The sponsoring host of the 12th Symposium on Cochlear Implants in Children is Virginia Mason Medical Center. The Course Director for this symposium is Douglas D. Backous, MD, F.A.C.S. Doug Backous is a neurotologist at Virginia Mason Medical Center and is the Director of The Listen for Life Center at Virginia Mason. Virginia Mason, founded in 1920, is a multispecialty medical center and hospital. Virginia Mason has been involved with cochlear implantation since 1979 and was an investigative site for the initial multichannel implant trials in 1984. The Listen for Life Center at Virginia Mason, founded under the auspices of the Virginia Mason Medical Center in 1997, serves children and adults in Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho and is the largest cochlear implant center in the northwest United States implanting between 60-70 implants annually (20% pediatric). The Center has been involved with over 20 multicenter clinical trials since 1997 and is currently an investigative site for the Nucleus Hybrid study. Virginia Mason’s clinical research focuses on the classification of implanted device reliability reporting, clinical efficiency and patient access, and on longitudinal performance outcomes in adults and children. Virginia Mason’s pediatric cochlear implant program has transitioned from a comprehensive center offering all necessary audiology, speech language pathology services and aural therapy to a holistic model of community collaboration for speech services with retained expertise in aural therapy, audiology and surgical services. Dr. Backous has authored 11 papers in the field of cochlear implants since 1997. The Virginia Mason Health System governs the Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason which maintains the study of inflammatory and immunologic diseases. Members of the team at Virginia Mason have been regularly included as faculty for this symposium and for cochlear implant programs in Europe and Asia. The Organizing Committee is composed of regional leaders in pediatric cochlear implantation. Otolaryngology: Seth R. Schwartz, MD, MPH, Virginia Mason Medical Center Jay T. Rubenstein, MD, PhD, University of Washington Michael Olds, MD, Spokane ENT Frederick K. Kozak, MD, British Columbia Children’s Hospital Sean O. McMenomey MD, Oregon Health Sciences University Neil Giddings, MD, Spokane ENT Kathleen Sie, MD, Seattle Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center David Mehlum, MD, Group Health Cooperative James Crawford, MD, Madigan Army Medical Center Audiology/Speech Pathology: Stacey Watson, MS, CCC-A, Virginia Mason Medical Center Allison Zarkos, MA, CCC-A, Virginia Mason Medical Center Robin Waterman, AuD, CCC-A, Virginia Mason Medical Center Donald Plapinger, EdD, CCC-A, Oregon Health Sciences University Kelly Tremblay, PhD, CCC-A, University of Washington Maura Berndsen, AVT, The Listen and Talk School Susan Norton, PhD, CCC-A, University of Washington Suzanne Quigley, PhD, Listen and Talk The symposium is managed by the American College of Surgeons.