Abstract Details

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9/26/2014  |   9:30 AM - 10:00 AM   |  Topical Session 1   |  Ballroom A

Cytomegalovirus Public Awareness

Cytomegalovirus Public Awareness Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the leading cause of nongenetic childhood hearing loss (Manicklal, Emery, Lazzarotto, Boppana, & Gupta, 2013) with about half (40-58%) of congenital CMV-infected children experiencing permanent hearing loss (Dollard, Grosse, & Ross, 2007). In Utah, the CMV Public Health Initiative H.B. 81 (2013 General Session) UCA 26-10-10 went into effect in July of 2013, sponsored by Utah State Legislature Representative Ronda Rudd Menlove (UDOH, 2013). A law requires the Utah Department of Health to educate pregnant women and women who may become pregnant about the health complications of CMV and virus prevention. It also requires medical practitioners to test newborns for congenital CMV before they are 21 days old if they fail two hearing tests. Because of this new legislation implemented in Utah, 33 infants were referred for CMV testing, with 11 testing positive for CMV. Early identification leads to early intervention, which promotes long term benefits for affected children and their families. Unfortunately not all children identified as being candidates for CMV testing have been tested; further public awareness is necessary to ensure the success of the new legislation. As part of the Utah Regional Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (URLEND) organization, a group of students created a research-based public awareness and outreach video to further educate the public on CMV. In addition to a research paper reviewing the current literature on CMV, the research team produced, filmed, edited, and finalized an educational mini documentary concerning parent perspectives and education. The goal of this project is to increase the public awareness about CMV, as well as testing and intervention related to the disease. The intended outcomes for this project are to increase the knowledge regarding prevalence and incidence, and to generate discussion regarding education of public and policy makers on CMV.

Stephanie Rusk (Primary Presenter), steffi.rusk@gmail.com;
Stephanie Rusk is a Doctorate of Audiology candidate at Utah State University. A URLEND-Infant Pediatric Audiology graduate who became very familiar with CMV through research and her mentors. Stephanie intends to focus her studies on pediatric audiology. She is a graduate trainee with Utah State University's Listening and Spoken Language program. She regularly volunteers at Special Olympic events, and will travel with USU’s Student Academy of Audiology chapter on humanitarian hearing missions. She is the national chapter representative for USU's SAA chapter, and the fundraising and humanitarian mission coordinator. She is originally from Alaska, and is happily married. When not focusing on ears she enjoys cooking, painting kayaking, and hiking with her giant schnuazer, Sofie.

ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial - No relevant financial relationship exist.

Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.

Valerie Collier (Co-Presenter), valerie.collier@hsc.utah.edu;
Valerie is from California and went to school in Pomona where she received her B.S. degree in Microbiology from California State Polytechnic University and her M.S. degree in Biomedical Science from Western University of Health Sciences. She returned to school one more time to pursue a Master’s in Genetic Counseling program at the University of Utah. Her current research project investigates the impact on volunteers of an adaptive rock climbing program for children with autism. Valerie loves the outdoors and has worked as an outdoor science educator and summer camp program director. Valerie also worked as a tobacco cessation counselor at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Regional Hospital in Bethel, Alaska promoting healthy pregnancies among Alaska Native women. She plans to continue to be an advocate for individuals with disabilities as she enters the field of genetic counseling.

ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial - No relevant financial relationship exist.

Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.

Helen Russette (Author), helen.russette@mso.umt.edu;
Helen is currently a student in the Public Health Master’s Program at the University of Montana. She works for the Montana Disability and Health Program. She is a student secretary for the American Public Health Association Disability Section. Select scholarships that she has been the recipient of, over the years, include: the Gates Millennium, Soroptimist Women’s Opportunity Award, and APHA Disability Section travel award. Originally from Box Elder, MT near Rocky Boy’s Reservation. She would like to continue down the research road and have the opportunity to be a part of a few disability-related projects and presentations. A recent project completed included partnering with Accessibility Ambassadors from across Montana on determining the accessibility of the built-environment surrounding local elementary schools for children with physical, audio, and visual disabilities.

Girwan Khadka (Author), girwan.khadka100@email.wsu.edu;
Girwan Khadka is a doctoral student at Washington State University (WSU), studying Clinical Psychology with an interest focus in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. He received his Master's degree from WSU in 2011, and expects to receive his doctoral degree in 2015. His current research focuses on the construct validity of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) within and across different cultures. Girwan has clinical experience working with college-aged students at the WSU Counseling and Testing Services, as well as with children, adolescents, and their parents at University of Idaho Child and Youth Study Center. He is a native of Kathmandu, Nepal, and sees reflections of his hometown in the hilly terrain of the Palouse. He loves to cook, garden, read, sing, and watch movies.

Presentation:
344StephanieRusk.pdf

Handouts:
344StephanieRusk.pptx