Thanks to a $35,000 donation from the Nebraska Lions Club, the University
of Nebraska Medical Center has been able to purchase new diagnostic equipment
for the Hearing and Balance Center in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head
and Neck Surgery. The clinic sees hundreds of patients a year for problems
such as hearing loss due to the aging process and Meniere’s disease.
Meniere’s disease is caused by a change in fluid volume within a portion
of the inner ear. People who have this disease suffer from vertigo, which
is dizziness or the feeling of a twirling motion. Unfortunately, there
is no cure for Meniere’s disease.
However, after being diagnosed, patients are able to receive treatment
through medical and behavioral therapy. One of the new pieces of equipment
is the “Real Ear Analyzing System.” It checks the amplification performance
of the hearing aid while the patient is wearing it.
“We can do a lot of the testing and servicing of the hearing aids here,
whereas before we had to send them out,” said UNMC audiologist Joyce Sharp.
“It would take approximately two weeks to have any readjustments made to
the hearing aid.”
The “Real Ear Analyzing System” works by placing a small tube in the
ear canal, close to the eardrum. A tone is sent through it to measure how
the hearing aid is amplifying in the ear. The test is done twice, once
with the hearing aid in and once without. Adjustments can be made to the
gain and frequency levels of the aid while the patient is wearing it.
Approximately 160 Lions clubs in Nebraska made contributions. The Lions
is the largest service organization in the world, and sight and hearing
problems are their primary philanthropic initiatives.
“Traditionally, we have been very supportive of the Med Center. We started
an eye bank, a hearing aid bank and most recently the Lion’s Eye Research
Institute,” said Leroy Rasmussen, chairman of the Nebraska Lions Foundation.
In June 1998, UNMC and the Nebraska Lions Foundation formally
dedicated the Nebraska Lions Eye Research Institute, a 900-square-foot
facility. The institute features new research laboratory space on
the lower level of the UMA Eye Associates building at 40th Street and Dewey
Avenue.
The Nebraska Lions Eye Research Institute is headed by David Chacko,
M.D., Ph.D., director of UNMC’s retina service, Wallace Thoreson, Ph.D.,
director of the retinal research laboratory, and Iqbal Ahmad, Ph.D., director
of transplantation research. All three researchers are assistant professors
in UNMC’s ophthalmology department. Dr. Ahmad also has an appointment in
the cell biology and anatomy department.
UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state.
Through its commitment to research, education and patient care, UNMC has
established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for cancer research
and treatment and solid organ transplantation. Nearly $31 million
in research grants and contracts were awarded to UNMC scientists during
the past fiscal year. In addition, UNMC’s educational programs are
responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska
than any other institution.