The William Demant and Wife Ida Emilie Foundation announced that it has designated a grant of $10 million to establish an independent educational institute to support hearing care professionals. The Ida Institute, named in honor of Ida Emilie Demant, will assist hearing care professionals in helping hearing impaired people address the physical, psychological and social challenges of hearing loss.
"The Ida Institute will work through a process of professional collaboration to support new angles of inquiry on hearing loss and its impact," stated Lise Lotte Bundesen, director of the new institute. "The Ida Institute will serve as a catalyst for knowledge sharing and the development of innovative and practical tools that will be shared freely."
The Ida Institute will look at the process people with hearing loss experience from the realization of possible hearing loss to acceptance to finding the right solution and learning to live a full life with their hearing impairment. Bundesen noted, "We will consider the many physical, psychological and social barriers an individual encounters on this 'patient journey' and develop new tools, guidelines and recommendations to enable hearing care professionals to provide better patient care and counsel."
The William Demant and Wife Ida Emilie Foundation statutes mandate that income, which is derived through its ownership of the majority of shares in William Demant Holding, be used to support the needs of hearing-impaired individuals and organizations. The Foundation is also known as the Oticon Foundation.
In accordance with Foundation directives, the Ida Institute will not represent any commercial or company interests but will focus on topics and areas of study that deliver maximum benefit for hearing professionals and the field of hearing care as a whole. "It is important to point out that the Institute is an independent, collaborative educational forum," explained Bundesen. "We will engage experts in diverse disciplines and from a variety of organizations, including academia and industry. The Foundation grant gives us tremendous freedom to engage the experts needed - whatever their affiliation -- to truly assist hearing professionals in serving people with hearing loss."
Bundesen brings extensive experience in the fields of communication, training, customer service, ethics and social responsibility to her role as Institute Director. She was the initiator and driving force behind the groundbreaking environmental policies and activities at Novo Nordisk. Coordinator Anne Hedvig Westenholz joins the Institute from the prestigious Lundbeck Institute where she was responsible for coordinating Lundbeck Institute's extensive educational activities. Senior Audiologist Lisa Wildmo, AuD brings extensive experience from the private, public and international manufacturing sectors.
The appointment of two distinguished anthropologists to the management team reflects the Institute's willingness to explore a wide range of approaches to hearing care research and innovation. Kirsten Lauritsen, MA joins the Institute from the University of Copenhagen and Hans Henrik Philipsen, PhD, brings recent experience as senior health advisor at the Norwegian Embassy in Uganda and the Danish National Board of Health.
Securing respected academics and independent specialists to serve on the Institute's faculty is another key component of the Institute's collaborative approach. "Our intent is to recruit a number of highly qualified experts who will work with us to develop insightful educational material and conduct international seminars that will take place at the Institute's headquarters in Denmark," noted Bundesen.
The Institute will also appoint an international Advisory Board comprised of leading researchers, educators and practitioners in hearing care and other disciplines. Advisory Board members will be appointed for a term of two years and will assist in identifying topics and experts to participate in Institute events.
Once faculty and Advisory Members are in place, the Institute will begin to develop an agenda of topic areas for exploration. A pilot seminar is tentatively scheduled for September of 2008.
