03/18/19
HAYS, Kan. – Great Bend will be the second 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 16 different communities in two and a half years and have screened nearly 600 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 will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, April 5, at the Barton County Health Department, 1300 Kansas Ave., Great Bend.

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.

The last screening of the spring 2019 semester will be in Belleville. Time, date and actual screening site will be announced later.

“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.”

To schedule an appointment for the Great Bend screening, contact Greg King at 620-617-3634 or gmking@316.live.

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