URI, South County Hospital ink agreement
to provide increased access to audiology screenings

Program will benefit South County employers

KINGSTON, R.I. -- July 16, 1999--The University of Rhode Island and South County Hospital have signed a partnership agreement that will initially allow URI to provide audiology screening and evaluation to the hospital's Occupational Health Program.

The agreement was signed earlier this spring by URI President Robert L. Carothers and hospital President and Chief Executive Officer Patrick Muldoon in ceremonies at the URI Speech and Hearing Clinic at the Kingston Campus.

This is the second such partnership between the hospital and the University. The hospital and URI's Center for Vector Borne Disease are now in the second year of a collaboration to fight such illnesses as Lyme disease.

"We are delighted to initiate this new level of collaboration with URI," Muldoon said. "South County Hospital's Occupational Health Program serves more than 150 Southern Rhode Island employers, a number of whom will benefit directly from increased access to audiology screening and evaluation and service. This is an exciting opportunity to join with URI to better address our community's needs."

Lee Ann Quinn, manager of Occupational Health Services at South County Hospital, and Jay Singer, URI associate professor and chair of the Department of Communicative Disorders, are already working to provide audiology services to the hospital's occupational health program clients.

"The University of Rhode Island has a long history of providing educational, research, and service outreach to a wide range of health and human service community agencies," Carothers said. "The association between the academic community and a major health care provider will benefit both institutions."

Carothers said URI faculty and students, in a variety of health and human services programs, can maximize educational research benefits while patient, clinical and administrative programs at South County Hospital can be enhanced through the partnership.

Singer said he expects a productive collaboration. "The Department of Communicative Disorders of the University of Rhode Island will work diligently with South County Hospital to serve the educational and outreach mission of the University while providing expert audiologic care to hearing impaired members of the Southern Rhode Island community."

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For Further Information: Dave Lavallee 874-2116