Six Learning Communities (LCs) will be created throughout Pennsylvania and supported by TIU 11 to increase the knowledge and engagement within the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) system .

Each LC shall be composed of six to 12 local EHDI stakeholders with a commitment to participate and to implement local changes to ensure that newborns and infants who are deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) receive follow-up screening, care coordination, and enrollment in EI services. The members of the LCs shall be composed of:

* Pediatric health care professionals from local health care organizations;

* American Academy of Pediatrics Chapter Champions;

* Pediatric primary care clinicians;

* Practice or community based care coordinators from the local EI program;

* Family members of children who are D/HH; and,

* Service providers from other locally available services including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Home Visiting, local Maternal and Child Health agencies, and State Title V Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) programs.

A two-hour LC event will be held every other month for the Learning Community. The events shall focus on providing LCs with an opportunity to learn new information related to the EHDI system and to identify local barriers and solutions. Each LC event shall include a 30 minute update on local activities, a 60 minute statewide webinar on a specific topic, and a 30 minute discussion session to identify how the presentation topic impacts their local community, the potential barriers in their area, and strategies that will make their community more effective in meeting the needs of newborns and infants who are D/HH and their families.

Impact surveys will be sent to LC members. They will be designed to pull the following information:

* Number of participants that are aware of and follow the JCIH 1-3-6 recommended timeline guidelines;

* Number of D/HH patients that have a care coordination plan;

* Number of care coordination plans developed with the parent or family, caretakers;

* Number of care coordination plans that are shared across providers and partners;

* Number of health care professionals that have developed partnerships with state Title V CYSHCN programs regarding systems integration and family centered care coordination;

* Learning boost data from the previous LC event to ensure long-term transfer of knowledge and implementation of new skills learned through the LC event;

* Overall satisfaction of the LC events; and

* Suggestions on area(s) of improvement.