PRINTER'S NO. 2036
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
437
Session of
2018
INTRODUCED BY DINNIMAN, FARNESE, FONTANA, BLAKE, MARTIN,
EICHELBERGER, GREENLEAF, SABATINA, BROWNE, COSTA,
TARTAGLIONE, BREWSTER, MENSCH, BAKER, HUGHES, SCHWANK,
KILLION, AUMENT AND RAFFERTY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018
A RESOLUTION
Designating October 2018 as "Audiology Awareness Month" in
Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, hearing loss is the third most common chronic
physical condition in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the National Institute on Deafness and Other
Communication Disorders and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention found that 24% of adults in the United States may
have noise-induced hearing loss in one or both ears and 16% of
adult residents of this Commonwealth report some level of
hearing loss on the Center for Disease Control's National Health
Interview; and
WHEREAS, Although the prevalence of hearing loss increases
with age, approximately 40% of individuals with hearing loss are
under 60 years of age and approximately 10% of children born in
Pennsylvania have some level of hearing loss present at birth;
and
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
WHEREAS, The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the
former Eye and Ear Hospital, was the first medical center in the
country to dispense hearing aids; and
WHEREAS, Invented by Samuel Lybarger in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, in 1947, the telecoil, which allows connection of
large room sound systems to hearing aids, is still used today;
and
WHEREAS, Audiology as a profession, under the guidance of
Raymond Carhart, originated at the Deshon General Hospital in
Butler, Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, Audiologists, whose academic and clinical training
provides the foundation for patient management from birth
through adulthood, are dedicated health care professionals who
diagnose, treat and manage hearing loss and balance disorders;
and
WHEREAS, Audiologists treat patients in many different
settings, including private practice, hospitals, schools,
Veterans Health Administration hospitals and otolaryngology
offices; and
WHEREAS, There is a need for greater awareness on the part of
the public regarding issues related to the hearing and balance
care provided by audiologists, including the diagnosis and
treatment options available to the public, the research needs of
audiologists and the public policy implications of changes in
the field of audiology; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate designate October 2018 as
"Audiology Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Senate applaud the actions of
audiologists, including clinicians, researchers and others who
strive to raise public awareness of hearing and balance care by
20180SR0437PN2036 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
advancing the profession of audiology.
20180SR0437PN2036 - 3 -
1