01/24/19
HAYS, Kan. – Anthony will be the first 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 health screening services that are currently scarce or difficult to access.

“With Mason support and funding, we have visited 15 different communities in two and a half years and have screened over 600 people,” said Beougher. “We are thankful to the Masons for the opportunity to learn more about the hearing needs 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 will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8, at the Anthony Masonic Lodge No. 200, 218 S. Kansas, Anthony.

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 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.

Screenings will also be held in Great Bend and Belleville later in the spring semester. Times, dates and actual screening sites will be announced later.

“We are incredibly thankful for the financial support from the Kansas Masonic Foundation, which has helped us take this important free service to individuals in numerous locations in Kansas,” said Beougher.

“The Masons at every lodge we have visited have been so accommodating and eager to do anything they could to help us promote and set up these clinics,” she added.

To schedule an appointment for the Anthony screening, contact J.D. Hays at 316-253-5868 or anthonylodge200@gmail.com.

For more information, visit fhsu.edu/herndon-clinic/ or contact the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at 785-628-5366.