Dear Members of the Board,

My name is Cheryl Wray, and I am a practicing audiologist with an ENT group and owner of a clinic in Courtland which is in southeastern, Virginia. I am writing to express my support for the proposed amendment to 18VAC30-21-60(A) to restore American Board of Audiology (ABA) certification as an accepted pathway for audiology licensure.

ABA certification is a nationally recognized credential that reflects education, examination, and professional requirements specific to audiology. When ABA certification was removed from the regulations, it reduced flexibility and limited licensure options for qualified audiologists. Restoring this pathway will help ensure that Virginia can attract and retain highly trained audiologists while maintaining strong professional standards.

Recognizing multiple pathways is important for supporting workforce mobility and ensuring patient access to hearing and balance care across the Commonwealth. As someone who works with underserved poplutations drawing in from rural areas, delays in licensure will certainly impact patient care. In this region there is a high shortage of audiologists. Putting further restrictions on their ability to begin work without further impedance is of a high importance. I believe this change will benefit both professionals and patients. The physicians I work for are struggling to find audiology help and unfortunately have had to rely on technicians. This does not help when higher levels of education are needed such as cochlear implants and bone implants. We are desperate and stretched thin as I travel from office to office for these duties.

Thank you for your work to amend and clarify audiology licensure regulations in Virginia. I appreciate the opportunity to comment on this amendment and encourage the Board to move forward with recognizing ABA certification as an accepted pathway to licensure.

Sincerely,

Cheryl Wray, Clinical Audiologist

TPMG ENT – Suffolk, Newport News and Williamsburg, VA