While shadowing physicians in the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at UK HealthCare, third-year medical student Evan Smith began noticing a pattern.
Patients would come in seeking help for hearing loss. Doctors could diagnose the problem and recommend treatment. But for some patients, the conversation quickly shifted from treatment options to cost.
“You can make a diagnosis, but if you’re really not getting the patient across the obstacles of care and getting them to treatment, that’s really something that I think we as healthcare providers need to be doing,” Smith said.
Rather than accepting that barrier, Smith and others in the department began looking for ways to help.
Their solution became the World Hearing Day 5K, an event organized by students, faculty and staff to raise funds that help offset the cost of hearing aids and hearing care for patients who face financial challenges.
“As a medical student, there’s always things you can do to help patients get to that finish line of treatment,” Smith said. “That’s hopefully what we’re doing with this race now.”
Hearing aids can cost thousands of dollars, and insurance coverage can vary widely. Even when patients qualify for care, the cost of devices and fittings can create a barrier to treatment.
Smith said the impact of hearing loss often extends far beyond the ability to hear sound.
“Hearing loss is a condition that can affect so many different parts of your life. Whether it’s employment, interacting with family members or being involved in social activities,” Smith said. “When you give someone that ability to hear again, it can really make such a big difference in their lives, and you can see that joy on their face.”
The race began as a grassroots effort organized by Smith with support from faculty and staff in the department, including Beth McNulty, MD, associate professor of otolaryngology, and department executive assistant Lisa Gardner, along with fellow medical student Dylan Johnson.
Early races were simple. Volunteers marked the course themselves, organized logistics and even created handmade awards for winners. Despite the modest start, the first event raised about $1,000 to support patients who needed hearing care.
On March 14 the third annual World Hearing Day 5K was held at Lexington’s Coldstream Park, with 161 registrants racing for the cause. After costs, Smith and his team raised $2,500 — more than twice the amount from the previous year.
“The turnout really exceeded expectations and was an absolute success both in terms of enjoyment for participants and funds for our cause,” said Smith.
The winner was Will Brewster, DO, an emergency medicine resident at UK HealthCare. Pulmonology fellow, Jonathan Mathes, MD, was the runner-up. In the women’s division, twins McKenzie and Madison Browning placed first and second, respectively.
Lisa Gardner, executive assistant for UK HealthCare’s ENT Clinic, said the race brought volunteers from across campus.
“We had faculty, alumni, residents, audiologists, staff, medical students, the Fleet Feet Race Team, pets and members of the community come out for this incredible day,” Gardner said. “Such a fun way to celebrate World Hearing Day in a healthy way with our communities.”
Smith said he hopes the event will continue to grow and serve as a long-term way to help patients access care.
“My dream is that this becomes an annual event that keeps growing and can be a source for patients to get improved access to hearing care,” he said.