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(Worcester, Mass.) – Individuals seeking hearing health care have a new resource in the Worcester area. The Worcester State University Speech-Language-Hearing Center has received a $73,460 grant from the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts to expand its audiology services. Interested individuals may contact the center at 508-929-8055.

The SLH Center, which has been in existence for 35 years, is run by the university’s Communication Sciences and Disorders Department. The new grant enables the Center to offer complete audiologic services, including diagnostic evaluations, hearing aid consultation and dispensing services, and aural rehabilitation. Funding will be used to obtain four new pieces of clinical equipment and hire a part-time certified audiologist. In the coming year, the Center will establish a financial-assistance program for hearing health care services.

Department Chair Linda Larrivee, Ph.D., noted, “National research shows that approximately 36 million Americans have hearing loss. It is the third most common chronic health condition in the United States. Locally, the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing has estimated that 8.6 percent of our population ages three and older have reported hearing problems.”  

She added, “We are extremely appreciative of this grant from the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts. It indicates their recognition of the importance of hearing health to overall well-being.”

The WSU SLH Center is the only center of its kind in central Massachusetts. It serves approximately 175 clients each year who receive disorder-specific services from speech-language pathology graduate students under the supervision of licensed, certified speech-language pathologists and audiologists.

It also offers individualized services to people of all ages diagnosed with communication disorders and/or differences in articulation, fluency, voice, language, and hearing. In addition to on-site clinical services, the center provides hearing screenings and outreach at hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, public schools, and private schools within the greater Worcester community.

HFCM’s mission is to improve the health of those who live or work in the Central Massachusetts region, with particular emphasis on vulnerable populations and unmet needs.