Virginia Law

A. The mission of the Virginia EHDI program is to identify hearing loss at the earliest possible age and to assure that appropriate early intervention services are received to reduce the risk of developmental delays.

B. The scope of the Virginia EHDI program shall include the following:

1. Provide hospitals and other birthing places or centers with a secure reporting system, which may be electronic, that meets all applicable federal and state privacy laws. This electronic system may include existing demographic data captured by other department population-based systems and the commissioner may authorize hospitals required to report to view existing data to facilitate accurate reporting and increase the department's ability to conduct successful follow-up and identify infants at risk for hearing loss pursuant to § 32.1-127.1:04 of the Code of Virginia;

2. Collect, maintain and evaluate hospital newborn hearing screening data in a database including initial screening, risk indicators, rescreening, and diagnostic audiological evaluations, in a secure data management information system;

3. Provide follow-up of results of screening for cCMV and for infants whose results indicate screening failure, identified risk indicators, inconclusive or missing results, or other circumstances requiring follow up. Follow-up includes:

a. Communicating with the parent or guardian for those infants who failed the hearing screening, those who were not screened, and those who are at risk for progressive hearing loss in order to advise of the need for audiological services as well as to provide information on locating an approved center that provides diagnostic audiological services or a licensed audiologist;

b. Communicating with audiologists, hospitals, other birthing places or centers, primary health care providers, and others as needed to ascertain follow up status and receive results of audiological evaluations and intervention referrals, including Part C services;

c. Communicating with the parent or guardian for any child found to have a hearing loss in order to provide information about hearing loss and appropriate resources including family-to-family support and referral to the Part C program; and

d. Communicating to the Part C program regarding any child found to have hearing loss in order to facilitate early intervention services;

4. Provide training and technical assistance to hospitals and other birthing places or centers;

5. Develop and disseminate protocols for hospitals, audiologists, and primary health care providers;

6. Develop and disseminate parent education materials;

7. Maintain an approved list of audiological providers meeting program criteria;

8. Evaluate Virginia Hearing Impairment Identification and Monitoring System components, including screening, referral and follow-up rates, referral mechanisms and tracking indicators;

9. Communicate critical performance data to hospitals and other birthing places or centers on a quarterly basis; and

10. Collect and report data required annually for Title V national performance measures, CDC national EHDI goals, and other funding sources as needed that measure how well the system functions.

C. Title V national performance measures and the CDC national EHDI goals, as required by the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA; Pub. L. 103-62), shall be used to establish newborn hearing screening goals. The goals are:

1. All infants who are born in Virginia hospitals shall be screened for hearing loss prior to hospital discharge. Residents of Virginia who do not pass screening, do not receive screening, or who have an identified risk indicator shall receive appropriate evaluation, diagnostic, follow-up, and early intervention services. Infants who are not residents of Virginia and who do not pass screening, do not receive screening, or who have an identified risk indicator will be referred to their state of residence for appropriate evaluation, diagnostic, follow-up, and early intervention services;

2. All infants born in Virginia shall receive a hearing screening prior to one month of age;

3. Infants who are referred shall receive a diagnostic audiological evaluation before three months of age; and

4. All infants identified with a hearing loss shall receive appropriate early intervention services before six months of age.

The goals shall change as needed to be consistent with federally required performance measures.