Welcome from the President

Welcome from the President

I am honored to begin my year as your PSHA President.  This will most certainly be a year of both challenges and opportunities.  One of our greatest challenges continues to be getting the new licensure bill introduced into the PA Senate and House of Representatives and eventually passed during this current legislative session!  Although this is a challenge it is also indeed an opportunity to advance the practice of speech-language pathology and audiology in Pennsylvania while furthering the mission of our association.  The language in the new licensure bill supports and insures that the highest quality of service is provided for the communicatively disabled that we serve.  Please be sure to closely follow the licensure updates provided in the Keystater and on the PSHA website by Kathy Helfrich-Miller our Vice President for Governmental Affairs.  She has done an excellent job in keeping us all well informed.

The composition of the Executive Board is very much the same as last year with a few very important new additions.  I am very pleased to inform you that Craig Coleman who served as our PSHA President during 2007-2008, is returning to the Executive Board as our President Elect.  We all welcome Craig back to the Board.  His tenacity and enthusiasm for getting people involved in all aspects of PSHA are qualities that we value.  Welcome back Craig!  The Executive Board is also very pleased to have Sara MacIntyre join our team as this year’s Student Representative.  Sara’s enthusiasm for engaging and efficiently organizing a larger number of students throughout our state will be greatly appreciated!

Throughout the year the executive board with your help will work to further the following initiatives that have been spear-headed by several of our Past Presidents:

• Working with the Department of Education to try to solve the shortage of speech-language pathologists while maintaining high quality entry-level training standards
• Collaborating with PAA (Pennsylvania Academy of Audiology) in the creation of our new licensure bill and supporting each other as it makes its way through the legislative process.
• Continuing to grow and support online CEU opportunities for PSHA members
• Continuing to increase the PSHA membership.  There is strength in numbers and everyone’s help is needed as we work to pass a new licensure bill as well as develop plans for the future of our profession in Pennsylvania.
• Updating our strategic plan
• Continuing to improve and add new information to our website.  Let us hear from you, what information would you like to see on the PSHA website? 

All of these initiatives can be accomplished if there is improved communication and collaboration among PSHA members.  Communication is a necessity as we use it to network, spread ideas, and promote our professions.  The importance of communication is crucial to the success of our association because we need to reach out to all of you in order to fulfill your mission.  This year we will be working hard to improve our communication and hope to hear from you.

I would like to close on a very positive note by thanking board members who have just completed their term of office.  This past year Char Molrine has served as our Past President and has continued to work diligently on the rewrite of our licensure bill as well as revisions for our Constitution and Policy and Procedures.  Prior to serving as PSHA President during 2009-2010, Char served as PSHA Vice President for Governmental Affairs.  We thank her very much for all of her years of service to PSHA.  Jenna Dunmire was our student representative and PSHA thanks her for reaching out to our student members.  It was a pleasure serving with you last year, Jenna, thanks for a job well done.  I would like to thank Ralph Belsterling who is transitioning to Past President.  Ralph’s leadership has been appreciated by everyone.  He has lead PSHA in getting our licensure bill efforts off to a strong start this legislative session! 

“The future depends on what we do in the present” (Mahatma Gandhi).  There is also the old saying, “there is no time like the present.”  Well the PSHA Executive Board agrees and is committed to work as a strong and cohesive team to continue to strive for the passage of an updated licensure bill for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that embodies our current scope of practice and assures service excellence for all individuals with communication and swallowing disorders.  We cannot do this alone.  We will continue to rely upon your support and ask you to take action by responding to requests to contact your local legislators about critical issues that arise during this coming year.  I, as your PSHA President, will do my very best to work with the Executive Board to keep you well informed.

I look forward to working with you.

Karen Goltz Stein
PSHA President
kstein@iup.edu