HEAR Center
Uniquely committed to providing the community with hearing and speech screenings, high quality/low cost hearing aids, health education, and comprehensive audiology and speech pathology services for the last 60 years, HEAR Center is the only nonprofit audiological and speech therapy center in the San Gabriel Valley. Annually, they serve 500-600 children and 300 adults who may be at risk of hearing impairment, including those who are deaf, hard of hearing, and those with communication difficulties caused by hearing problems. Hearing loss occurs more frequently than any other health condition for which newborn screening is currently required. In fact, 1 in 10 Americans has a hearing or speech disorder. Children with even modest hearing loss face enormous challenges in school – 10 times more likely to be held back a grade, frequently misdiagnosed with behavioral disorders & developmental disabilities, below grade level reading proficiency, family tension, and erosion of self confidence/self esteem. The Center's current equipment is more than 20 years old, outdated and virtually broken. With our grant for $19,595.00, HEAR Center will purchase a comprehensive middle ear analyzer and a two-channel audiometer with internal display to measure the decibel level at which various pitches can be heard. Immediately upon implementation, children will benefit by having more accurate assessments of their hearing and tracking of their progress over the years, thereby enabling clinicians to better formulate the most effective strategies. Early detection, diagnosis, intervention and modern technology make it possible for most individuals to adapt to a loss of hearing and overcome their conditions. The new equipment will be completely integrated into HEAR Center's new Electronic Medical Record System (IT infrastructure), thereby making it possible to achieve efficient, paperless and automated client management. The new equipment will more quickly identify children with hearing difficulties, take less diagnostic testing time in the chair, and set HEAR's clients on a course to be more active participants in the hearing and speaking world.