Summer has arrived with long, lazy evenings on the patio, road trips to National Parks, and floating in pools with a glass of ice cold lemonade in hand...

 

While the MDHC staff has been enjoying these types of weekends, the weekDAYS have been pretty productive! Our summer program for teens is well underway; we've applied for a $15 million dollar building grant from the NIH; we're saying goodbye to graduating Audiology students and welcoming the next class; we hosted our annual Wine & Chocolate Gala; the new Boulder clinic is expanding; and we're getting ready for our summer series of sign language classes!

 

While we're busy little bees at the MDHC, we're always having fun. We hope you and your family are enjoying a happy, safe, fulfilling summer as well!

 

Sincerely,

MDHC Staff

On Thursday, June 4, our 2nd Annual Wine & Chocolate Gala took place at the Grant-Humphreys Mansion in Denver. With almost 100 people in attendance, we successfully raised $30,000 to benefit the programs and services of the MDHC! This is almost double what we raised last year! Our auction items ranged from pottery to jewelry to sporting event tickets. One anonymous individual donated $5,500 to be used toward teen program scholarships and as well as a donation of top of the line hearing aids to an under privileged patient!
 

Thank you, THANK YOU to everyone who was involved with making this event a success, including the participants, the sponsors, the Board Members, staff and volunteers, and certainly the event committee members.  The food was catered by Catering by Design, the wine was donated by Wine Company, and the delicious chocolate fountains were provided by Sir Chocolate.  If you enjoyed their treats, be sure to think of them at your next company picnic or family reunion!

On June 17, 2009, the Marion Downs Hearing Center applied to the National Institute of Health (NIH) for a facility grant.  The application included a request for $15 million dollars in federal support to build our building and be a portion of the Anschutz Medical Campus.  The $15 M requested will go  help raise the funds needed to build a free-standing, 103,000 square foot space to house all programs and services of the MDHC!  The entire building is expected to cost over $25 M; the MDHC Foundation will be raising the remaining funds.   
 
The NIH Application required our proposal to include plans we have in place to build a "green" building as well as the number of jobs we will impact while under construction.  We are proud to announce that the building will be designed to accommodate a very high standard of energy conservation and maintain a low-impact on the environment.  We also hope to employ over 900 individuals which will include engineers and building contractors as well as professionals and support staff to operate the programs after the building has been completed. 
 
To have one large building will mean all of the services and offices for the MDHC will be located under one roof instead of spread out and housed at different locations.  A 103,000 sq ft building will mean we will have enough room to encourage growth and expansion for future services that will impact the lives of the individuals of the deaf and hard of hearing communities.  We hope to include a large research component, clinical services, an auditorium, pre-school services, and much more.  We are very excited about the NIH Grant and the possibility of seeing the vision of our building realized.  The award announcements are expected to be released in December, 2009, so we hope to have good news to share shortly thereafter!

 
Services Provided

We've added Intermediate and Advanced level classes to our sign language program. The next Novice level class begins on August 20. We will share more information in the July Sound Off.

 

  

Intermediate Sign Language Class
Emphasis will be on cumulative vocabulary development. Participants should be comfortable with the alphabet, numbers, and basic phrases. Exposure to short stories and narratives will help students develop their visual skills. We encourage whole family participation. This class is open to the public.
Tuition: $150, includes ASL book and handouts
Bring a friend/relative and receive $25 off each paid registration!

 

Advanced Sign Language Class
Emphasis will be on developing receptive and translating skills to become literate and effective users of sign language. Skills will be practiced in meaningful contexts through interactional techniques, demonstrations, dialogues, and other activities. To ensure appropriate student participation, students will be screened during the 1st class.
Tuition: $150, recommended texts will be discussed at the first class  

 

Intermediate
Wednesdays, 4:30-6:30pm
July 8 - September 23

 

Advanced
Tuesdays, 4:30-6:30pm
July 7 - August 25 (8 week class)

 

Email Rebecca at rebecca.novinger@uch.edu with your contact information.

 

Payment is due by the 1st day of class.  Please make checks payable to MDHC Foundation. To charge by credit, call 720-848-3043.

As part of our commitment to further research and education in the field of audiology, the Marion Downs Hearing Center is very involved in the training of future Audiologists. We host 4th year Audiology interns from colleges and universities around the country, including a close collaboration with University of Colorado at Boulder. Our competitive program breeds excellence in audiology practices, sending well-trained students back to their home communities with high standards of quality of care. We love having the students in our clinic. They bring with them passion and excitement for their new careers, as well as positive pressure for us to stay on the cutting edge of research and best practices.  

 

While we get to welcome new students each year, we have to say goodbye to the graduating class. It is always interesting to watch them take their next step in their careers. Some return to their home universities to complete PhD degrees; some get their very first paid jobs as Audiologists. Wherever they end up, we hope they take with them, lessons learned not only on how to be an excellent Audiologist, but also how to be an excellent health care provider.

 

Good luck, Graduating class of 2009!

 One of the most rewarding (and fun!) aspects of my job is coordinating our teen program. It is ranked pretty high around my office!

 

I've had the priviledge of working with four exceptional teens throughout the month of June. Thankfully, they're all participating in our hiking program, Reach Your Peak!, as well so I don't have to say goodbye just yet!

 

My personal goal, as their teacher, was to provide them with the necessary tools and skills to navigate the challenges of being an adult with hearing loss. 

 

I will be here for them if they ever need advice and the MDHC will be here for them if they ever need a resource to help navigate life's journey.