Missions to Dominica
Oct
28
2015
Over the past 4 years, members of the Centers for Hearing Care and Rotarians from District 6650 have established a hearing mission to the Common Wealth of Dominica. This trip began in 2011 when Dr. Sheryl Figliano of the Centers for Hearing Care came in contact with Dr. Susan Kelly, professor at Ross Medical University in Dominica. They connected through a common passion of helping people. They reached out to Marvlyn Birmingham, President of the Rotary Club of Dominica at that time, to join in their efforts. We continue to work with Rotary for trips to Dominica as well as Hearing Missions Foundation which is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit affiliate of Centers for Hearing Care.
ABOUT DOMINICA
Prior to our arrival there was limited access to hearing services on the island. Our first visit to the island, we tested over 500 children and adults and fit well over 200 individuals within one week! As the team continues this annual mission, more islanders have become aware of the program and are informed ahead of time when we are coming so they know which clinic we will serve on which days. Each day we move to a different part of the island.
WHAT WE DO
Clinic is started around 8am and continues until each person is seen. Sometimes our day doesn’t end until 9 :00 in the evening. By the time we arrive, a line has already formed of individuals awaiting services. Some must begin their morning at 5am and travel hours to make it to our location. Our team is then divided into groups and a triage team starts sending individuals to the appropriate station. The services we provide are hearing tests, ear cleaning, fitting of amplification and repairing hearing aids for those we have fit during missions in previous years.
Children are immediately pulled to the front of the line and are always seen first. It is very important to us to fit each child with hearing impairment with 2 hearing aids. The younger an individual is fit with the hearing aid the better their brain will adapt to the incoming sound and make sense of it. The longer a child goes with undetected hearing loss, the farther behind they fall in school and the less likely they are to catch up to their peers. In order for children to learn, they need to hear lectures, participate in conversations to learn social skills, and connect with their family members.
SUCCESS = SUSTAINABILITY
What makes our program successful is establishing sustainability. Since the beginning we have been training individuals on the island, chosen by their government, to work with our patients after we have departed for the U.S. Shirlina, our main technician, is able to service their hearing aids, hand out batteries, and contact us when more supplies are needed. When an individual is fit, they are given Shirlina’s contact information for help. Without sustainability, our program would be short-lived. If a hearing aid were to break, that patient would have to wait until our team returned the following year and would be without proper amplification. Having a contact on the island allows us to send them batteries when needed. For the island, a hearing aid battery can cost up to $10. With minimum wage so low, it is hard on families to purchase batteries which can leave a child without amplification during the school year.
At the end of the trip the audiology team attends Ross Medical University, a medical school on the island. There, the medical students are taught about the auditory system by both a lecture and hands-on clinic.
OUR MISSION IN ACTION
Our mission to give the gift of hearing to the islanders of Dominica is continually growing. Now, thanks to generous donations, the island has multiple audiometers and a screening program is being implemented in some of the schools. Considering no hearing serviced were provided prior to our arrival, this is a large step. We continue to go establish sustainability and to help the hearing program grow.
Participating in a mission trip is a humbling experience. Giving the gift of hearing to someone who could not otherwise have access is rewarding. We have seen mothers watch their children as they hear them for the first time, taught others to say their first word as they now hear their own voice. We have given children the opportunity to succeed in school and adults the ability to participate in conversation again.
The Hearing Missions Foundation is planning another trip to Dominica in March 2016! For more information about making a positive difference in the lives of so many please visit…
www.hearingmissions.org
WHAT CAN YOU DO??
Spread the word, donate hearing aids, give monetary gifts, host fundraisers, and join us on a mission!
Written by: Dr. Elizabeth Shobel
(Hearing Missions Foundation Volunteer and Board Member)
Posted in Educational, Hearing Missions Foundation Tagged with: 501c3, Audiologist, audiologists, audiology, Austintown, Behind the ear hearing aids, Boardman, Boardman Rotary, BTE hearing aids, Centers for Hearing Care, Cleveland, Columbiana, Columbiana County, digital aids with Bluetooth technology, Doctor of Audiology, Dominica, dr. elizabeth shobel, Dr. Sheryl Figliano, Figliano, hard of hearing, hear aids, Hearing Aid, Hearing Aid Center, Hearing Aids, hearing center, hearing devices, hearing doctor, hearing impaired, hearing loss, Hearing loss personal story, Hearing Missions Foundation, hearing tests, hearingaids, helping the world hear, Howland, iphone, Liberty, Mahoning County, Marvlyn Birminghan, music streaming, non-profit, Northeast Ohio, Ohio, Pepper Pike, progressive sensorineural hearing loss, ringing in ears, ringing in the ears, Ross University, Rotarian, Rotary International, Rotary of Plain Township, Salem, severe sensorineural loss, tinnitus, tinnitus treatment, Trumbull County, West Indies, Youngstown, Youngstown Rotary
Congratulations!!
May
18
2015
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Elizabeth Shobel, Au.D. has accepted a position with us as a staff Audiologist!
Dr. Shobel received her Bachelors of Science, Communication Sciences and Disorders (Cum Laude Minor: Psychology) from Kent State University. She received her Master’s and clinical doctoral degree in Audiology from The University of Pittsburgh. She completed clinical rotations at different organizations including:
- Centers for Hearing Care
- Eye and Ear Institute, Hearing Aid Center
- Children’s Hospital Lawrenceville
- Children’s Hospital Monroeville
- Schuman Juvenile Detention Center
- Centers for Assistive Technology
- Pittsburgh Public Schools
- Associated Hearing Aid Services
Elizabeth has been highly active in both local and international charitable activities including the 3 local missions with the Centers for Hearing Care and 6 international mission trips with the Centers for Hearing Care and the Starkey Hearing Foundation to El Salvador, Mexico and the West Indies. She is a member of the Ohio Academy of Audiology and the American Academy of Audiology. Liz was also selected for the prestigious Starkey Entrepreneurial Program (August 2014- December 2014).
Elizabeth has been with Centers for Hearing Care since 2008 as a student and since then has been a valuable team member to all of us. She has willingly accepted and excelled at just about every position in our organization. We are so very proud to witness the drive and determination in her journey of professional growth from student intern to now a Doctor of Audiology.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Shobel as our newest Doctor of Audiology!!
Posted in Meet Our Staff Tagged with: American Academy of Audiology, Associated Hearing Aid Services, Audiologist, Austintown, Bachelors of Science, Boardman, Centers for Assistive Technology, Centers for Hearing Care, Children’s Hospital Lawrenceville, Children’s Hospital Monroeville, Columbiana, Columbiana County, Doctor of Audiology, El Salvador, Eye and Ear Institute, Hearing Aid Center, Hearing Missions Foundation, Howland, Kent State University, Liberty, Mahoning County, Mexico, Northeast Ohio, Ohio, Ohio Academy of Audiology, Pepper Pike, Pittsburgh Public Schools, Salem, Schuman Juvenile Detention Center, Starkey Entrepreneurial Program, Starkey Hearing Foundation, Trumbull County, University of Pittsburgh, West Indies, Youngstown