2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

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10/27/2018  |   3:30 PM - 4:30 PM   |  The Rotary Hearing Center of San Felipe: A Model for Sustainability   |  Kramer Lecture Theater 2

The Rotary Hearing Center of San Felipe: A Model for Sustainability

The Rotary Hearing Center of San Felipe Mexico, established in 2017, with funding from International Hearing Foundation and The Rotary Foundation, uses a novel approach to ensure long-term sustainability and best practice. This project differs from short-term mission outreach projects where professionals provide services and hearing aids over a period of days or weeks but then return to their home country. The mission model may provide short-term benefits but does not lend itself to sustainable services beyond the period of the service outreach. The Rotary Hearing Clinic is located in the Women’s Cancer Clinic of San Felipe. Two technicians were trained to perform diagnostic evaluations, with mostly automated technologies as well as cerumen management, ear impressions, earmold fabrication/modification, and the fitting of hearing aids. Twice weekly the technicians provide audiology services in the morning and see cancer clinic patients in the afternoon. Audiologists at Arizona State University connect through video conferencing and remote desktop applications to supervise the appointments, review the results online in real time, and provide comments and recommendations. This regular contact with ASU audiologists also ensures ongoing advancement of technicians’ skills, promoting a sustainable model of care provision. The Cancer Clinic physician provides medical support when needed. The clinic follows a comprehensive hearing aid fitting and follow-up protocol that ensures effective long-term care and sustainability. The financial viability of the program is sustained by a revenue stream from American and Canadian part-year and full-time residents, who receive services and hearing aids at a lower cost than they would pay in the U.S. The revenue provides the needed funds to serve the local population at no cost to the patients. This presentation discusses the use of telehealth to establish a model for delivery of hearing services that can be replicated in other under-served areas.

  • • Describe the importance of following best practices and ethical standards in the identification and treatment of hearing loss
  • • Describe how telehealth can be used to provide audiology services in a developing country
  • • Compare the advantages and disadvantages of a mission-based approach with a teleaudiology-based approach

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Presenters/Authors

Ingrid McBride (), Arizona State University, ingrid.mcbride@outlook.com;
Dr. McBride is a Clinical Professor of Audiology at Arizona State University. She specializes in amplification technology, including hearing aids, cochlear implants, and hearing assistive technology. Dr. McBride is dedicated to improving the access to audiologic services to underserved populations. Dr. McBride has extensive experience in providing humanitarian services on the ground in Malawi Africa and on site as well as via tele-audiology San Felipe Mexico.


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Robert Margolis (), Audiology Incorporated, rhmargo001@gmail.com;
Robert Margolis is Emeritus Professor at the University of Minnesota, Adjunct Professor at Arizona State University, and President of Audiology Incorporated. His research career has focused on diagnostic audiology, most recently on development and validation of automated hearing tests. He has participated in audiology service projects in Chile, India, and Mexico.


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Jerry Yanz (), Jerry Yanz, LLC, yanzjerry@gmail.com;
Jerry Yanz’s career in audiology has spanned several venues, including academia, the audiology clinic and the hearing aid industry. He served on the faculty in the Department of Communication Disorders at the University of Minnesota and directed a large audiology clinic in St Paul, Minnesota. Working in the hearing aid industry for twenty-four years, he has participated in numerous endeavors, including product research and development, executive management and ongoing education of hearing professionals.


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