CDC grants $2.8 Million to Marion Downs Hearing Center
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| Architect's rendering of the planned Marion Downs Hearing Center. |
The University of Colorado Denver has received
a $2.8 million federal grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
for the development and expansion of programs at the Marion Downs Hearing
Center at the Fitzsimons campus.
The CDC funds will be used to support
the infrastructure of the center including equipment, computers, furniture
and supplies, as well as new programs and research.
“We are grateful to the CDC for this wonderful grant to the Marion Downs
Hearing Center,” said Dennis Brimhall, University of Colorado Hospital
president and CEO. “All grants and donations that we receive are vital
to this project and can have a positive influence on programs for people who
are
deaf or hard of hearing throughout the world. We cannot thank supporters
of this project enough.”
More than 28 million Americans, or 10 percent of the population, are affected
by deafness or hearing loss, including infants and children as well as adults
in the prime of their lives and the elderly.
“The most significant barrier facing deaf and hard of hearing people is
not the lack of hearing – it’s the isolation in educational, work
and community environments,” said Sandra Gabbard, director of audiology
at the University of Colorado Hospital and co-director of the Marion Downs
Hearing Center. “Deafness and hearing loss are hidden disabilities
and many members of the general public are unaware of the challenges that
face people who are deaf or hard of hearing.”
The center, which brings together clinical, research and educational support
and prevention services for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing,
is named for the UCD professor emerita, a world-renowned audiologist who
has spent her professional life promoting services for such individuals.
Marion Downs also pioneered the first newborn hearing screening project in
the United States more than 30 years ago at the University of Colorado Hospital.
The center was established to blend the perspectives of parents, consumers,
professionals and researchers to give patients exposure to a variety of communication
methods and programming options. University of Colorado Hospital physicians
and audiologists work closely together at the center to present all options
and resources to patients and their families including assistive technology,
surgical options, educational support, infant screening, training, personal
development, career planning, family support, life skills, literacy programs,
mental health and therapy and genetic counseling.
The center currently operates out of two facilities on the UCD campus
at Fitzsimons including clinical areas in the Anschutz Outpatient Pavilion
and administrative and patient support in the historical Colonel’s
Row buildings.
A new building is currently being planned for the Fitzsimons campus that
will encompass all aspects of the Marion Downs Hearing Center in one location.
The new facility will be a model for future centers all over the world and
will include a preschool, an internet-equipped library, therapy and diagnostic
services, classes for patients and their families, professional in-service
training and continuing education, community awareness and outreach, advanced
techniques for diagnosis, intervention, and follow-up support including telemedicine,
teleconferencing and international consultation.
For more information on the Marion Downs Hearing Center, contact Valerie
Hernandez at 720-859-0767, or visit the Web site at www.uch.edu.
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