The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) is submitting the Annual Performance Reports (APR), which also serves as the non-competing continuation application, associated with the CDC-RFA-DD20-2006 NOFO, "Improving Timely Documentation, Reporting, and Analysis of Diagnostic and Intervention Data through Optimization of EHDI Surveillance Practices and Information Systems". In this submission, the TDH requests $160,000.00 to fund strategies and activities that will (1) help strengthen the tracking and surveillance capacity of Tennessee Early Hearing Detection and Intervention - Information System (TN EHDI-IS) program; (2) make it possible for Tennessee to report individual record-level hearing data to CDC to be included in the national hearing data base; and (3) facilitate data exchange through standardized reporting, analysis and information dissemination between TN EHDI and health care providers and other partners to ensure that infants receive essential screening, diagnostic, and intervention services in accordance to Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) 1-3-6 recommendations. By the end of the project period, the TN EHDI will increase the percent of infants who receive a diagnosis no later than 3 months of age from 46% for 2018 births to 85% for 2025 births and increase enrollment in early intervention services no later than 6 months of age for infants who are deaf and hard of hearing from 42% for 2018 births to 80% for 2025 births.Among the funds requested, $20,967.00 will support the salary and fringe benefits for an Epidemiologist II (0.2 FTE). The Epidemiologist II, Yinmei Li, MD, PhD, will serve multiple roles including the Principal Investigator and Project Director to administer this cooperative agreement, Evaluation and Performance Monitoring to be responsible for coordinating the evaluation plan, and the Health Informatician to ensure the data quality and data submission to the CDC. An amount of $93,375.00 will support a f
ull time Epidemiologist I, Ms. Devann Kirkpatrick, MPH, through a contract with Knowledge Services. Under the general guidance of Dr. Li, Ms. Kirkpatrick will be responsible for the surveillance and data management tasks outlined in the funding notice. She will assure the quality and integrity of EHDI follow-up data, conduct program evaluation activities, perform statistical data analyses, prepare documents and reports, disseminate findings to program staff and stakeholders, develop new data processes, and provide interim and summary reports to improve tracking and surveillance activities. Additional $20,884.00 is requested to cover the increased hours available for a contracted audiology consultant, Brittany Day, AuD, CCC-A, who will also be partially supported by the HRSA EHDI grant. Dr. Day will provide audiology consultation for training, program development and evaluation to improve the system of care for the program; assist in the development of family focused culturally competent policies and services; and to promote screening and follow-up with medical providers, audiologists, early intervention staff, and families. This contract provides the Department of Health with audiology expertise that does not exist within the Department.
