Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center Announces Strategic Growth Plans to Better Serve the Community
Cleveland, Ohio – June 21, 2023 - Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center (CHSC) is thrilled to announce a significant expansion of its outreach initiatives and plans to establish new locations and partnerships to better serve the greater Cleveland community. This decision follows a 12-month, data-driven study of the critical gaps in services for underserved groups.
After careful deliberation, the CHSC Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve this decision as a significant goal of the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan and support of the mission of CHSC. “One of the most significant factors in the Board’s decision to approve the strategic growth plans,” stated CHSC Board of Directors President, Karen Bailo, “is the desire to focus on the future. The Board wants to ensure we strengthen the organization’s value to the community and serve everyone who needs us with the highest-quality, accessible care.”
"Our mission has always been to provide inclusive, high-quality speech therapy, audiology, and deaf services to all individuals, regardless of their background or circumstances," said Jennell Vick, Ph.D., Executive Director. “Donors, volunteers, staff, Board, clients, and the broader community are deeply invested in and committed to this organization. The Board’s unanimous decision to investigate new locations and partnerships honor their legacy by investing in the agency’s future,” stated Vick.
CHSC plans to continue and expand partnerships with other community organizations. In addition, they plan to open new locations in the next 12-24 months, strategically located to best serve clients closer to home. These state-of-the-art facilities will offer a comprehensive range of services to ensure individuals receive seamless and holistic care. The new locations will be staffed by highly trained and compassionate professionals dedicated to empowering all clients. Says Dr. Vick, “CHSC is committed to providing our premier services to clients in locations that are convenient and accessible. We first expanded our reach into the suburbs of Westlake and Lyndhurst and we are now looking to meet our clients where they live within the city of Cleveland.”
As part of this strategic focus, CHSC anticipates leaving its 14-year-old University Circle location within the year. An agreement with Case Western Reserve University to acquire the 48,000-square-foot building is anticipated to be finalized late this summer. For CWRU, the space will support their plans to update and expand campus resources, including plans for a new $300 million research facility.*
Next Steps
"For our current clients, you can expect business-as-usual for the next six months at our University Circle location," says Dr. Bridgid Whitford, CHSC Director of Hearing Services and Clinical Business Management. She adds, "Our focus on providing the highest quality services remains unchanged. We will update our clients – and the community at large - on our progress as soon as we know details about our next Cleveland location. This move will not affect business at our other locations in Broadview Heights, Westlake or Lyndhurst."
The Community Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, currently housed in the CHSC University Circle location, will remain in place for the immediate future. Plans to relocate services for the deaf to a location that is more accessible to this community are part of the next phase of the CHSC Strategic Plan and will be explored over the next year.
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About Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center
Founded in 1921, CHSC is the nation's oldest hearing and speech center and Northeast Ohio's only nonprofit organization dedicated solely to serving those with special communication needs.
Our Mission
Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center provides speech-language, hearing, language interpreting, and deaf services. We advocate for equal access to information and communication and value all individuals' language choices equally.
Our vision is a community where every person can communicate effectively.
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