Oversight will show costs to the Highway Fund and General Revenue, and will assume minimal costs on the other funds. Assuming that there are 75,000 live births per year, there would be 150 births of children who are hearing impaired. DES also assumes there would be costs associated with developing and maintaining the reporting system described in the proposal. In addition, this proposal requires DOH to provide audiological and administrative technical support to facilities implementing a hearing screening program. DOH will develop a training program for individuals administering screening procedures, and develop and distribute educational materials for families.
Costs associated with training include materials, travel, lodging, and meals.
The Health Program Representative and Audiologist would be responsible for developing and supplying educational material on universal newborn hearing screenings, obtaining hearing screen results data from the hospitals and agencies that rescreened the infants, providing audiological and administrative technical support to facilities in selecting screening equipment, and developing and training individuals administering tests. Expenses related to these FTE include equipment, office furniture, personal computers, travel, rent, and office and communication expenses. Oversight further assumes additional staff could be located in existing office space, and rent expense would not be needed. DOH also states they are required to establish a Newborn Hearing Screening Advisory Committee. This committee is required to meet at least four times a year.