09/01/22

HAYS, Kan. – Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders graduate students will travel to Protection, Kansas, to offer free community hearing screenings. The screenings will be under the supervision of an FHSU Herndon Clinic instructor.

This event will mark the sixth year of community screenings. It will be hosted by the Comanche Masonic Lodge #295 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friday, Sept. 16, at the South Central Elementary School, 302 South Jefferson Ave.

Sponsored by a generous grant from the Kansas Masonic Foundation, the program offers numerous opportunities for western Kansas residents of all ages to receive important health screening services that are currently scarce or difficult to access.

Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins will be welcomed on a first-come, first-served basis. Each site will have four stations, each screening lasting approximately 15 minutes. Information about hearing loss and follow-up services will be shared during the screenings.

Participants will receive hearing screening results, free hearing protection earplugs, referral information if needed, and helpful handouts related to hearing loss such as tinnitus, hearing in noise, protecting residual hearing, and hearing aids.

 “The partnership between the FHSU Communication Sciences and Disorders Herndon Clinic and Kansas Masons is a win-win opportunity as we are helping many communities have easy access to an important free service yet also simultaneously gaining valuable clinical experiences for our students,” 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.”

Two more Masonic hearing screening events will be scheduled this semester, and different students will attend each screening. On Oct. 14, the students will travel to Hoxie, and on Nov. 4, they will travel to Scott City. In the spring semester of 2023, screening events will be in three different communities. 

To schedule an appointment for the Protection screening, contact Brittany O'Hair at 620-518-1415.

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