Lafayette, IN -After establishing a connection over shared goals and interests for the future of audiology and Au.D. education, ReSound and the Audiology Foundation of America (AFA) have entered into a strategic alliance to promote independent practice and enhanced education for audiologists. With a $100,000 grant to the AFA, ReSound has staked its interests in promoting the ownership option to audiology practitioners as a desirable future opportunity for service delivery.
"We are thrilled to support the AFA's efforts to put the spotlight on the current challenges within Au.D. education," said ReSound President Bjørn Christ. "ReSound is very interested in increasing not only the numbers of audiologists, but also the quality of their skills as they move into practice and patient management. We want to help students expand their horizons beyond traditional medical settings and embrace the excellent career opportunities that can be found in private practice. Private practitioner audiologists, like medically based practitioners, have a vested interest in providing excellent patient care, and that's a fantastic advantage for patients seeking quality hearing healthcare."
ReSound's grant to the AFA will support three important initiatives:
- the 2008 Conference on Professional Education II - a twenty-year follow-up that will look at Au.D. education and propose actionable solutions for the future
- student mentoring programs and educational opportunities
- Au.D. promotion and Au.D. scholarships
"ReSound has given us an amazing opportunity to continue our work on behalf of the Au.D. and student education," said AFA Chair Deborah Price, Au.D. "It will have long-term positive results for the entire profession. Our work to move career expectations from employees to owners will open up new opportunities for private practice entry and further establish audiology as a doctoring specialty comparable to other healing arts professions such as dentistry and optometry. We can't wait to get started on our new journey - to empower audiologists to be independent and autonomous practitioners
