CCHAT Partner Spotlight: Local Birthing Centers to Expand Community Impact

CCHAT is thoroughly committed to the hearing health of its community. As the program has evolved, the ways in which CCHAT has provided service have expanded. Originally solely a center-based program for students with hearing loss, in recent years CCHAT began serving the community as a newborn hearing screening provider. 

With the help of recent grant support, CCHAT was able to make another significant advancement as it works to ensure all local newborns have access to the hearing health services they need. 

Grant Support Leads to Better Technology

One primary objective of CCHAT grant initiatives is to fund its vital newborn hearing screening program. Thanks to support from the Kelly Foundation, Dignity Health, Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society Alliance, and the TEGNA Foundation Community Grant, CCHAT was able to add state-of-the-art Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) testing equipment to its campus. 

While it was a benefit to replace technology that was no longer supported by the manufacturer, perhaps the most important feature of the new equipment is the portability. Because CCHAT can now transport testing equipment throughout the community, the program can reach more newborns in the area and have a greater impact on our region’s hearing health.

Using New Technology to Make an Impact

CCHAT immediately sought to take advantage of its new hearing screening equipment. In partnership with California Birth Center in Rocklin, CCHAT Audiologist Dr. Katie Isbell will spend one day each month providing hearing screenings for the babies born at this midwifery center. 

Rachel Fox-Tierney, California Birth Centers’ Clinical Director, has already seen the advantages of their connection with CCHAT, noting the newfound ease of service for their clients and ability to receive hearing screenings in a familiar environment.

“Although I had been referring clients to the CCHAT Center for years, this (partnership) solidified the benefits of newborn hearing screenings,” Rachel said. “In addition, we extended the invitation to other families in the community who birth at home or at birth centers.”

Dr. Isbell will provide the same screening services at Welcome Home Birth Center in South Sacramento which primarily serves low-income families who benefit from Medi-Cal.

These partnerships are possible due to the portability of the new ABR equipment.

A Commitment to Our Community

CCHAT’s goal continues to be meeting the hearing health needs of its community. On campus, this involves providing professional classroom instruction, daily speech therapy and audiological support to its students, aged birth to 3rd grade. 

With a constantly growing newborn hearing screening program, CCHAT hopes to minimize the number of infants who are lost to follow-up. This program’s ability to expeditiously diagnose newborn hearing loss continues to have a significant impact on children who are deaf and hard of hearing in the community, opening the door for them to begin receiving services that will help them succeed in a hearing world.

CCHAT’s latest partnerships with local birthing centers and its newfound ability to meet families throughout the community will only bolster its ability to help children in the region receive the hearing health services they need to thrive. 

To learn more about the newborn hearing services provided by CCHAT and what to expect at an appointment, click here. To schedule a newborn hearing screening or request more information, use our contact page or call 916-361-7290.