Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/1099222
21 t m c » p u l s e | a p r i l 2 0 1 9 Pediatric Hearing Services Hub to Launch in 2020 The Center for Hearing and Speech collaborates with Texas Children's Hospital A new building planned for the Texas Medical Center will unite The Center for Hearing and Speech with professionals from Texas Children's Hospital under one roof to provide more robust services to thousands more children with hearing loss. The center's new 42,000-square-foot facility, slated to break ground this year and open in 2020 near State Highway 288 and South MacGregor Way, aims to serve twice as many patients annu- ally than the current campus on West Dallas. "A lot of our kids have other issues, so they end up going to Texas Children's to get those issues addressed. It would be a lot easier on the families if we could locate closer or in the Texas Medical Center," said Alan L. Smith, The Center for Hearing and Speech's board chairman. The Houston agency teaches listening, speaking and literacy skills to children with hearing loss. For patients without private insur- ance or government health coverage, the charge for services is based on a sliding scale determined by household income. In 2018, the nonprofit served more than 8,000 children—from infants to 18-year-olds—through an audiology clinic, a speech-language pathology clinic and The Melinda Webb School, all housed in one facility. The center employs seven master's-level speech-language pathologists, nine master's-level teachers of the deaf and seven doctorate-level pediatric audiologists. "If kids can listen well and they develop proper speech, they have a much better chance of reading well," Smith said. A vital part of expanding services and improving outcomes through the joint venture includes the Texas Children's medical profession- als—including ear, nose and throat physicians—who will practice in the new building. "Joining forces with The Center for Hearing and Speech is a natural fit, as our commitment to treating children with hearing loss is unmatched," Larry Hollier, M.D., surgeon-in-chief at Texas Children's, said in a statement. "We look forward to working together in a highly collabora- tive manner to enhance the care provided to children across our area." Smith, president and CEO of Rockcliff Energy, first encountered the center more than a decade ago after his daughter was born premature and deaf. "Thanks to technology and people introduc- ing us to the center and Texas Children's, she got cochlear implants," he said. "She went to The Center for Hearing and Speech from the time she was about 24 months old until pre-K." Tiffany Grace Smith, now 11, received auditory verbal therapy and other specialized services. Even with other challenges that aren't hearing- related, she's on the path to mainstream and higher education opportunities, her father said. Alan Smith joined the board a few years ago, as leaders were envisioning a new home for the center. "We want to double the number of kids we're serving—double the audi- ology patients, double the speech therapy and double the size of the school," said Smith, who became board chairman in May 2017. "We thought it was important for us to remain neutral and not become a part of a hospital, to continue to have the compassionate care that we exhibited toward our clients and patients and to keep the audiology and the speech and the school all under one roof—that's our secret sauce." Co-locating with Texas Children's professionals emerged as the right option to meet those goals. Already, the center's $22.5 million capital campaign has raised $7.5 million. Smith said the nonprofit plans to split the proceeds of the build- ing sale with its co-occupant, The Harris Center. After vacating the structure this summer and factoring the cost of a temporary location, leaders estimate adding another $10 million to the fund. "By June, we will have at least $17.5 million, so we'll have $5 million or less to go," Smith said. Founded as the Houston School for Deaf Children seven decades ago, The Center for Hearing and Speech is the most comprehensive resource for pediatric hearing loss in Texas and the region's only facility offering audiology, speech pathology and spoken language educa- tion at a single site. B y C i n d y G e o r g e Above: Students Emma and Giuliana work with their teacher, Diana Dehler, at The Melinda Webb School, part of The Center for Hearing and Speech. Below: Student Kira in class.