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Kathleen Pichora-Fuller elected into the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences

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SAC would like to congratulate SAC member M. Kathleen Pichora-Fuller on her election as a fellow for the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. In 2021 Kathleen Pichora-Fuller was the recipient of SAC’s Eve Kassirer Award for Lifetime Achievement. She was chosen for this award in recognition to her long history of distinguished and dedicated service to both SAC and the profession of  audiology. Her work has fostered the development and advancement of audiology nationally and internationally. She is also currently the Chair of SAC’s Audiology Services in Long Term Care Working Group.

She is also joined by SAC member Susan Rvachew, who has received national and international recognition for outstanding professional achievements in the field of speech-language pathology practice and research.

Fellowship in the Academy is considered one of the highest honours for individuals in the Canadian health sciences community. This announcement has important implications for audiology and SAC because it provides an opportunity to lead new initiatives on various policy deliberations concerning hearing in later life, including the national dementia strategy, ageism, new models of inter-professional primary health care delivery, LTC, etc.

The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences brings together Canada’s top-ranked health and biomedical scientists and scholars to make a positive impact on the urgent health concerns of Canadians. The fellows have been drawn from all disciplines across our nation’s universities, healthcare and research institutes, evaluate Canada’s most complex health challenges and recommend strategic, actionable solutions.

 

Click here to learn more and see the full list of 2022 fellows.

Survey: Assessing Dysphagia Readiness in Recent S-LP Graduates

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The Aging Swallow Research Lab and the Oral Health and Swallowing Research Lab are seeking speech-language pathologists who currently work with adults in Canada, to participate in a student research project titled “A Survey to Determine Readiness for Clinical Management of Adults with Dysphagia After Completing Graduate School in Canada Among Speech-Language Pathologists.” This survey is being conducted by undergraduate student Christine Lee, under the supervision of Dr. Ashwini Namasivayam-MacDonald from McMaster University, Dr. Rebecca Affoo and Juliana McLaren from Dalhousie University and Zuleikha Wadhwaniya from University Health Network.

The purpose of this study is to determine the readiness and competency of Canadian speech-language pathology students in clinically managing dysphagia, immediately following their graduation. We aim to recruit currently practicing speech-language pathologists, who have graduated from a Canadian program within the last 5 years (Classes of 2018-2022). We are not collecting any identifying information and only aggregate-level data (i.e., data that summarizes the results) will be made public.

The survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Please note, there will be no financial benefits associated with the completion of the survey.
If interested, please click here

If you have any questions about this study, please do not hesitate to contact Christine Lee via email at leec128@mcmaster.ca.
Note that this study has been reviewed by the Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board (HiREB) under Project #15267. The HiREB is responsible for ensuring that participants are informed of the risks associated with the research, and that participants are free to decide if participation is right for them. If you have any questions about the rights of research participants, please call the Office of the Chair, HiREB, at 905.521.2100 x 42013.

 

Durham College CDA Program Teaching Opportunity

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Durham College is seeking an experienced and motivated professional who shares our commitment to quality and student success. The Faculty of Health Sciences requires a part-time professor to teach an Introduction to Audiology course for the Communicative Disorders Assistant program in the fall semester.

Interested candidates should send a resume to Gillian Dunn Associate Dean Faculty of Health Sciences gillian.dunn@durhamcollege.ca

 

Survey: Use of the DLD Label by Francophone Speech-Language Pathologists

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Do you use the DLD label in your assessment reports? There is a great deal of variability among S-LPs in the use of a specific term, a label, to identify children with persistent language impairment. Help Laurentian University understand your challenges and needs in French minority language settings nationally (outside of Quebec) by completing a survey. Please note, the survey is only available in French. 

Click here for more information and to complete the survey

 

Webinar – A Vision to Transform Canada’s Public Health System with Dr. Theresa Tam

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The COVID-19 pandemic represents the biggest public health crisis that our country has confronted in a century. While our public health system and workforce extended itself to respond to COVID-19, public health was challenged in its capacity to address other important and public health issues. The pandemic has highlighted the strengths of our system but it has also exposed vulnerabilities. During this webinar, Dr. Theresa Tam discussed how we can join forces across communities and sectors to build the public health system that meets the needs of all people in Canada.

Click here to access the webinar.

 

The Ida Institute Tackles Clinician Well-Being and Burnout with a Free New Course

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The Ida Institute Tackles Clinician Well-Being and Burnout with a Free New Course

Naerum, Denmark, April 25 – The Ida Institute’s newest Learning Hall course, Clinician Well-being: The Science of Self-care, launched April 25, 2022. The four-part course addresses causes and remedies for such things as vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout.

