(561) 802-3353
HEARING WELLness Center Now Open
(Delray Beach) The first non-profit hearing health center to serve south Palm Beach County, which opened last July with staff “borrowed” from the West Palm Beach HEARING WELLness Center, is now open full-time with its own Audiologist. The new hours are 8:00 to 4:30 Monday through Friday by appointment only. The Center is located on Linton Boulevard. This expansion of the Deaf Service Center’s capacity has been part of future growth plans since the first HEARING WELLness Center opened in West Palm Beach in May, 2001 and proved so popular.
Gary Friedman M.S., CCC-A, is the Center's Audiologist. He specializes in hearing testing, hearing aid fittings, patient counseling and other audiology services involving all levels of hearing aid technology, from basic conventional to advanced digital. He started part-time with the community-based hearing health center in January. Mr. Friedman brings 24 years of experience to the job. Friedman and his wife live in Boynton Beach.
The agency's Executive Director, Joan Gindlesperger, emphasized that the HEARING WELLness Center is intended to offer accurate and unbiased information about hearing health choices in a non-intimidating atmosphere. "The relationship you have with your hearing health professional is an important one. It is not our intention to disrupt such a relationship, if you are obtaining satisfactory service", she concluded.
More than one person in nine has some hearing loss. Since it typically happens gradually, people often don't notice it or even deny it's true. One result is that there is a disproportionately small public outcry for somebody to do something.
In Palm Beach County, that somebody is the HEARING WELLness Center and other parts of the Deaf Service Center of Palm Beach County, Inc. Last year the nonprofit agency contributed to the hearing health of nearly 50,000 people. In addition to the distribution of special free telephone equipment for hard-of-hearing and deaf residents, the agency provides information & referrals; client advocacy, and case management; as well as client & community education, including speakers for local groups, health fairs, and hearing screenings.
The Deaf Service Center is a member agency of the Palm Beach Community Chest United Way and the United Way of Palm Beach County. Major support is also received from the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners. The HEARING WELLness Center for South County was made possible by generous grants from The Lost Tree Village Charitable Foundation, The Marmot Foundation, and Church of Bethesda-By-the-Sea and several members of the Deaf Service Center. For further information or for an appointment, persons should call (561) 274-4884.