Spring 2010 - Arkansas Children's Hospital

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PEDIATRIC CARE Michelle Leach, an ACH speech therapist, works with Ella Lindsey each week on speech development. Ella, who received a cochlear implant last year, has been a patient of the Audiology/Speech Pathology clinic at ACH since she was six months old. When the ACH South Wing expansion opens in 2012, the Audiology/Speech Pathology department will move into a completely new, larger space, allowing the team to see more patients and families than ever before. ACH Audiology/Speech Pathology Department Is Growing ■ Kila Owens Immediately after she was born, Ella Grace Lindsey failed a newborn hearing screening. Ella’s parents, Jared and Ashley, were concerned, but a nurse assured them their daughter was fine. A second hearing test was scheduled for the next week, and Jared and Ashley tried not to worry. When Ella failed the second hearing test, Ashley felt scared and uneasy. “I just knew something was wrong,” she says. “Ella’s pediatrician assured us that our daughter could not be deaf, but we weren’t convinced.” A few months later, Jared and Ashley made an appointment for Ella with an audiologist at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. When she again failed all of the hearing tests, her parents learned the extent of her deafness. Ella had severe to profound hearing loss in both ears, meaning she was almost completely deaf. “It felt surreal,” says Ashley. “Finding out our baby girl was deaf was hard. It was a very bad day, but the staff members in the Audiology Clinic were so helpful. They explained hearing loss to us in a way we could easily understand.” That very day, impressions were taken of Ella’s ears so custom hearing aids could be made. The Lindsey family came back a week later and six-month-old Ella heard her first sounds with the new hearing aids. “When Ella first received her hearing aids, we were so excited,” Jared says. “The staff at ACH walked us through everything – how to use the hearing aids and how to work with Ella. They worked at our pace. They helped us understand what she was going through and how we could make this as easy as possible for her.” The Audiology staff members also began talking with Jared and Ashley about Ella’s future. Because Ella’s hearing loss was so severe, she could eventually receive a cochlear implant, a surgically implanted device that would improve her hearing. “We debated the pros and cons of the cochlear implant for a long time,” says Jared. “This surgery would allow Ella to hear better, but it is permanent. She will have this device for the rest of her life. We decided to have the implant surgery. We want Ella to have the best life she can possibly have, and we feel like we made the right decision.” Ella received a cochlear implant for her left ear a few days after her first birthday. She continues to wear a hearing aid in her right ear. Jared and Ashley appreciate the care their daughter receives at ACH. “We will never be able to say enough about the wonderful team at ACH,” says Ashley. “Everyone goes above and beyond to answer any question we may have and help us any way they can. They work so hard for the kids and it really shows.” Audiology/Speech Pathology Helps Kids Communicate The Audiology/Speech Pathology department at ACH is involved in evaluating, diagnosing and improving any hearing or speech disorders in children. Hearing loss and speech disorders are common in Arkansas. More than 20,000 patients are treated in the department each year. Ninety-five percent of all Arkansas children who are diagnosed with hearing loss are diagnosed at ACH, according to the Arkansas Department of Health. “Nationally, three of every 1,000 children will experience hearing loss,” says Patti Martin, director of Audiology/Speech Pathology at ACH. “All children with hearing loss require speech and language therapy to develop spoken language. We want to help these children communicate as well as possible, so they can go on to lead healthy, full lives.” Audiologists conduct a wide variety of specialized testing to determine the exact nature of a child’s hearing problem. They present a variety of treatment options to families, as well as dispense and fit hearing aids, administer special tests of auditory processing and provide hearing rehabilitation training. 4
