Reston, VA - January 25, 2012 - The American Board of Audiology® is pleased to announce that Meagan P. Lewis, AuD, Winston-Salem, NC, and Elizabeth Erickson O'Neill, AuD, of Children's Hospital Boston at Waltham, MA, recently earned the Cochlear Implants Specialty Certification (CI) credential.
To earn the Cochlear Implants Specialty Certification credential, a candidate must first submit an application satisfying professional experience and education requirements. The successful applicant then must pass a challenging examination that covers eight cochlear implants knowledge domains: Candidacy Considerations, Counseling/Expectations, Surgical Considerations, Programming Principles/Speech Coding, Device Operation, Troubleshooting, Rehabilitation, and Outcomes. Only those who are able to achieve the designated examination score earn the CI credential. Once earned, the certification must be renewed every three years through 60 hours of continuing education, 30 of which must be specific to cochlear implants.
Launched in 2004, the Cochlear Implants Specialty Certification was developed to standardize training and knowledge of CI audiologists, elevate professional standards in audiology, and recognize those professionals who have acquired specialized knowledge in the field of cochlear implants. An esteemed group of cochlear implant audiologists served as subject matter experts and worked in conjunction with a nationally recognized measurement consulting firm, Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc. (AMP), to develop the specialty program under the auspices of the American Board of Audiology.
"The CI is a mark of professional distinction and provides consumers a method of identifying audiologists with specialized knowledge in cochlear implants," said Gail Whitelaw, chair of the American Board of Audiology. "These individuals are to be commended for their commitment to the audiology profession and their drive to continue to pursue knowledge needed to make them effective audiologists in their practices."
The ABA will offer a subsequent examination in cochlear implants on April 1, 2012, in Boston, MA. To apply for the Cochlear Implants Specialty Certification, visit www.americanboardofaudiology.org or contact Keri Murphy, certification manager, at 703.226.1057, kmurphy@audiology.org.
About the American Board of Audiology®
The American Board of Audiology® (ABA), an autonomous organization, is dedicated to enhancing audiologic services to the public by promulgating universally recognized standards in professional practice. The ABA encourages audiologists to exceed these prescribed standards, thereby promoting a high level of professional development and ethical practice. The Cochlear Implants Specialty Certification (CI) is a voluntary certification program administered by audiologists for audiologists by the ABA.
