KRS 211.647: Duty of office on receipt of hearing risk certificate -- Standards for

audiological assessment and diagnostic centers.

(1) The office, on receipt of an auditory screening report of an infant from a hospital or

freestanding birthing center i n accordance with KRS 216.2970, shall review each

auditory screening report that indicates a potential hearing loss. The office shall

contact the parents to schedule follow -up evaluations or make a referral for

evaluations within three (3) business days.

(2) The office shall secure information missing from birth certificates or hospital

referral reports which is relevant to identifying infants with a hearing loss.

(3) The office shall establish standards for infant audiological assessment and

diagnostic centers based on accepted national standards, including but not limited to

the "Guidelines for the Audiologic Assessment of Children From Birth to 5 Years

of Age" as published by the American Speech -Language-Hearing Association

(ASHA) and the "Year 2007 Posit ion Statement: Principles and Guidelines for

Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Programs" as published by the Joint

Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH). The office may promulgate administrative

regulations in accordance with KRS Chapter 13A to establi sh the standards for the

centers.

(4) The office shall maintain a list of approved infant audiological assessment and

diagnostic centers that meet the standards established by the office. An audiological

assessment and diagnostic center included on the lis t shall meet the standards

established by the office. An approved center may voluntarily choose not to be

included on the list.

(5) An approved audiology assessment and diagnostic center shall agree to provide

requested data to the office for each infant e valuated and on any newly identified

children ages birth to three (3) years with a permanent childhood hearing loss

within forty-eight (48) hours and make a referral to the Kentucky Early Intervention

System point of entry in the service area of the child' s residence for services under

KRS 200.664. A center shall submit documentation to the office of a referral made

to the Kentucky Early Intervention System. A referral received by the Kentucky

Early Intervention System from a center shall be considered a re ferral from the

office.

(6) If the audiological evaluation performed by the office contains evidence of a

hearing loss, within forty-eight (48) hours the office shall:

(a) Contact the attending physician and parents and provide information to the

parents in an accessible format as supplied by the Kentucky Commission on

the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; and

(b) Make a referral to the Kentucky Early Intervention System point of entry in

the service area of the child's residence for services under KRS 200.664.

(7) The office shall forward a report of an audiological evaluation that indicates a

hearing loss, with no information that personally identifies the child, to:

(a) The Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for census

purposes; and

(b) The Kentucky Birth Surveillance Registry for information purposes.

(8) Cumulative demographic data of identified infants with a hearing loss shall be made

available to agencies and organizations including but not limited to the Cabinet for

Health and Family Services and the Early Childhood Advisory Council, requesting

the information for planning purposes.