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Listening @ ACI Alliance
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.
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Abstract Submission Opens in July
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CI2026 Chicago | Call for Abstracts Opens in July!
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Mark your calendars now. CI2026 Chicago: Conference on Cochlear Implants will be held May 6-9, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago Hotel in Chicago, IL.
CI2025 Boston has concluded, we will be posting select abstracts soon. Please see our e-bag for additional information.
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June is National CMV Awareness Month
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Cytomegalovirus (CMV) affects approximately 1 per every 200 births in the United States and is the most common cause of non-hereditary hearing loss. Infants are infected due to exposure of the mother who often is unaware they had CMV due to the mild, cold-like symptoms in adults. CMV is responsible for hearing loss in 1 in 5 children who have no other known risk factor or cause.
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Ask the Audiologist | Blog
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Our latest blog question is What does follow-up therapy typically entail for a child under one year of age? Find out what audiologist Melissa Hall says about therapy after a CI for children.
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Measuring Meaningful Outcomes for Adult Hearing Health Interventions
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As people get older, they become more likely to have hearing difficulties in certain situations; for example, having conversations in public settings where there is naturally more noise. This can sometimes lead to isolation, depression, or even fatigue from the effort needed to communicate with others. Clinicians and researchers often do not use standardized outcome measures for hearing interventions that reflect patients' perceptions of real-life improvements.
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Hearing Review: Who Gets a CI? Expanding Access to Cochlear Implants
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ACI Alliance members Melissa Hall AuD, Allison Biever AuD, and Terry Zwolan PhD contributed their expertise to this important article on cochlear implant candidacy and barriers to cochlear implantation.
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Career Center | Post or Find a Job
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Take advantage of our career center to explore job openings posted by other members in the cochlear implant field. As a member, you can post a job for free at your organization. Job seekers do not need to be ACI Alliance members.
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Camden and His Superpower Ears and A Superpower Team
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Camden is a sweet little boy who was born deaf. The only way that he can hear is by using cochlear implants, which he got when he was two and a half. Camden enjoys playing basketball and learns that his new neighbor, Lenox, can play just like a boy. Do you see? Lenox is a girl, and most boys have the impression girls can't play ball. Well, they would soon discover how wrong they are. Read the rest of the story to know how Lenox and Camden overcame the team members' beliefs and made lots of friends instead.
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Support EHDI and Medicaid
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Over the 20+ years that EHDI has been existence, this bi-partisan effort to identify children with hearing loss at birth and provide them with early access to technology and intervention services has been successful in screening 98% of newborns within one month of life. This important accomplishment is now endangered by cuts being made in this critical program.
ACI Alliance has been meeting with key Congressional offices to discuss the impact of cuts on Medicaid and EHDI. You can support our efforts to save these programs by participating in our Action Alerts. We have had a tremendous result of 5,000 alerts send thus far, please let us reach our goal of 6,500 messages.
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Hearing Health in Missouri
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In the last hours of the 2025 Missouri legislative session, the House voted to pass Senate Bill 79. This was a comprehensive healthcare bill that was passed by the senate and came to the house in March.
Currently, reimbursable MO HealthNet services include hearing aids for eligible needy children, pregnant women, and blind persons. This act mandates MO HealthNet coverage of medically necessary cochlear implants and hearing instruments for all eligible participants.
The next step is the bill must be signed by the governor. We have no indications that the bill won't be signed. Active coverage is likely to begin in 2026. We are thankful to our MO members for supporting this bill, especially Kate Sinks AuD, whose tireless effort ensured this wonderful outcome.
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ACI Alliance Sends NC Budget Request Letter
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We recently wrote to Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees with concerns about a significant change in the House version of S. 257 impacting the Early Learning Sensory Support Program for Children Who Are Deaf/Hard of Hearing (ELSSP). We asked that they consider that Section 7.61(c) and (d) be removed and that the ELSSP remain solely under the Department of Public Instruction. Such a move would go against the recommendations by the Governor’s Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
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Take Action North Carolina ACI Alliance Members!
Join us in requesting that the Early Learning Sensory Support Program for Children Who Are Deaf/Hard of Hearing (ELSSP) remain where it is to avoid dramatic changes to early intervention.
Send a note to your North Carolina elected officials here:
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August Member Survey Distribution
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In an effort to support and advance research activities by our members, ACI Alliance provides a service to assist our members to collect information from other CI clinicians and investigators on the CI process, outcomes, access barriers and research needs.
Please send your survey to Donna Sorkin; dsorkin@acialliance.org by July 31st to be included in the August survey distribution, using the following format:
Title:
Brief Summary:
Audience:
Survey Link:
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Authored by: Alejandra Ullauri, Tessa Kramer & Valeriy Shafiro
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Cochlear Implant Services for Spanish Speaking Patients
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This study examined the accessibility of online information about cochlear implant (CI) services for Spanish speakers and evaluate organizational health literacy practices in CI programs in the United States. Results indicate reduced language access for Spanish speakers seeking CI services in the USA, exemplified by limited access to PIs and bilingual providers, insufficient availability of information about CIs on programs' websites, and low organization health literacy practices in CI programs.
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Authored by: Lauren H Tucker, Maeher R Grewal, Alexander Chern, Michael W Denham, Rachel E Weitzman, Mark A Eckert, Samuel H Selesnick, James M Noble, Justin S Golub
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Associations Between Hearing Loss and Dementia in a Large Electronic Health Record System
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This was a cross-sectional, multicentered retrospective study using the electronic health records at the academic medical centers of Columbia University and Cornell University. Using a large electronic health record system, audiometric hearing loss defined in three separate ways was associated with increased odds of dementia. Electronic health records can corroborate and expand previously studied relationships between hearing loss and its comorbidities, including dementia. All univariable regressions showed increased odds of dementia with worsening hearing, regardless of how hearing or dementia was defined.
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Authored by: Shannon, Christian M.; Fabie, Joshua E.; Hand, Brittany N.; Schvartz-Leyzac, Kara C.; Dubno, Judy R.; McRackan, Theodore R.
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Factors Associated with Preoperative Patient Expectations in the Cochlear Implant Evaluation Process
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Age was found to have a weak association with increased expectations in some domains of the CIQOL-Expectations. There were some very weak associations identified between a patient’s baseline functional ability and their expectations in the corresponding domain. However, no modifiable variable included in the current analysis was found to have an association with patient expectations.
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Authored by: Alexandra Ibewuike, Amanda D. Sloop, David Adkins, Cayla M. Robinson, Omnia Rehal, Matthew Bush
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Social Determinants of Health and Adult Cochlear Implantation: A Scoping Review
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Social determinants of health (SDOH) describe the nonmedical factors shaping health outcomes, including the conditions in which individuals live, work, and age, as well as broader influences like social norms and economic policies. These factors likely contribute to the disparity in CI utilization. This scoping review aims to identify articles addressing SDOH data and highlight gaps that may explain the underuse of CI in eligible adults.
While literature on the topic has expanded over time, a more comprehensive understanding of SDOH as related to CI candidates and recipients may improve access to this technology for all who could benefit.
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Like what you’ve seen? There is no obligation to join to continue receiving Listening but if you wish to be more involved in ACI Alliance, explore the opportunities for membership.
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P.O. Box 103 | McLean, VA 22101-0103 | Phone: 703.534.6146
Website: https://www.acialliance.org
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