Monthly Archives: December 2023

Earworm has just released a new dialogue on hearing health you won’t be able to stop thinking about. This new episode is entitled, The Potential of Preventing the Most Common Non-Genetic Cause of Hearing Loss with a Vaccine and features a conversation with Lori Panther, MD, MPH who is the Vice President of Infectious Diseases at Moderna where she leads the vaccine development program for congenital Cytomegalovirus or cCMV. Dr. Panther will be talking about ways to mitigate the effects of CMV in the early childhood population, with a special focus on a new vaccine that is under investigation. 

The Earworm podcast features conversations with a wide array of professionals, family members, advocates, and scientists whose experiences, ideas, curiosities, and activities are committed to ensuring that all children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can thrive. The Earworm podcast is available for streaming anywhere you listen to podcasts, as well as on www.earwormpodcast.org.

Last call for Nominations – Antonia Brancia Maxon Award for EHDI Excellence

Nominations are invited for the Antonia Brancia Maxon Award for EHDI Excellence to be presented at the 2024 National EHDI Conference in Denver, Colorado. This award honors the life and work of Dr. Antonia Brancia Maxon to promote effective Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs for all newborns, infants, and young children. Dr. Maxon was a pioneer in EHDI programs, beginning with her leadership in the Rhode Island Hearing Assessment Project in the late 1980’s. She was one of the first to recognize the feasibility and value of universal newborn hearing screening and was a tireless advocate for connecting screening programs with timely and appropriate diagnosis and early intervention.

Her extensive contributions to creating excellent EHDI programs were abruptly ended by a tragic automobile accident in May of 2007. In memory of her contributions, an Award for EHDI Excellence is presented each year at the National EHDI Conference to honor an individual who has made outstanding contributions to achieving excellence in EHDI programs nationally or in a particular state or region.

Nominations for the Antonia Brancia Maxon Award for EHDI Excellence should be emailed to karl.white@usu.edu, or mailed to:

National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management

Utah State University

2615 Old Main Hill

Logan, Utah 84322-2615

Nominations must be received by Monday, December 4, 2023 and MUST BE LIMITED to 500 words. The nomination should describe:

The outstanding accomplishment(s) that contributed to improving EHDI programs.

How the accomplishment(s) demonstrate(s) significant creativity or initiative.

The specific ways in which the nominee has contributed to EHDI excellence.

Presentation of the 2024 Antonia Brancia Maxon Award for EHDI Excellence will be made on Monday March 18, 2024 at the National EHDI Conference in Denver, Colorado. More about the National EHDI Conference, including past nominees and recipients can be found at www.ehdiconference.org.