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MSHA PROGRAMS (Conference)

Thanks to all  who came to make the 2008 MSHA Annual Conference a success!  Over 500 convened in Kalamazoo

 for an enriching experience.

Mark you calendars for next year:  

MSHA Annual Conference March 26-28, 2009

Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Dearborn, Michigan

Speakers already being lined up.  The 2009 Call for Papers is on-line.  It's time to start planning!  Contact Angela Massenberg, VP for Programs, through the MSHA Office, 

with suggestions, comments.

Click on link below for the 

2008 MSHA ConferenceProgram

MSHA Program

Printable Forms  

(printer-friendly format)

To mail completed MSHA Conference Registration Forms send to:

MSHA

790 W. Lake Lansing Rd. Suite 500-A

East Lansing, Michigan  48823

MSHA Conference Registration Form 2008

MSHA Hotel Reservation Form 2008

MSHA Conference Volunteer Form 2008 

Letter to Exhibitors and Advertisers

Reservation for Exhibits Form 2008

Advertiser Form 2008

Sponsorship Opportunities Form 2008

Call for Papers Form 2008

Web Forms (submit your info on-line)

Conference Registration Form 2008

Call for Papers Form 2009

From the May 2008 et cetera (in the mail to MSHA members)

March 13-15, 2008 Radisson Plaza Hotel, Kalamazoo, Michigan

Thursday, March 13, 2008

 Maria Mody, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Harvard University, will present an evening  Short Course: Language-Literacy Connections in the Brain: Normal and Ayptical Development (panel discussion, case- studies and practical applications will be included).

University Chairs and Directors Meeting at Western Michigan University, afternoon.

Afternoon Tour of the Speech Pathology & Audiology Clinic in the College of Health & Human Services Bldg, WMU

Reunion reception for the Charter Class of MSHA Pathways to Leadership Workshop participants from the ‘07 Conference

Welcome Reception, 8:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Maureen Staskowski, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, and Sue Hardin, M.S., Assistive Technology Consultant, Macomb Intermediate School District, will present a Short Course: Universal Design for Learning, 8:30 - 11:45 a.m.

Leora Cherney, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, ASHA Fellow, Center for Aphasia Research at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, will present a Short Course: Neuroplasticity, Technology, and the Changing "Face" of Aphasia Treatment, 8:30 - 11:45 am.

Stephen Tasko, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Western Michigan University, will present a two-hour Seminar: Instrumentation for "Dummies:" Supporting Clinical Practice With Simple, Low-Cost Technology, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Dorothea French, Ph.D., Cert. AVT, Redford-Union Schools, will present a morning Short Course on Updates on Speech and Deafness

Greg Flamme, Ph.D., CCC-A, Western Michigan University, will present an afternoon session on Hearing Loss Prevention: Opportunities in Schools

Richard Merson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Wm. Beaumont Hospital; Mary Berger, M.S., CCC-SLP and Marc Haxer, M.A., CCC-SLP, University of Michigan Health System; Alice Silbergleit, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, and Susan M. Bowyers, Ph.D., Dept. of Neurology, Henry Ford Hospital; Margaret Greenwald, Ph.D., Dept. of Neurology, Wayne State University; and Renee Lajiness-O’Neill, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, Eastern Michigan University, will present an afternoon session entitled Impact of Technology on the Management of Voice, Speech, and Language Disorders, 1:30 - 3:30 pm.

Lynn M. Dudek, M.S., CCC-SLP, Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence, will present a Short Course: Autism and the Young Child: Language Development, Assessment and Intervention, 1:30 - 4:45 pm.

Greg Flamme, Ph.D., CCC-A, Western Michigan University, will present an afternoon session on Hearing Loss Prevention: Opportunities in Schools

MSHA Awards Luncheon; Exhibitors’ Cocktail Party and Raffle, Friday evening; All-Day Silent Auction; St. Patrick’s Day Festivities in downtown Kalamazoo.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Jeanne Juenger, M.S., CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist, Houston, Minnesota Public Schools, Minnesota Virtual Speech and Language Program, and President of the Minnesota Speech-Language-Hearing Association, will present a Short Course entitled: Telepractice in Speech/Language: An Innovative Service Delivery Model to Optimize Resources, 8:30 - 11:45 a.m. Watch for an exciting opportunity to use this technology while linking attendees around the state.

Joseph Murray, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, VA Hospital, Ann Arbor, will present a Short Course on Dysphagia: The Use of Technology and the Implications on Treatment, 8:30 - 11:45 a.m.

Yvette Hyter,Ph.D., CCC-SLP, James Henry, Ph.D., Ineke Way, Ph.D., Love Kiracof, MSW, and Ben Atchison, Ph.D.,OTR, Western Michigan University; Mark Sloane, D.O., Center for Behavioral Pediatrics in Kalamazoo; and Connie Black-Pond, MA, LPC, LMSW, Children’s Trauma Assessment Center (CTAC) of Southwest Michigan, will present a day-long seminar (2 Short Courses) entitled: The Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Maltreatment on Child Development, 8:30 - 11:45 am and 1:30 - 4:45 pm.

