Aurora, Co., February 19, 2009 - Siemens Hearing Instruments, Inc., one of the largest manufacturers of hearing instruments in the world, announced at Quota International's 90th anniversary event its second annual partnership with Quota's Sound Beginnings program. Siemens will provide vouchers for 100 free hearing instruments to qualifying children 17 and under diagnosed with hearing loss. Targeting U.S. families who cannot afford hearing instruments, the vouchers this year will allow for the donation of 50 CIELO® 2 and 50 Siemens Explorer™ hearing instruments.
Thomas A. Powers, Ph.D., Vice President of Audiology and Compliance at Siemens Hearing Instruments, Inc., made the announcement at the Aurora Public Library before an assemblage of more than 85 attendees, including 12 Denver-area children who received Siemens hearing instruments last year, Siemens and Quota personnel, personal and professional invitees, and local reporters and a television news crew.
Pictured: Maria, one of the Denver-area recipients of the Quota/Siemens partnership to provide free hearing instruments to hearing impaired children in need. Photo by Hardy Klahold.
"There is a critical need in this country for hearing loss education and meaningful hearing solutions, particularly among children in disadvantaged families," said Dr. Powers. "17 of every 1,000 children born in the U.S. suffer from some degree of hearing loss, and the number rises as the child population ages. Untreated, hearing loss can significantly impact a child's development and communication skills. Quota's 90 years of providing deaf and hard-of-hearing patients with professional screening and solutions is an admirable and amazing achievement. All of us at Siemens are grateful to be able to again partner with Quota to provide quality hearing solutions for the children who need them most."
Today, only eleven states in the nation mandate partial insurance coverage for pediatric hearing instruments. According to Quota, many of the families that Siemens and Quota are helping avoid the decision between the basics of life (food, clothing, and proper housing) and hearing instruments for their children. Gaining better hearing can be life-altering. Hearing instruments can open children to not only the world of sound, but a world of possibilities. For example, a little girl named Lydia, now with her second adoptive family, initially was thought to have behavioral problems until she was reevaluated and diagnosed with a hearing loss.
Helping children and adults hear better is only one of Siemens services. The company is also committed to helping wearers feel better - about themselves and their lives with hearing instruments. One way the company has done that is through hearing loss awareness programs, such as Siemens strong alliance with Disney. Another way is by combining technology and lifestyle into the development of hearing instruments that can be fitted not only for a patient's ears, but for the person between them.
"We chose to offer two products this year with Quota," said Dr. Powers. "CIELO 2 is a versatile hearing solution, offering a variety of styles for different degrees of hearing loss. Siemens Explorer, an excellent product, has the capability, via our optional Tek™ enhancement system, to wirelessly stream quality audio from cell phones, MP3 players, TVs, and other devices directly to both hearing instruments. No two sets of ears are alike, and varying degrees of hearing loss may require more than one type of technology. We want a child's first experiences with hearing instruments to be pleasant and enjoyable."
Siemens hearing loss awareness website can be found at www.hearitforthefirsttime.org. More information appears on their main website, www.usa.siemens.com/hearing.
About Siemens Healthcare
The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry. The company is a renowned medical solutions provider with core competence and innovative strength in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies as well as in knowledge engineering, including information technology and system integration. With its laboratory diagnostics acquisitions, Siemens Healthcare is the first integrated healthcare company, bringing together imaging and lab diagnostics, therapy, and healthcare information technology solutions, supplemented by consulting and support services. Siemens Healthcare delivers solutions across the entire continuum of care - from prevention and early detection, to diagnosis, therapy and care. Additionally, Siemens Healthcare is the global market leader in innovative hearing instruments. The company employs more than 49,000 people worldwide and operates in 130 countries. In the fiscal year 2007 (Sept. 30), Siemens Healthcare reported sales of 9.85 billion, orders of 10.27 billion, and group profit of 1.32 billion. Further information can be found by visiting www.siemens.com/healthcare or the Siemens Web Channel on AudiologyOnline at www.audiologyonline.com/channels/siemens.asp.
