Board of Hearing and Speech

 

Board of Hearing and Speech information

The mandate of the Board of Hearing and Speech is to protect the public's health and safety and to promote the welfare of the state by regulating the competency and quality of professional health care providers under its jurisdiction. The board accomplishes this through a variety of activities working with the Department of Health, Health Systems Quality Assurance.

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Board Information

Description

The mandate of the Board of Hearing and Speech is to protect the public's health and safety and to promote the welfare of the state by regulating the competency and quality of professional health care providers under its jurisdiction. The board accomplishes this through a variety of activities working with the Department of Health, Health Systems Quality Assurance division.

Board duties include:

  • Regulating the competency and quality of professional health care providers under its jurisdiction by establishing, monitoring and enforcing qualifications for licensure
  • Establishing and monitoring compliance with continuing education requirements
  • Ensuring consistent standards of practice
  • Developing continuing competency mechanisms
  • Assessing, investigating and making recommendations related to complaints against audiologists, speech-language pathologists, speech-language pathology assistants and hearing aid specialists which may range from a Notice of Correction to a license revocation.
  • Serving as reviewing members on disciplinary cases and serve on disciplinary hearing panels.
  • Serving as members of standing committees, when appointed.
  • Developing rules, policies and procedures that promote the delivery of quality health care to state residents.

Qualifications

The board has three public members, two hearing aid specialists, two audiologists, two speech-language pathologists, and one medical physician.

The public member may not:

  • Be a member of or married to a member of, any other health care licensing board or commission.
  • Be a licensee of a health occupation board.
  • Be an employee of a health facility.
  • Derive his or her primary livelihood from the provision of health services at any level of responsibility.

Licensed members must:

  • Have at least five years of experience
  • Be actively engaged in practice within two years of appointment.

The medical physician:

  • Shall be licensed in the state of Washington
  • Is an advisory nonvoting member.

Board participation expectation guidelines

The following expectation guidelines are intended to serve as a reference for current members and for prospective appointees of the board:

  • All new members must attend a three-hour virtual orientation.
  • Attend regular board meetings, scheduled quarterly on Fridays during business hours. The board sets its meeting schedule each fall for the following calendar year. All meetings during the COVID-19 emergency have been held by Webinar.
  • Board members may be appointed to one of the following:
    • Education/Exam Committee.
    • Disciplinary Committee.
    • Rules Committee.
    • Public Relations Committee
    • Site Review Committee.
  • Prepare for all meetings by reading materials sent one to two weeks in advance of the scheduled meeting date. The packets take an average of two to four hours to read.
  • Attend the one-day Department of Health Board, Commission, Committee conference for chairs and vice-chairs.
  • Participate on disciplinary panels by telephone several times per year. These calls take less than one hour.
  • Evaluate and make recommendations on disciplinary cases. Participate in calls with staff attorneys and board staff as needed to develop recommendations. Time spent on disciplinary cases depends on the nature and number of cases assigned to that board member. Each case can take from one to several hours.
  • Participate on hearing panels from one to several days approximately once per year. A panel of three board members is generally used to hear disciplinary cases.
  • Mentor newly appointed board members as necessary.

Total annual time commitment

  • Meetings: Four days per year. Two to four hours of preparation and follow-up per meeting.
  • Disciplinary calls: Eighteen to twenty per year. Preparation and attendance are usually less than one hour per call.
  • Disciplinary case review: One to several hours per complaint assigned.
  • Hearing Panels: One to several days per year.
  • Conferences: One day per year for chairs and vice-chairs.

Compensation

  • Members of the board are entitled to receive their travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
  • Each member of the board will be compensated in accordance with RCW 43.03.265.
  • The board is designated as a class five group for the purposes of chapter 43.03 RCW.

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Board Members

Name and term expiration date of members

Member Term Term Expires
Ray Parker, public member, chair 2 June 6, 2025
Nichole Kingham Furness, audiologist, vice-chair 1 June 6, 2023
Connie Furry, fitter/dispenser 2 June 6, 2025
Brenda Litke, fitter/dispenser 2 June 6, 2025
Amberkiah Pomeroy, audiologist 1 June 6, 2025
Sonja Bradford, speech-language pathologist 1 June 6, 2025
Brian Shute, PhD, speech-language pathologist 1 June 6, 2023
Kelly Siebecke, non-voting licensed speech-language pathology assistant 2 June 6, 2023
Paula Benson, public member 2 June 6, 2024
Harry Parent, JD, public member 1 June 6, 2023
David Horn, MD, non-voting licensed medical physician 2 June 6, 2024
Board Meetings

Meeting information

All meetings are at 9 a.m. unless noted otherwise (subject to change).

Date and Location Activity Documents
July 28, 2023
Microsoft Teams and Labor & Industries
7273 Linderson Way SW, Room S119
Tumwater, WA 98501		 Regular meeting  
November 3, 2023
Location to be determined		 Regular meeting  
Meeting Minutes

2022

2021