Lurie Children's Partnership
Seeing a need and lack of services for pediatric hearing loss, the FHSR Board of Directors created a strategic partnership with the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago (formerly known as Children’s Memorial Hospital) to provide funding for a series of one of a kind services and programs in 2000. The goal was to remove barriers by helping children with hearing loss communicate more effectively and ease their access to services.
Through this strategic partnership FHSR has helped the Lurie Children’s Audiology Department provide multiple services for children with hearing loss. These services have included funding for the Audiology Technician, the Loaner Hearing Bank, Music Therapists, Social Workers for families and children, the Pediatric Otology Special Needs Fund, and creating the position of the Hart Family Education Coordinator, who provides educational support for children with Cochlear Implants.
Lurie Children’s continues to expand its status as a worldwide leader in evaluating and implanting children with multiple or complex medical issues, and providing essential services and key staff positions some of which were made possible by FHSR funding
FHSR & LURIE CHILDREN'S
The Lurie Children’s pediatric Audiology and Cochlear Implant team excels at meeting the unique challenges in the care of each child and is intensifying research to bring forth better treatments. They completed 99 cochlear implantations in 2023. These patients included 12 children with unilateral hearing loss, which is an exciting development in the field. In the past, cochlear implantation was deemed effective only for children with bilateral hearing loss. This newer indication for the procedure means youngsters with profound unilateral hearing loss will experience the benefits of hearing from two ears. The advantages include better hearing in difficult listening environments and improved ability to understand where sounds are coming from, an important safety benefit.
The hospital has expanded audiology services at all the satellite centers including Westchester, Northbrook and Skokie. In the last year, these locations proved very important for patient families who were hesitant to come downtown but still needed care for their child.
To learn more about what is happening in the clinic today, view the FHSR IMPACT REPORT
Please join MAL’S PALS & FHSR at the Move for Kids !
A 3-mile walk and celebration for our families and community.
There are activities available for all ages and abilities, plus music, food and beverages!
- Sunday, June 9, 2024
Montrose Harbor Grove 16
400 W Montrose Harbor Dr, Chicago, IL 60640 (map)
This fun family event is presented by Lurie Children’s Hospital. We raise funds for the Lurie Audiology Department and encourage community and shared experiences among families who have children with hearing loss.
100% of the donations made to our team; Mal’s Pals and FHSR, are used to support the Audiology Department and FHSR Programming including the Hart Family Cochlear Implant Educational Liaison, and the new Music Therapist.
Its a new location so make sure to join us and support this great cause!
We know there will be beautiful lake views, laughing and hanging out – with new and old friends!
School Advocacy for Children:
Hart Family Cochlear Implant Education Coordinator
Jen Haney, MA, DT-H, the Hart Family Cochlear Implant Education Coordinator, continues to be a critical patient advocate within the many schools and varying districts where the children we serve attend. She is a unique, highly important resource who helps optimize learning environments for children and schools throughout the six-county Chicago region. She educates and collaborates with school professionals to improve the academic, social, and emotional growth of children with cochlear implants.
With key funding from Louise Hart, founding Board Director for FHSR, the Hart Family Cochlear Implant Education Coordinator is one of 13 such specialists in the U.S.
The Education Coordinator sets Lurie Children’s apart from many peer institutions that do not have this critical program and plays a crucial role in educating professionals in the community so that children with cochlear implants get the appropriate support level they need.
In 2008, FHSR and Lurie Children’s established the Hart Family Cochlear Implant Education Coordinator, to assist implanted children and their families before and after implantation. FHSR continues to the fund this key role that collaborates with schools to create education plans to support children on their path to academic success.
Jen Haney, MA, DT-H, has been a true patient champion, constantly in contact with families and schools to identify each child’s set of strengths and areas of need so patients have appropriate supports in place. Her position assists families in advocating for their children to ensure they receive appropriate services at school, classroom placements and helps school staff to support the unique learning needs of each implanted child.
Jen is often called upon by parents to help their child receive appropriate classroom accommodations.
In 2023, Jen assisted 223 students, conducted 57 meetings with school staff and community organizations, attended 4 conferences, and gave 17 presentations. In the last year, she served 17 school districts and cooperatives in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Additionally, after a three-year hiatus, Jen hosted Lurie Day at the hospital and attendance was at maximum capacity with 95 attendees and a waitlist, demonstrating the importance of this event for the wider audiology community.
Since the program began in March 2023, Jacqueline (Jackie) Vilca, MT-BC, NICU-MT practices from an eclectic music therapy approach and provides services in English and Spanish. She has had 77 sessions with patients. She serves patients at the main hospital as well as the Clark Deming and Northbrook outpatient centers.
Jackie utilizes a number of interventions during sessions that include: musical attention control training, auditory perception training, developmental speech and language training through music, therapeutic singing and speech stimulation.
Music Therapy Programming
To respond to patient needs with the latest and best care, FHSR has funded Lurie Children’s to launch a program to provide Music Therapy to children with hearing loss.
The Lurie Children’s Music Therapist (MT) works directly with their audiology team to provide listening and spoken language therapy.
This is an opportunity for Lurie Children’s Speech Audiologists to discover and adopt the most effective Music Therapy techniques to achieve children’s therapy goals. These techniques will be integrated into therapy sessions, parent education, carryover strategies, and activities in the home environment.
We hope our families gain valuable knowledge and integrate components of Music Therapy into listening and language therapy goals for all children with hearing loss.
HONORING LOUISE
Louise Hart, long time Board Director, passed away peacefully at her home on May 1, 2020 at the age of 99. As a founding member of the Foundation for Hearing & Speech Rehabilitation (FHSR), Mrs. Hart helped to shape the mission of the Foundation and provided an unmatched level of commitment to helping individuals who are living with hearing loss.
In 2007, Mrs. Hart provided the initial funding for a crucial support position at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, the Hart Family Cochlear Implant Education Coordinator.
In 2018, the Hart Family Foundation stepped forward to support the creation and initial funding drive for the Music To My Ears program to honor the Foundation’s 60th Anniversary.
CLICK HERE to learn about Louise’s Impact and the history of the foundation.
Working with their Audiology team and Dr. Nancy Young, MD, Section Head of Lurie Children’s Section of Otology and Neurotology and Medical Director of Audiology & Cochlear Implant Programs, FHSR began funding:
- Hearing Aid Technician Providing fittings, repairs and ear molds
- Bilingual Social Workers Supporting newly identified families of children with hearing loss
- Special Equipment Purchases such as an Auditory Brainstem Response machine allowing infants to be tested un-sedated in the clinic
BE A PART OF IT ALL.
Give the gift of hearing.
Every contribution to FHSR helps improve the lives of children with hearing loss.
We hope you will consider making a gift to support these children. Thank you!