Janet Sturm, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Central Michigan University, will present a morning Short Course entitled:  Providing High-Quality, Multi-Level Writing Instruction for Students Who Use Alternative and Augmentative Communication

Public School and Medical SLP Forum Luncheons

Great opportunity for CEUs. Contact MSHA for more info at 517/332-5691 or visit our website: www.michiganspeechhearing.org

 Dates for Future MSHA Conferences:

2009: March 26-28, 2009 Ritz Carlton Hotel, Dearborn.

2010: March 25-27, 2010 Radisson Plaza Hotel in Kalamazoo.

2011:  To be announced - Detroit area site.

2012:  March 22-24, 2012,  Radisson Plaza Hotel in Kalamazoo

Here are some of the questions and comments from evaluations from past conferences. 

Questions & Answers about the MSHA Annual Conference

Q: Who reads the conference evaluations and what do you do with the suggestions?

First, Dawn Kutney reads the conference evaluations and summarizes the results. Second, your comments, questions, and suggestions are presented to the MSHA officers and to the entire Executive Committee (EC) for their review. Third, the entire conference is "debriefed" by the EC. Annually, our goal is to learn from our experiences and improve the conference in each succeeding year. For example, here are a few of the evaluative comments, questions, and suggestions submitted from MSHA members with the 2006 conference evaluations.

Because the primary objective of the annual conference is to bring high quality, evidence-based, affordable continuing education to MSHA members, the EC promises to continue to listen to our members’ needs for professional development. Please continue to tell us what you think.

A: The Preliminary Program is printed in November so MSHA members may make an informed decision about whether the March annual conference will present professional development opportunities of interest to them. As in all phases of our lives, changes happen -- speakers may need to switch presentation times or cancel their commitment. Papers are submitted after the deadline. Rooms at the conference site may have to be switched. Members are notified of anticipated changes in the et cetera issue delivered in February preceding the conference. The Program Book is distributed at the conference and holds the final schedule with all the changes. Members are responsible for using the Program Book. MSHA staff is always available at the conference registration area to answer questions about the schedule.

A: Your question contains the answer. The 2006 conference planners made a purposeful decision to place the registration area at the rear of the Exhibition Hall to ensure that MSHA members would have exposure to the exhibitors. All of the companies and individuals who exhibit at MSHA are charged an exhibit fee in order to participate in the conference. Their fees defray the cost of the conference and thereby reduce the registration fee MSHA members pay. With their support, MSHA is able to present a higher quality of conference to its members and we are better able to afford the refreshments given at no additional cost to attendees.

Q: Why are there more conference participants at the Ohio conventions? Is it because MSHA is held during spring break?

A: MSHA is held in mid- to late March because that is the one time of the year that seems to avoid conflict with all the other various times when our members are given personal time away from work. For example, MSHA members who work in the public schools have spring vacations at highly variable times ranging from a standard first week of April to a floating vacation depending upon the timing of Easter. Additionally, our conference planners try to avoid the university spring breaks as well. Through experience, we have found that the middle of March tends to be the best time to schedule the annual conference and allow the most MSHA members and pre-professional students to participate. (The perception of a larger number of attendees at other states’ annual conferences may be related to the CEU requirements tied to licensure for SLPs in those states.)

A: The MSHA Executive Council and Program Committee plan the program in order to bring attendees the most continuing education units for the time and money spent at the annual conference. ASHA and State Board rules for continuing education allow counting only time spent in the session as continuing education time. Time for breaks is subtracted from each session. So for example, if a three-hour short course has a 15-minute break in the middle, then the amount of CEU time awarded for that session must be only 2.45 hours. Balancing the time spent in sessions versus the time between sessions for breaks is not an easy task and one that the program committee tries to improve every year.

A: MSHA is committed to bringing the highest quality, evidence based, affordable continuing education and professional development to its members. We are also committed to creating the atmosphere for our members to learn from each other, renew friendships and acquaintances, and revive energies and enthusiasm in the informal networking activities such as our annual luncheon and receptions. In order to fulfill this promise, MSHA must pay the bills. Even with our best efforts to negotiate the best rates and to keep costs low, thereby increasing participation by our members, here are some concrete examples of costs associated with the annual conference and these costs do increase every year as do all our purchases.

Meals and refreshments

!Coffee and tea average $2000 per conference.

!Audio visual rentals average $700 for each meeting room, every day.

!Conference meals and receptions are a great convenience enjoyed by all. The meals provide the time to meet with colleagues and provide professional networking opportunities. Catering bills are costly especially when tips and taxes are added. Here are a few examples of our costs.

President’s Reception Thursday evening - $1800.

Continental Breakfast - $1300

Exhibitors’ Cocktail Party - $1200.

Annual Luncheon and Forums – MSHA charges it’s members $15, but MSHA pays $27 per person (includes tax and service charge). The costs of these meals are defrayed by sponsorships and fees submitted by exhibitors, advertisers, and MSHA friends such as those contributing to the silent auction and raffle.

More Questions & Answers....

