MHHP's Mission is to foster, promote and protect the interests and general welfare of the hearing impaired and the professional, business, and legal interests and the general welfare of our members. From The President Of MHHP
On behalf of myself and the MHHP Board of Directors I would like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who participated in the 2021 Annual MHHP Convention. The support you provide gives MHHP and IHS the resources necessary to fight for your right to practice. We faced many challenges in 2021 with the Covid-19 Pandemic and Peacetime Emergency which virtually caused many temporary and some permanent changes to how we run our day to day lives and businesses. Your Board of Directors has worked diligently, behind the scenes , in trying to alleviate many obstacles thrown our way. From Recertification, Background Checks, CEU issues, Trainees, Conditional Certification, HID Exam, Communication from MDH along with correcting issues with our Non-Profit status and tax filings, are just some of the challenges we had this past year. The Board itself took some big hits this past year as well, losing multiple Board members to illness, not being actively employed in our field, time constraints, and for personal reasons. There are open positions on the Board in lieu of this, with some needing to be filled to complete a vacated position's term. We desperately need members to step up to the plate and help MHHP by looking at the possibility of filling one of the many positions needed. With MHHP now having an Executive Director, it really helps to alleviate the shortness of time each of us have to complete responsibilities to the Board which seems to be the main issue many do not volunteer to be part of the Board. So please take a look at the Elections Page here on the website to see what you may be interested in. Look at Your Bylaws and see what responsibilities you would hold for a particular position. Feel free to contact myself or any other Board member with any questions. A decision was made recently by the Board to go ahead with a fully Live and In-Person Convention, with the Hybrid Virtual and Live Convention to be a goal for next year. OTC is still on the horizon, with the Bill looking to be finalized by the FDA around the July timeframe for this year. Having Hearing Aids being able to be procured through Medicare was approved at the ground level, but is held in a wait and see pattern as the Bill is included in the much larger BBB that Congress has not been able to pass as of this writing. Both these Bills have the potential impact, to affect on how we practice. Fit to Service is finally coming to being adhered to, with over 170 Hearing Instrument Dispenser jobs looking to be available to fill across the USA's VA Hospitals and Community Clinics. It is our goal to keep our members informed with the latest information on current issues facing our industry. We also are in an exciting time for MHHP, being a fairly recent new Affiliate State Chapter of IHS, along with the passing of our new By-Laws in 2019, there is much optimism for growth and the adherence of what is expected of this Organization. With the hiring of an Executive Director, Your Board of Directors have been working hard to implement the changes needed to ensure we meet the standards put before us. We are looking at the possibility of making exciting changes as well, to membership, fees, and what being a member of this Society can do for you. Our Board's goal is to increase our membership as a whole. Set a goal yourself, of helping a fellow peer become a member. There is strength in numbers, and that will be an asset with the many obstacles that may loom on the horizon. All I ask, if I may, is that each of you try to become a more active member. Volunteer some of your time, join a Standing Committee, consider becoming part of the Board. The more active participation we have within the Society, the more we can accomplish. MHHP is the statewide, not-for-profit, association run by Minnesota Certified Hearing Aid Dispensers, Hearing Professionals, Business Owners or Employees actively engaged in the business of dispensing hearing aids, or individuals licensed to work in the hearing industry serving consumers and their customers. MHHP is an Affiliate State Chapter of the International Hearing Society. If you are interested in learning more about your organization, have any questions, or are interested in membership, please feel free to contact me directly. Sincerely,
Richard FJ Caruso BC-HIS
MHHP - President
rcaruso@lucidhearing.com
