The Learning Center for the Deaf Audiology Clinic has been awarded more than $63,000 from the MassHealth Provider Access Improvement Grant Program (PAIGP) grant.
The grant, under the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services, offers funding through March 2021 and will support several key initiatives within the outpatient Audiology Clinic.
Lydia Colón, Au.D., CCC-A, Director of the Audiology Clinic, states that she hopes a large portion of the grant will fund the purchase of technology that supports diagnostic testing as part of newborn hearing screening follow-up.
“With this technology, we would be able to identify children with hearing loss sooner, as well as start them on a path to Early Intervention earlier, including access to sign language acquisition,” she said.
Colón added that steps are being taken to make the clinic a DPH Level II certified testing center.
With additional grant money, the clinic will replace a major piece of equipment routinely used to detect any pathologies within the ear that might be contributing to a patient's hearing loss or symptoms.
In addition, funding will support the purchase of a portable audiometer, designed for specialized diagnostic testing for children under age 5, or for older children and adults with developmental delays.
The MassHealth Provider Access Improvement Grant Program (PAIGP) recently announced awards of $75,000 in grants to 65 MassHealth Fee-for-Service providers for Cycle 2 of the grant award program. In total, PAIGP will award over $2 million to help these providers increase access to healthcare and improve outcomes for patients with disabilities, or for whom English is not a primary language.
TLC’s outpatient Audiology Clinic provides comprehensive audiologic and hearing aid services to more than 1,300 patients of all ages to the MetroWest community and beyond. The clinic was recently awarded 2020 Best of Best MetroWest Audiology Clinic and Hearing Aid Center.