PEDIATRIC CARE Speech-language pathologists work with children with a variety of communication and oral motor/feeding/swallowing disorders. Speech-language pathologists also help patients like Ella who are just beginning to hear, thanks to hearing aids or cochlear implants. When the new South Wing opens on the ACH campus in 2012, the Audiology/Speech Pathology department will move into a significantly bigger space, which will allow staff members to see and treat even more patients. More Patient Care Space in South Wing In the South Wing, the entire Audiology/Speech Pathology Clinic will be divided into pods. Each pod will contain an interview/family consult room, a sound room, an amplification lab and office space for staff members. Currently in the department, there are four sound booths, which are used for testing. In the South Wing, there will be seven sound booths, which will decrease family wait times. Each pod will host an amplification lab/workroom, which will be used for programming hearing aids and implants and creating ear molds. In the current space, only one of the sound booths is wheelchair-accessible. All sound booths in the South Wing will be wheelchair-accessible. “We try to be as accommodating as possible, but our small space sometimes makes it difficult,” says Martin. “We want families to come into our waiting room and feel as if they have found the place that will take care of them. When the new clinic opens, we will have a more family-focused, childfriendly atmosphere for the patients we serve.” The Audiology/Speech Pathology Clinic currently only has one room designated for visiting with families, which can make conferring privately with parents difficult. “The pod system in our new clinic will be a great gift,” says Martin. “Each pod will have a special private area for us to use when we are talking with family members, customizing equipment or fitting technology. The pod system will be fantastic for the staff, because everything they need will be right in the area.” The new space will also contain a research sound suite, which will accommodate extra equipment to be used for various clinical research projects. BetterService forPatients and Families The first place a family usually visits when they come to ACH is the waiting area. In the new Audiology/Speech Pathology waiting room in the South Wing, the area will be larger, more inviting and more comfortable, with an atmosphere designed to put children and families at ease. In the new clinic, there will also be an updated patient alerting system. When the staff is ready to see the patient, a handheld device will provide a visual alert. For hearing impaired patients and families, this system will be very beneficial. Because technology is vital to Audiology/Speech Pathology patients, the new space in the South Wing will contain a “technology wall.” This device display area is designated for hands-on viewing of hearing aids, implants and devices to help those with hearing loss, such as telephones, alarm clocks and other alerting devices. “Patients and family members will be able to see and test things that could improve their quality of life,” Martin says. “Currently, we have to order these pieces from a brochure without being able to test them. The technology display will basically be a hands-on ‘show and tell’ for our families.” Audiology/Speech Pathology Helping Patients Like Ella The Audiology/Speech Pathology Clinic at ACH is making a difference in the lives of children like Ella. “Communication is a basic birthright,” says Martin. “We want every child we see to be able to communicate with their families and friends.” Ella continues to visit ACH once a week for speech therapy, which is helping her develop speech and language consistent with other children her age. She may have another cochlear implant in the future, but for now, she is enjoying being a lively, outgoing 2-year-old. “We are so thankful to Arkansas Children’s Hospital for the wonderful things they did for our daughter,” says Ashley. “We will be visiting ACH for several more years, so I am excited about the South Wing expansion. It will be fantastic not only for our family, but for all the other families who are helped each day by the amazing people at ACH.” Hamlen Endowed Fund Benefits Patients and Families In 2007, the James H. Hamlen II Endowed Fund for Audiology/Speech Pathology was created, thanks to a gift to ACH through Mr. Hamlen’s estate. The principal of the endowment will last forever while the interest earned supports the work of the Audiology/Speech Pathology department at ACH. This year, proceeds from the Hamlen Endowed Fund will be used toward a weekend camp for parents of children with hearing loss. The camp will emphasize opportunities to develop exceptional listening, spoken-language and pre-literacy skills for children. ACH Audiology/Speech Pathology patient Ella Lindsey. 5
Page 2 and 3: CONTENTS Ambassadors Make a Differe
Page 6 and 7: RESEARCH For the past few years, Al
Page 8 and 9: EDUCATION CareHub System Is Transfo
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Page 12 and 13: Your Gifts Make Us Better W Thank y
Page 14 and 15: DONORS Pat Walker, chairman of the
Page 16 and 17: DONORS Because they were impressed
Page 18 and 19: CHILDREN’S MIRACLE NETWORK The We
Page 20 and 21: CHILDREN’S MIRACLE NETWORK Walmar
Page 22 and 23: AUXILIARY GROUPS CIRCLE Quarterly O
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Spring 2010 - Arkansas Children's Hospital

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