Audiology
The Audiology Service provides a continuum of patient care directed toward achieving the maximum communication competence in individuals with communication disorders. Audiology provides inpatient and outpatient care for patients of all ages.
Services
Referrals are generally made by PCM, but self-referrals are currently accepted.
Diagnostic Hearing Evaluations - Adults
The Audiology Clinic provides diagnostic heraing evaluations for adults to identify the degree and type of hearing loss and if medical referral or hearing aids are needed.
Pediatric Audiology - Newborn/Infant Hearing Screenings
Children can be evaluated for potential hearing loss at any age. They will be tested with age-specific techniques that allow the audiologist to determine the hearing ability. The need for further audiological evaluations or referrals to other specialists can be made at the time of the initial appointment.
Hearing Conservation
Active duty military personnel generally receive annual hearing conservation/HCON testing during their PHA. A Soldier will automatically be referred to the Audiology Clinic for a hearing evaluation if this testing shows a change in hearing or a change in hearing profile. Diagnostic hearing evaluations, profiles with duty recommendations and heraing aid services are available at the Audiology Clinic.
Active Duty and Dependent Hearing Aid Program
Active duty military personnel may obtain comprehensive hearing aid services through the Audiology Clinic. Dependent family members of active duty personnel are eligible for hearing evaluations in the Audiology Clinic, but are not eligible for hearing aid services through the clinic and will be referred to a local TRICARE network provider for hearing aid services.
The Retiree-At-Cost Hearing Aid Program - RACHAP
The Retiree-At-Cost Hearing Aid Program (RACHAP_ at DDEAMC is designed to help military retirees purchase state-of-the-art hearing aids at a significant savings. For example, a set of hearing aids (one of the best available) that retails for about $5000.00 costs a retiree as little as $755.00 or about 15% of the retail costs. Services for the heraing evaluation, hearing aid fitting and follow up hearing aid checks are part of the retiree heatlh benefits and are available at no cost. The program is open to most military retirees who have hearing loss.
Also, retirees may be eligible to receive hearing aids from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and in most cases there are no costs to the Veteran. The Audiology Department can provide you with more information about VA services or you may contact the VA directly at 1-877-222-8387 or 1-800-827-1000.
Dependents of retirees are not eligble for hearing aid services from military treatment facilities (including RACHAP) or from TRICARE. The family member is eligible for hearing evaluatoins and the audiologist can provide them with information about hearing aids or local providers
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 706-787-7155 or 706-787-6689. The Audiology Clinic is located on the 2nd/main floor of the hospital in the EENT Clinic.