Bendigo mum Sharni Bergman could not be more relieved that her daughter Rosie will get the hearing help she needs close to home.
“We’ve been so worried about judgement from some services, but it’s great to finally have clinicians that understand our Rosie girl,” she said.
“I couldn’t tell you how long we’ve waited for this.”
Now thanks to Bendigo Health’s new contract with Country Hearing Care, the public service is again available for free for infants, children and adults.
“We’re really excited to provide this service publicly for those that need it,” Country Hearing Care audiologist Josh Taylor said.
“Hearing care is really important for the overall development of a child, so it’s great we can help those that need it.”
The clinic offers care for a range of conditions such as hearing loss, problems that have come from ear or head trauma, delayed speech and language development in children, middle ear disease and more.
“It means patients in the region can access diagnostic audiology services, that’s infants, children and adults needing any sort of care,” Bendigo Health Speech Pathology and Audiology acting manager Caitlin Wright said.
“We are also one of the few services in the region that provides infant hearing testing for newborns.
“That’s a really important service that without it, these babies and their families have had to go to the Goulburn Valley or Melbourne to access this care.
“If a baby fails their initial hearing screening after they’re born, they need to see an audiologist for a full specialised assessment that can now be provided at Bendigo Health.
“So, it’s great to be able to provide this service closer to home.”
Caitlin said Country Hearing Care also provide public services at other regional hospitals in Mildura and Ballarat.
“We’ve had great feedback from those sites,” she said.
Patients and health professionals can find out more about Bendigo Health’s audiology clinic by visiting: Bendigo Health Website - Audiology Clinic