, MD, an otolaryngologist and department chair.

Plan ahead to save the date and join us next year for our conference in Dallas, TX from June 7-10, 2023 | Hyatt Regency Dallas. Call for Papers for CI2023 will open in August. Plan now to submit.