10/26/21 

HAYS, Kan. – The second free hearing screening of the semester to be held by Fort Hays State University graduate students will be offered in Nickerson.

The screening will be hosted by the Nickerson Masonic Lodge #43 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., Friday, Nov. 5, at the Nickerson Community Center, 11 Nickerson St.

The hearing screenings are sponsored by a grant from the Kansas Masonic Foundation. The grant will provide numerous opportunities for older adults in western Kansas to receive important health screening services that are currently scarce or difficult to access.

Appointments may 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 15-20 minutes. Information about hearing loss and follow-up services available will be shared during the screenings.

Free educational materials and earplugs will be provided by the Kansas Masons. The screening is provided by graduate students from the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders under the supervision of an FHSU Herndon Clinic instructor.
 
“The students are gaining excellent clinical experience as well as mandatory clinical hours from each screening,” said Marcy Beougher, speech-language pathologist and an instructor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. “We are grateful to the Kansas Masons for their support of this quality program.”

The final free hearing screening will be offered this fall in Lewis on Nov. 19. Three more screenings will be set in communities with active Masonic Lodges in the Spring of 2022.

To schedule an appointment for the Nickerson screening, contact Thomas Bowen at (620) 889-9118 or email thomas.bowen201428@hotmail.com
 
For more information, visit fhsu.edu/herndon-clinic/ or contact the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at 785-628-5366.