Herndon Clinic Designated
as a RiteCare® Clinic
05/09/08 ks local, area, keyHAYS, Kan.
--
Representatives of the Scottish Rite visited the Fort
Hays State University campus today to announce a $10,000
grant to the Herndon Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic
that will enhance the clinic's ability to serve the
community and enrich the educational experience for
students in the Department of Communication Disorders.
Hugh W. Gill III, Sovereign Grand Inspector General
in Kansas and president of the Kansas Scottish Rite
Foundation, announced the grant during a morning news
conference and reception on the FHSU campus. Gill was
accompanied by Marc Ryan, a member of the Kansas Scottish
Rite Foundation Investment Committee from the Valley
of Salina; T. Michael Fegan, personal representative
of the Valley of Salina; and Donald A. Mahrle, personal
representative from the Valley of Topeka. The Scottish
Rite Masons use the term "valley" to describe
their local groups within the state. "In the
early 1950s in Colorado, the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry
of the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States initiated
a program to help children with speech and language
disorders. The results obtained from this program led
to the establishment of RiteCare® clinics to provide
diagnostic evaluation and treatment of speech and language
disorders as well as learning disabilities," Gill
said. "The value of this philanthropy has long
been apparent as many children across the United States
have been helped significantly by improving their speech,
language and literacy skills. This progress is a combination
of team work from parents, children and dedicated speech-language
pathologists from clinics similar to those who serve
children in the Herndon Clinic along with the financial
support from the Scottish Rite Foundation. The Kansas
Scottish Rite Foundation is pleased to be a part of
the team in northwest Kansas." In expressing his
appreciation to Gill and the foundation, Dr. Jeff Briggs,
dean of the College of Health and Life Sciences, noted
that FHSU and the college had a long history of providing
assistive, developmental and rehabilitative services
to the community and the region. "This exciting
partnership with the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry,
establishing a RiteCare® Clinic on our campus,
will allow us to extend services through the Geneva
Herndon Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic and provide
language and literacy services to children in need," Dean
Briggs said. "In addition, opportunities for our
students to more completely develop clinical skills
and competencies will be enhanced. It is our hope that
this relationship will continue to evolve as we realize
the positive impact that the program has on the lives
of children served. The philanthropic record of the
Scottish Rite is well established, and we are thrilled
to enter into this partnership for the betterment of
the lives of the children in our communities." Dr.
Amy Finch, chair of the Communication Disorders Department,
joined Briggs in thanking the Scottish Rite Masons. "The
month of May is Better Speech and Hearing Month, and
we could find no better way of celebrating than by
announcing that the Herndon Clinic will be designated
as a RiteCare® Childhood Language Program," she
said. "RiteCare® programs are supported by
the Scottish Rite Foundation and are dedicated to providing
services to children who present speech, language and
learning disabilities." Finch said the grant would
provide financial assistance so that the Herndon Clinic
could make summer language reading groups more accessible
to children. At present, about 45 to 50 individuals
come to the Herndon Clinic each week during the semester.
About 10 of those are individuals seeking evaluations,
and the rest -- both children and adults -- eceive
on-going treatment. "There are approximately 170
RiteCare® Childhood Language Programs throughout
the United States," Finch said. "These facilities,
like the Herndon Clinic, provide assessment and intervention
programs that are individualized for each child. These
programs focus on the speech, language and literacy
needs of children. Because our focus for children at
the Herndon Clinic has been on these same areas, it
is a wonderful match to fuse our clinic with the RiteCare® Childhood
Language Program. This partnership between the Herndon
Clinic and the Scottish Rite Foundation will have an
immediate and ongoing benefit for children within Hays
and the surrounding area, and eventually this partnership
will influence the services provided by our graduates
as they seek positions in other parts of Kansas as
well as outside of Kansas. These young professionals
will continue to provide excellent services to children
with speech, language and literacy difficulties." For
more information on summer language and literacy groups
for preschool and school-aged children from Hays and
the surrounding area, call (785) 628-5366.
