Reston, VA - November 5, 2007- The American Academy of Audiology is pleased to announce the selection of Amy Miedema as Director of Communications and Debra Abel as the Director of Reimbursement.
Effective immediately, Amy Miedema will manage the Academy's publications, to include Audiology Today, the Journal of American Academy of Audiology, books, brochures, and multimedia, as well as the Web site and public relations campaigns (Turn It to the Left) and communication efforts. She comes to the association with more than nine years of experience in publishing, marketing communications, and project management. She is a strategic thinker and planner with strong leadership skills and business acumen; skills and expertise that will continue to help grow the success of the Academy.
Effective November 12, Debra Abel, AuD, will manage the overall strategic and programmatic functions related to reimbursement, coding, and quality measures, including the development of products and services in this area. In addition, she will develop and implement specific initiatives aligned with the Academy's strategic advocacy plan. As part of her duties, Dr. Abel will also maintain relationships with key personnel of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and other federal agencies, industry, and allied organizations.
Dr. Abel has been an at-large member of the Academy's Board of Directors for more than two years and a member of the Academy since 1988. She has served as the chair of the Coding and Practice Committee (now Coding and Reimbursement Committee) from 2003-2005 and has served as the board liaison to the committee from 2005-present. Dr. Abel has authored and co-authored many articles and publications on the subject to include "Reimbursement/Practice Management Issues and Ethics" (2007), Coding, Billing, and Reimbursement Capture (2007), and "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Billing," (2007).
As a new addition to the Academy staff, Dr. Abel will step down from her position as an at-large board member. The Board of Directors has appointed Erin L. Miller, AuD, to complete Dr. Abel's term on the board. Dr. Miller is currently the coordinator of hearing aid dispensary and clinical preceptor, at the University of Akron, OH. Her special areas of interest include adult and geriatric amplification, auditory processing disorders, state licensure and advocacy issues, and mentoring.
The Academy is honored to have Ms. Miedema, Dr. Abel, and Dr. Miller join our team and support the world's largest professional organization of, by, and for audiologists. The American Academy of Audiology, representing more than 10,000 audiologists, is dedicated to providing quality hearing care services through professional development, education, research, and increased public awareness of hearing and balance disorders. To learn more about the audiology profession and how audiologists are helping the 30 million Americans who experience hearing loss, visit the Academy's Web site at www.audiology.org.
