Since its original inception as the Louisville Deaf Oral School in 1948, Heuser Hearing Institute (HHI) has been tireless in serving the hearing needs of Kentuckians. During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, we became aware of how dramatically underserved many rural Kentuckians are when it comes to hearing healthcare. As a result, HHI identified service level gaps in education and employment for the deaf and hard of hearing in the state of Kentucky.
Determined to improve those outcomes, we began a dialogue with the Governor and General Assembly about expanding HHI’s services and developing a program to address the hearing healthcare gap apparent throughout the state.
Out of that discussion, the KY HEARS program was born, and state funds have now been allocated enabling HHI to develop a program designed to address the need for improved and expanded hearing healthcare services across Kentucky. The KY HEARS project has been granted initial funding for the span of two years. We launched mobile clinics in October 2022 through communities in rural Kentucky that would benefit from expanded audiological care and support.
As HHI develops these pilot program partnerships, we plan to visit location quarterly (or more frequently if needed) to provide follow-up services or additional screenings for community members.