Neil J. DiSarno, PhD, CCC-A, has been appointed to chief staff officer for audiology at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). He will replace Vic Gladstone, PhD, who retired from the same position in April.

Since 1998, DiSarno has chaired the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders at Missouri State University, where his duties included overseeing an on-campus speech-language-hearing clinic. In addition, he has long been an ASHA volunteer leader, having served on the Council for Clinical Certification, the Academic Affairs Board, and the board of the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders, among others.

Besides serving as ASHA’s chief staff officer for audiology and working closely with and on behalf of ASHA’s 14,000 audiology members, DiSarno will liaison with ASHA’s accreditation, certification, and ethics programs. In this position, he will aid ASHA’s efforts to promote greater transparency in hearing aid and fitting fees, address ethical issues related to marketing hearing aids on the Internet, and help to find ways to make hearing aids more affordable.

"Audiology practice is at a crossroads," commented DiSarno in a press statement. "Factors are in play that could change the current landscape. Were we to ignore them, it could be at our professional peril. It would be much better if we addressed them and actively shaped the future of practice while we still can."

Prior to his Missouri State career, DiSarno practiced in a variety of clinical settings including a school district and treatment center in Alaska, the National Acoustics Center in New Zealand, and health care settings in New York State and Canada. Also, he has developed and taught classes in practice management, pediatric audiology, auditory electrophysiology, and sign language, among other subjects.

SOURCE: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)