Hearing care professionals have the privilege of being part of their clients’ hearing care journeys. But sometimes, professionals inadvertently take on their clients’ distress over hearing challenges or other things discussed in appointments. On top of that, they face caseload challenges, business pressures, and environmental influences, which all add further stress. If clinicians are not aware and prepared, they are at risk of professional fatigue.

 

Self-care allows for better care of others

This course helps hearing care professionals exercise self-care for their own well-being. It explores the various forms of professional fatigue: vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout, and identifies their early warning signs. By the end of the course, learners will be able to develop their own professional fatigue warning scale, a self-care strategy, and a framework for debriefing within a clinical setting.

Ida’s Managing Director, Lise-Lotte Bundesen, said, “While most of our resources focus on the needs of people with hearing loss, we know that burnout, stress, and other forms of professional fatigue are an ongoing concern for both employers and employees across industries. This course looks specifically at the risks and remedies of professional fatigue in a hearing care setting and gives clinicians the tools to evaluate their own needs and make self-care a part of their daily lives. Because we can’t help others if we don’t first look after ourselves.”

 

The course is structured in four parts:

1. Risk factors for clinician well-being

2. Making empathy conscious

3. Tools and strategies of self-care

4. Debriefing in the clinical setting
This course includes several knowledge checks, ethnographic videos, and a short exam at the end of each section. Passing all four exams enables learners to apply for CEU/CPD points with accrediting organizations.

 

Clinician Well-being:

The Science of Self-care is taught by Dr Dunay Schmulian, Director of Audiology at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Queensland, Australia. Schmulian is the former Chair of Wellness and Culture at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Queensland and a Women in STEMM Fellowship recipient. Her research focuses on the lived experience of patients and clinicians engaged in life-changing health conditions.

To view Clinician Well-being and all the Learning Hall courses, create a free account on the Ida Website at https://idainstitute.com/login/.

Learn more about the Ida Institute at idainstitute.com or sign up for the institute’s weekly newsletter.

You can also follow the Ida Institute at twitter.com/IdaInstitute, facebook.com/idainstitute or linkedin.com/company/ida-institute.

For more information or to arrange interviews, contact Clint McLean at the Ida Institute ciml@idainstitute.dk

 

 

Survey: The Impact of Impairment: Exploring Speech Pathologists’ Measurement of Outcomes in School-Aged Students with Communication Difficulties

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Are you a Speech-Language Pathologist who works with school-aged students (primary and/or secondary) with a primary diagnosis of speech, language or communication difficulty? If so, you are invited to participate in a study exploring current outcome measurements used by SLPs with this population being conducted by Masako Wong (Honours student), Associate Professor Jane McCormack and Dr Sharon Crosbie from the School of Allied Health at the Australian Catholic University. Participation will involve completion of an online survey which will take approximately 20 minutes. No personal details will be required and data gathered will be non-identifiable. Information from the survey will be aggregated to allow us to understand the outcome measurement tools currently being used and gaps in this area. If you are interested in participating in the study or require further information, please follow the survey link below to find the Participant Information Letter with further details about the study and the investigators, the consent form and survey questions.

Click here to complete the survey.

Survey – Impact of Virtual Care in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Speech-Language Pathology Services for Children (Ages 0-12) in Canada

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A team of University of Ottawa researchers are undertaking a study to determine the impact of virtual care in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic on speech-language pathology services for children (ages 0-12) in Canada. The ethical aspects of this project have been approved by the University of Ottawa Research Ethics Board. Individuals who currently practice in Canada and work with the preschool and/or school age population (0-12 years of age) in any clinical setting and in any language are eligible to take part in this survey.   

We invite you to participate in this project—if you accept, you will be asked to complete a survey questioning your thoughts and experiences on the delivery of virtual speech pathology care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey is anticipated to take 20-30 minutes to complete. Your participation in this project is entirely voluntary and not work-related. Your work organization is not affiliated with this research project and will not know who has agreed to participate.  

If you are interested in participating, please find the consent letter and survey here.

If you have any questions about this study, please contact Allyson Cousineau Grant at agran3@uottawa.ca or Dr. Elizabeth Fitzpatrick at elizabeth.fitzpatrick@uottawa.ca.  

Exclusive Discount on Comprehensive Cerumen Management Course and More!

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SAC Audiology members, we are excited to announce an exclusive discount on a Comprehensive Cerumen Management course and a host of other online professional development available through Pacific Audiology.

Your 25% discount on registration rates is only available through SAC. To access this discount, use the code SAC25 upon registering.

Log in to access the discount code and the visit the Pacific Audiology Group website to learn more and register.

 

 

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