Lauren Reed, MSW, MPH (Dec '15) recently accepted a position with the Northeast Health District as the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention
(EHDI) District Coordinator.
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| Lauren Reed (middle) with co-workers at a community outreach and education event |
Ms. Reed explains, "Due to hearing loss being one of the more common birth defects, all babies have their hearing screened at birth before leaving the hospital. If a baby fails to pass their initial screen, misses their initial screen (due to emergency transfer or equipment not working), or has risk factors for hearing loss, then the hospitals sends a referral to me. From there, I contact the families to let them know the importance of having their child's hearing re-screened and educate them on the type of tests they need, and what providers in the area offer those services.
The program allows me
to follow a child from birth to 5 years old. Typically I begin
working with a family following their initial screen up until diagnosis
where I refer them to the appropriate early intervention.
Early diagnosis for children who experience hearing loss is so valuable
in order for children to meet their developmental milestones. If
children are not screened early on then they may not receive a diagnosis
until they are in school.
This program is able
to be successful through collaborations between pediatricians,
hospitals, families, and the Georgia Department of Public Health. I am able to provide case management and
support to families during this sometimes overwhelming process, while
also capturing data in the state surveillance system
to ensure that early detection and intervention is taking place in my
district."
Ms. Reed continues, "When I began looking for a job I was concerned that I would have to choose between using my public health or social work skill sets, but I have been pleased to find that this position provides an opportunity to integrate both. I work very closely with the Children's First program and will also be teaching some health education classes on car seat safety. I recently became a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST), which I will use to educate individuals in our community on how to install their car seat to best protect their child(ren)."
"Additionally I have continued to do some contract work around health education and individual therapy. I hope to continue to be able to apply my skills in a variety of ways to help promote a healthy community."
Congratulations on your new position, Ms. Reed!
Visit Ms. Reed's LinkedIn Profile.
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