The Bill Daniel's Center for Children's Hearing: Comprehensive Care Unique in the Region
from The Children's Hospital (TCH) News, September 2006
The Bill Daniels Center for Children’s Hearing is exceptional in many ways, most importantly, for providing the region’s most comprehensive care for infants, children, and adolescents who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. The Center was established in 2005 with a generous funding commitment from the Daniels Fund, the philanthropic legacy of Denver businessman and community leader, Bill Daniels.
Support from the Daniels Fund brought together the resources needed to develop, in a single program, the region’s only multidisciplinary diagnostic and rehabilitation service for children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Staff includes professionals in audiology, clinical genetics, clinical social work, deaf education, pediatric otolaryngology, speech-language pathology, and family consultation and support. The grant was a mechanism for tying all previous services and elements together to create a more comprehensive, cohesive program.
Under the joint leadership of Deborah Hayes, PhD (Department of Audiology, Speech Pathology, and Learning Services) and Kenny Chan, MD (Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology), the Center emphasizes clinical care and family support throughout the ages and stages of the child’s development. Staff at the Center place great emphasis on a positive working relationship with the child and family, a dedication to family-centered care and a continuum of care that often lasts for many years.
“The research is very clear...one of the most important factors in successful outcomes for deaf and hard-of-hearing children is family support and involvement,” explained Dr. Hayes. “Early identification and intervention, with strong family commitment, are keys to keeping children on track with their normally-hearing peers.”
A child begins his journey at the Center after referral from a primary care physician or as the result of a newborn hearing screening or school-based hearing screening. The youngster is first seen by a TCH audiologist who evaluates the child’s hearing.
“The Audiology Department is the driver of the program, while the rest of the departments, such as Pediatric Otolaryngology, provide essential care after the child has been identified,” Dr. Chan explained. After a child’s hearing loss is confirmed, he or sheis evaluated in Children’s Hearing Clinic, one of the most important components of the Bill Daniels Center for Children’s Hearing. At this visit, the family enjoys “one-stop shopping” with the full multidisciplinary staff. The purpose of Children’s Hearing Clinic is to identify the cause of the child’s hearing loss, whenever possible, and to provide families with information and resources to begin the rehabilitation process. Many children evaluated through Children’s Hearing Clinic continue with Center programs in amplification (hearing aid) fitting, parent education, and speech and language therapy. In March, a Children’s Hearing Clinic was held in Grand Junction to serve families with deaf or hard-of-hearing children on the Western Slope.
The Bill Daniels Center for Children’s Hearing also is committed to supporting colleagues and communities in improving diagnostic and rehabilitation services for children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing and their families. The Daniels Fund grant provides financial support for an annual Advances in Children’s Hearing Lecture, delivered by a national expert in diagnosis and treatment of childhood hearing loss. In addition, scholarships are available for community-based colleagues to develop new diagnostic or rehabilitative skills by “interning” with the Center’s staff at The Children’s Hospital.
The Center will be further enhanced with the move to the new hospital in 2007. The design of the new hospital will enable the team to unite in adjacent space in the outpatient building. Dr. Chan says he is “...hopeful that the face-to-face daily interaction among staff members will enhance communication and further advance our ability to care for kids and families...”
