By UNIVERSITY RELATIONS
Belleville will be the last of three free hearing screenings, funded by the Kansas Masons, offered again this spring in western Kansas communities by Fort Hays State University.
“The FHSU Herndon Clinic in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders is very fortunate to have received a large grant from the Kansas Masons to support adult speech, language and hearing services in Western Kansas,” said Marcy Beougher, speech-language pathologist and an instructor in the department.
The grant is continuing to provide numerous opportunities for individuals of all ages in western Kansas to receive important hearing screening services that are currently scarce or difficult to access.
“With Mason support and funding, we have visited 17 different communities in two and a half years and have screened nearly 700 people,” said Beougher. “We are thankful to the Masons for the opportunity to help provide free hearing screenings in Western Kansas and to make necessary and important medical and audiological referrals. We are also very grateful for the clinical hours these screenings provide for our graduate students.”
The screening, funded by Belleville Community Pride, FHSU and the Kansas Masonic Foundation, will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, April 26, at the Astra Bank, 1205 18th Street, Belleville.
Appointments are encouraged to be scheduled ahead of time, but walk-ins will be welcomed on a first-come, first-served basis. Each site will have four stations, with each screening lasting approximately 15 minutes. Results, follow-up information and free ear plugs will also be provided. There will be no hearing aid sales.
Screenings are provided by graduate students from the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Beougher will organize the screenings.
“FHSU’s CSD Department feels this is truly a win-win situation as our graduate students receive valuable clinical hours and experience serving the public at these screenings, and many individuals benefit from the knowledge they receive about their hearing, as well as helpful follow-up information,” said Beougher.
“We are grateful as always to the Kansas Masons, who welcome us to their communities and support this endeavor financially so we can provide this much-needed service for no charge.”
“Plans will be underway soon for our fourth year of hearing screenings as we meet with the Masons to plan for the communities we will be visiting beginning in fall 2019,” she said.
To schedule an appointment for the Belleville screening, contact Rob Kasl at 785-379-1110 or Robkasl79@gmail.com.
For more information, visit fhsu.edu/herndon-clinic/ or contact the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at 785-628-5366.