In November 2020, ETSU’s Audiology department donated their services and provided discount hearing aids to patients at the Remote Area Medical in Gray, Tennessee.
RAM hosts many pop-up clinics around the region, including in Kentucky and Virginia.
Doctorate students from ETSU Audiology volunteered their services at the clinic and were able to identify 28 patients who qualified for hearing aids.
The department received the ETSU Foundation Grant in 2018 and used it to help purchase and provide hearing aids to the patients.
Through negotiations with manufacturers, they were able to obtain discounted hearing aids.
“I worked with Dr. Bramlett on the negotiations with the hearing aid companies for the discounted hearing aid prices and the discounted ear molds,” said Rebecca Jurius, a graduate assistant in the Department of Audiology. “We were able to kind of negotiate for older models of the hearing aids that have been discontinued. They don’t really sell those hearing aids anymore, but they’re not obsolete by any means.”
Patients who qualified only had to pay $25 for the ear molds, $325 for a hearing aid or $650 for a set of hearing aids. Normally, it would cost patients over a $1,000 to receive the set and services at the department.
The department and clinic have been able to make a big difference for those in the region.
“It’s definitely allowed those who don’t have insurance or are unable to pay out of pocket for thousands of dollars for hearing aids,” said Karee Diem, a graduate assistant with the Department of Audiology. “It’s definitely allowed them to reap the benefits of this, and overall, improve their quality of life by improving their communication with the use of an assisted technology like a hearing aid.”
During this time of mask wearing, the students said being able to improve patient’s quality of hearing and communication is invaluable.
