Atcherson, S.R. (Winter 2002)

Atcherson, S.R. (Winter 2002) - JAMPHL

Volume 1 Number 3, Summer 2003

Editorial
Reaching In to Reach Out

     Although the Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses’ (AMPHL) home base is located in Ohio and all of the current officers and board members are widely disbursed throughout one country (the United States), the benefits that AMPHL provides to both professionals and students with hearing loss in healthcare disciplines is appreciated worldwide. In fact, AMPHL has reached people in Europe, Africa, India, and Australia to name a few. While most of us would quickly credit the Internet for fast communication that does not require us to hear, AMPHL would not have been possible without the intervention of real people. Real people reaching in to reach out. Without people reaching in, how does an organization like AMPHL reach out?

     To begin, we should consider how this process of reaching in to reach out works. Reaching in can come in many forms and it usually begins with the self. While we may be quick to recognize our own weaknesses and limitations, we may also be quick to forget our strengths and our gifts. Whatever characteristics we have (positive or negative), we each carry a set of experiences by which another person can benefit. In other words, when we forget our own characteristics and experiences, we may also forget about the possibilities and opportunities where we can positively impact the lives of many within and beyond our spheres of influence. When we do make that positive impact, we will have reached out.

     On a larger scale and with relevance to us, this reaching in to reach out process is a necessary one for our own organization—AMPHL. It is often said that a business is only as good as its employees and it is only as good to the extent that all employees can perform their jobs with the right resources and tools. Likewise, AMPHL is only as good as its constituents, resources, manpower, and funding. What are we doing internally to reach in? What can we do today and in our future so that we can reach out? What are you doing to reach in so that you can help AMPHL reach out?

     There are so many ways to reach in and that is by staying abreast of and engaging in the latest discussions on NOISE, subscribing to JAMPHL, volunteering for committees and focus groups, assisting with fundraising efforts, serving as an officer or board member, submitting an article or story to JAMPHL, and encouraging others to learn more about AMPHL. Whatever you are able to do despite your busy schedules will have lasting impact, not only in countries far and wide, but right here at home. The choice is yours.

     In this quarter’s issue, we have our first technical paper by Dr. Applebaum who illustrates one way to modify an amplified stethoscope. Next, Ms. Matt, a nurse-turned-attorney, will share with us what exactly constitutes reasonable accommodation. Our last article is by Ms. Tynan who demonstrates how AMPHL’s work is felt across the Atlantic Ocean in the United Kingdom.

     Also in this issue, JAMPHL is proud to announce a new feature of the journal, a quarterly interview with a healthcare professional with hearing loss within our ranks. Our first interviewee is Rebecca Walls, R.N. Please take a peek and if there is someone you think AMPHL ought to interview for a future JAMPHL issue, please let us know.

Have a great summer, congrats to all new graduates, and keep reaching in to reach out!

Samuel R. Atcherson, M.Ed.
JAMPHL Editor-in-Chief

REFERENCE CITATION:
Atcherson, S.R. (2003). Editorial: Reaching In to Reach Out. Journal of the Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses, 1. Retrieved Month/Day/Year, from http://www.amphl.org/protected/summer2003/editorial.html.