The MSHA program committee begins the process of selecting nationally and internationally known experts over 12 to 18 months prior to every conference. Based upon the advice of our members and members of the standing committees, invited speakers are selected and awarded a usually modest honorarium along with their travel expenses to come to Michigan. Costs associated with procuring experts recommended by our MSHA members have been increasing because of the specific individuals being brought to Michigan and the increasing expenses associated with travel.

Other Associated Costs

Your MSHA leadership has eliminated many direct costs associated with the annual conference. For example, volunteers from our university training programs are providing increasingly large amounts of service at the conference. During 2006, student volunteers staffed registration areas, acted as the official photographers, and provided office support for processing CEU paperwork and other secretarial tasks. MSHA must still pay for the paper and printing of the program, registration materials, and mailings. The leadership continues to examine other ways to defray costs such as increasing the use of electronic communication and the web page for registration, dissemination of conference information, and conference proceedings.

As part of the 2005-2008 MSHA Strategic Plan, the EC is actively examining opportunities to bring a wider array of continuing education and professional development opportunities at affordable costs. Please communicate your ideas to your leadership.

A: To secure the best rate for holding MSHA annual conferences, the MSHA Executive Council and Program Committee must secure locations years in advance. The Eagle Crest Conference Center provides a location that is highly supportive of a professional conference at an extremely reasonable cost. The Center was procured as a site several years ago so as to "lock in" the lowest rental rate possible for our members. The conference center rooms are outstanding with state-of-the-art AV equipment, and the seats all have tables to write on (another big priority with our members). And the conference site is accessible to the metro Detroit area, where so many of our members reside and work. For these reasons, the EC decided to hold the 2007 MSHA Annual Conference in this location again.

For March 2007, the program committee already has made plans to provide shuttles – at no additional cost to attendees – to Depot Town, the historical downtown Ypsilanti where there are many wonderful restaurants. Please communicate your ideas and suggestions for future conference sites in the metro Detroit and Ann Arbor areas.

A: The fees we pay to the hotel depend, in large part, upon how many sleeping rooms we fill. For example, if MSHA promises the hotel that our members will rent 350 rooms and we are successful in meeting that goal, then the conference contract will specify that our meeting rooms will be rented at a lower rate. Conversely, if MSHA members do not rent all the rooms held for our meeting, then MSHA is charged more for meeting rooms. All hotels and conference centers operate their contracts this way.

Here is the challenge. Because the EC must select and contract with hotels and conference centers years in advance, the leadership must make the best estimate of our needs years in advance. The decision is based upon the history of our conference participation in each location and the thoughtful deliberation of all EC members.

A: No - MSHA has not abandoned audiologists nor are there any plans to discontinue offering continuing education about hearing and hearing disorders and other issues related to the practice of audiology. Again, in the MSHA 2005-2008 strategic plan, the EC is committed to bringing the highest quality continuing education and professional development to MSHA members. We are also committed to collaborating with other professional groups and organizations in Michigan. Because of these long-range goals, during 2006, MSHA is collaborating with the professional audiology associations in Michigan and offering an additional Audiology Conference in September. After the joint audiology conference is offered, the EC will examine the evaluations and make informed plans regarding the audiology continuing education and professional development activities for 2007.

A: MSHA pays ASHA $450.00 per year to be eligible to sponsor CEU activities such as the MSHA conference. MSHA also has its own administrative costs associated with awarding CEUs such as postage, copying, attendance certificates, and staff time. The minimal $10 fee only offsets this cost to MSHA and is supplemented by donations of time from student volunteers.

A: The MSHA EC and program committee try to provide opportunities for the annual conference to be held in different locations in Michigan. In considering the options, the major factors determining decisions are convenience and cost to the members and the ability of the site to effectively and efficiently host a professional meeting. Contracts for 2008 and 2010 have been completed. Negotiations are under way for 2009.

2008: March 13-15, Radisson Plaza Hotel, Kalamazoo

2009: March 26-28, 2009 Ritz Carlton, Dearborn.

2010:  March 25-27, Radisson Plaza Hotel, Kalamazoo.

Thank you for all your comments, questions, and suggestions. The MSHA EC and Program Committee thanks you for your participation. 

The MSHA Program Committee continues to try and improve the MSHA Conference and all it’s aspects. Please share with us your suggestions. 

Please contact Jeanne Slowley, VP for Programs, or Angela Massenberg, VP-Elect for Programs, at  msha@att.net with your comments, suggestions and your willingness to volunteer as a program committee member.  

Some CEU facts about the MSHA conference:

Each clock hour = .1 CEUs. A Short Course is 3 hours = .3 CEUs A Double-Miniseminar is 2 hours = .2 CEUs. A Miniseminar is 1 hour = .1 CEUs. You can obtain .1 CEUs if you visit 4 Poster Sessions (1 Poster Session = 15 minutes of your time). So, if for example at this MSHA Conference, you take 3 Short Courses (9 hours) and 1 Miniseminar (1 hour) and visit 4 Poster Sessions (1 hour) you will earn 1.1 CEUs, or 11 hours of continuing education. Since the ASHA CEU requirement is 30 clock hours over 3 years, that works out to 10 hours per year, and voila, you have earned it by attending the annual MSHA Conference! Congratulations!

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