Section 641.3.1. Definitions.

For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions will apply:

“Applicant” means a child for whom assistance under this program is being requested.

“Area education agency”  or “AEA”  means an intermediate educational unit created by Iowa Code chapter 273.

“Audiologist” means a person licensed pursuant to Iowa Code chapter 147 or certified by the Iowa board of educational examiners pursuant to 282—15.3(272) or a person appropriately licensed in the state where the person practices.

“Audiology assistant” means a person who works under the supervision of an Iowa-licensed speech pathologist or audiologist, does not meet the requirements to be licensed as a speech pathologist or audiologist, and meets the minimum requirements set forth in 645—Chapter 300.

“Audiometrist” means a technician who has received special training in the use of pure-tone audiometry equipment. An audiometrist conducts the hearing tests selected and interpreted by an audiologist, who supervises the process.

“Birth center” means “birth center” as defined in Iowa Code section 135.61.

“Birthing hospital” means a private or public hospital licensed pursuant to Iowa Code chapter 135B that has a licensed obstetric unit or is licensed to provide obstetric services.

“Contractor” means the entity selected by the department to act as third-party administrator for claims payment related to hearing aids and audiologic services for children.

“Department” means the Iowa department of public health.

“Diagnostic audiologic assessment” means physiologic or behavioral procedures completed by an audiologist to evaluate and diagnose hearing loss.

“Discharge” means a release from a birthing hospital to the parent or legal guardian of the child.

“Early ACCESS” means Iowa’s Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part C, program for infants and toddlers. It is a statewide, comprehensive, interagency system of integrated early intervention services that supports eligible children and their families as defined in 281—Chapter 120.

“Early hearing detection and intervention advisory committee”  or “EHDI advisory committee”  means the committee appointed by the department to advise the director of the department regarding issues related to hearing health care for children and to make recommendations about the design and implementation of the early hearing detection and intervention program.

“Guardian” means a person who is not the parent of a minor child, but who has legal authority to make decisions regarding life or program issues for the child. A guardian may be a court or a juvenile court. “Guardian” does not mean conservator, as defined in Iowa Code section 633.3, although a person who is appointed to be a guardian may also be appointed to be a conservator.

“Health care professional” means a licensed physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, certified midwife, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, patient care technician, certified nursing assistant, licensed audiologist, audiology assistant, audiometrist, hearing aid specialist, speech-language pathologist or other licensed or certified professional for whom hearing screening is within the professional’s scope of practice.

“Hearing loss” means a permanent unilateral or bilateral hearing loss of greater than 30 dB HL in the frequency region important for speech recognition (500-4000 Hz).

“Hearing screening” means a physiological measurement of hearing of a newborn or infant with a “pass” or “refer” result. Screening is used to determine the newborn’s or infant’s need for further testing and must be performed bilaterally, when applicable.

“Initial screening”  or “newborn hearing screening”  means a screening performed in a birthing hospital, birth center or facility other than a birthing hospital within the first month of life.

“Newborn hearing screening” means a physiological test to separate those newborns with normal hearing from those newborns who may have hearing thresholds of greater than 30 dB HL in either ear in the frequency region important for speech recognition (500-4000 Hz).

“Normal hearing” means hearing thresholds in both ears of 30 dB HL or less in the frequency region important for speech recognition (500-4000 Hz).

“Parent” means:

            1.      A biological or adoptive parent of a child;

            2.      A guardian, but not the state if the child is a ward of the state;

            3.      A person acting in the place of a parent, such as a grandparent or stepparent with whom a child lives, or a person who is legally responsible for the child’s welfare;

            4.      A surrogate parent who has been assigned in accordance with 281—120.68(34CFR303); or

            5.      A foster parent, if:

            ●       A biological parent’s authority to make the decisions required of parents under state law has been terminated; and

            ●       The foster parent has an ongoing, long-term parental relationship with the child; is willing to make the decisions required of a parent; and has no interest that would conflict with the interests of the child.

“Physician” means an individual licensed under Iowa Code chapter 148, 150, or 150A.

“Primary care provider” means a licensed physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant or certified midwife who undertakes primary pediatric care responsibility for an infant or child to provide ongoing medical care and referrals to promote overall health and well-being.

“Protocol” means a document which guides decision making and provides the criteria to be used regarding screening, diagnosis, management, and treatment of children related to hearing health care. Early hearing detection and intervention protocols not otherwise specified in this chapter are available on the department’s Web site at www.idph.iowa.gov.

“Provider” means a licensed audiologist, otolaryngologist or hearing aid specialist who agrees to provide hearing aids or audiologic services to eligible patients.

“Rescreen” means a newborn hearing screening performed after two weeks of age on an infant who did not pass the initial screening.

“Resident” means an individual who is a legal resident of the state of Iowa.

[ARC 8232B, IAB 10/7/09, effective 11/11/09; ARC 2290C, IAB 12/9/15, effective 1/13/16]