[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 67 (Tuesday, May 11, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S5097]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      SPECTRUM HEALTH'S UNIVERSAL INFANT HEARING SCREENING PROGRAM

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, this is National Hospital Week, and 
one of Michigan's hospitals, Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 
is being honored by the American Hospital Association (AHA). National 
Hospital Week gives health care workers, volunteers, and other health 
professionals the recognition that they deserve for all the care they 
provide.
  Spectrum Health has been singled out by the AHA for its Universal 
Infant Hearing Screening program, located at Spectrum's Downtown Campus 
in Grand Rapids. This program is the recipient of the AHA's prestigious 
Hospital Award for Volunteer Excellence, an award which highlights 
special contributions of hospital volunteers.
  Spectrum's Universal Infant Hearing Screening program identifies 
potential hearing loss in all babies born at or transferred to the 
Spectrum Health Downtown Campus. It is well known that such early 
identification and intervention can prevent a hearing problem from 
becoming a handicap.
  Universal Infant Hearing Screening volunteers must undergo extensive 
training to prepare for this program. After the volunteers administer 
the screening, audiologists review the test results to identify infants 
with potential problems. Those infants with abnormal results are 
referred for re-screening or diagnostic testing. Without the work of 
the volunteers, it would be impossible to provide this vital service to 
the thousands of babies born at Spectrum Health every year.
  Mr. President, I would like to congratulate Spectrum Health for its 
award winning program.

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