Telethon Speech & Hearing (TSH) has proudly partnered with Joondalup Health Campus (JHC) to provide a suite of audiological services for children in Perth’s northern corridor. This is the first time that audiological services have been provided at JHC, with the service having opened its doors in late November.
“Hearing forms an important part of verbal speech and language development and social connection,” explains Azadeh Ebrahimi-Madiseh, Head of Hearing Services at TSH. “Checking the hearing of these children is the first vital step in diagnosis of and early intervention for hearing, speech and language difficulties. By providing these services at the hospital, families in the northern corridor will no longer need to travel long distances to receive hearing tests.”
It is estimated that almost 40 percent of Perth’s population resides in the northern corridor. The City of Wanneroo is also considered the fastest growing local government authority with young families in Western Australia. Until now, these families had to travel to access other services, potentially facing an additional barrier of a long waitlist for these services.
The clinic at Joondalup Health Campus accepts children and young adult referrals from inside and outside the hospital, including allied health specialists, medical practitioners and specialist consultants. Parents with concerns about their child’s hearing can also self-refer, with a Medicare rebate available.
Audiological services
The audiological services provided by TSH include routine hearing tests as well as a comprehensive suite of evidence-based diagnostic services.
“We have the latest state-of-the-art equipment tailored to the needs of children as young as babies to young adults,” explained Ms Ebrahimi-Madiseh.
A sound-proof booth was made available through a generous donation by Clelia Doeve OAM, in commemoration of her parents Alfred and Marina Caligari Marzo, while Professor Peter Friedland, an Ear Nose and Throat specialist at Joondalup Health Campus, played a key role in lobbying to have such an important service in the northern corridor.
“I am absolutely thrilled that public patients, especially children, will now be able to access audiological services of the highest quality through Medicare without unacceptable delays and other barriers,” says Professor Friedland. “Early diagnosis of hearing loss and hearing screening is one of the most important things we can do for our children. This will facilitate earlier treatment and decrease speech and language delays.”
The City of Joondalup has lauded the partnership between JHC and TSH. “The City of Joondalup is delighted to welcome Telethon Speech & Hearing’s Audiology Clinic to the Joondalup Health Campus. Adding to the extensive range of health and medical services available in Joondalup, the TSH Audiology Clinic will provide convenient access to specialist speech and hearing services for families in the growing northern corridor of Perth,” commented City of Joondalup Mayor Councillor Albert Jacob.
Ramsay Health Care
Australia’s largest private hospital operator, Ramsay Health Care, manages JHC under a long-standing public-private partnership agreement with the State Government. Caring for both public and private patients, and with a total of 722 licensed beds and bays, JHC is one of the largest hospitals in Western Australia. Treating more than 72,000 inpatients and 110,000 patients at the emergency department annually, JHC is the major hospital for Perth’s northern corridor, providing a range of medical and surgical services including Ear, Nose & Throat, paediatric medicine and surgery, cardiology, oncology, neurology, infectious diseases, urology, ED, mental health, and physiotherapy, to name a few.
