Media center for deaf and hard of hearing created with funds from Humana Communities Benefit
CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Last year, the Hearing Speech and Deaf Center was awarded $100,000 from health and benefits company Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) to support health literacy programs for the hearing-impaired. On Thursday, June 16 at 10:30 a.m. the Center will celebrate its progress with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting for a new media center.
“The media center has a public space for group training, a private library with DVDs as well as access to a redesigned website featuring links to health topics translated in American Sign Language (ASL),” said Laurie Burman, President and CEO for the Hearing Speech and Deaf Center. “The meeting room is equipped for ‘live’ closed captioning, and the multimedia library covers general health subjects, such as why it’s important to donate blood, how to handle a diagnosis for heart disease, and what to expect during pregnancy.”
In addition to the media center, Humana’s grant enabled the Hearing Speech and Deaf Center to hire a health advocate to assist the deaf community with health-related issues. The advocate is available to meet with clients before, during or after medical appointments to help them better understand their diagnosis and treatment options. The Hearing Speech and Deaf Center has also met with physicians to explain the linguistic difference between English and ASL and the cultural issues with deafness.
“Humana selected the Hearing Speech and Deaf Center as our 2010 grant recipient because the organization had plans to work on both sides of the doctor-patient relationship to improve the health literacy of the deaf community, specifically those who use ASL as their first and primary language,” said Derek van Amerongen, M.D., chief medical officer of Humana of Ohio. “The majority of the Center’s 6,000 clients are hearing impaired, and these programs will help our community reduce the health disparity for a greatly underserved population.”
As the Hearing Speech and Deaf Center celebrates its new programs, Humana is looking for the next recipient of its $100,000 grant. The funds will be awarded to one Greater Cincinnati non-profit working to improve the community’s health. Applications are available at Humana.com/HCB and are due Thursday, June 30. For more information on Humana Communities Benefit, call 513-826-4500 or email [email protected].
About Hearing Speech and Deaf Center
The Hearing Speech & Deaf Center strengthens our community through advocacy and by supporting individuals and families to overcome obstacles to communication. We believe that communication is the foundation of all human interactions. We provide a barrier-free, inclusive and nurturing environment for anyone seeking to overcome obstacles regarding speech, hearing or deafness. For more information about the Center visit our website at www.hearingspeechdeaf.org.
About Humana
Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is a leading health care company that offers a wide range of insurance products and health and wellness services that incorporate an integrated approach to lifelong well-being. By leveraging the strengths of its core businesses, Humana believes it can better explore opportunities for existing and emerging adjacencies in health care that can further enhance wellness opportunities for the millions of people across the nation with whom the company has relationships.
More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company’s web site at www.humana.com, including copies of:
- Annual reports to stockholders;
- Securities and Exchange Commission filings;
- Most recent investor conference presentations;
- Quarterly earnings news releases;
- Replays of most recent earnings release conference calls;
- Calendar of events (including upcoming earnings conference call dates and times, as well as planned interaction with research analysts and institutional investors);
- Corporate Governance information.
CONTACT:
Humana Inc.
Marvin Hill, 580-476-0315
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America Kentucky Ohio
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Education Continuing Other Education Health Other Health Professional Services Insurance Training General Health Managed Care
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