Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide comprehensive services to people of all ages with speech, language, and hearing problems regardless of financial status. We are committed to excellence in customer service and satisfaction.

Overview
Since 1954, the legacy of Savannah Speech & Hearing Center has been one of hard work, innovative solutions, and an unwavering commitment to meeting the speech, language, and hearing needs of children and adults throughout the community. The Center leads the way as a direct service provider, information resource center, and advocate for people of all ages. Savannah Speech & Hearing Center is dedicated to helping children and adults fulfill their potential and explore every opportunity to enjoy a happy and rewarding future.

Our speech-language pathologists and audiologists are certified by the American-Speech-Language-Hearing-Association (ASHA) and are licensed by the Georgia State Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.

The Savannah Speech and Hearing Center is pleased to offer services in Effingham County. Comprehensive speech pathology and audiology services are now available at the United Way Service Center in Rincon.

Board of Directors

Board Members

President - David Schultz
Vice President - Chris Hammond
Secretary - Judy Lubeck
Treasurer - Anne K. Smith 

Tim Blanco
Sharon Brookshire
Ginger Caplan
Brandie Fuller
Rev. Billy Hester
Robert E. Johnson, M.D.
Chris Melroy, M.D.
Bruce Nichols
Anne Smith


Honorary Board Members
Annie F. Oliver*
Thomas Oxnard*
Dr. Sol Rundbaken
Dr. William Weichselbaum*

Dr. Harold West*
*Deceased

Staff Directory

Executive Director
Beth Larrimore, Ed.D. M.Ed., CCC-SLP

Speech-Language Pathology
Dvora Gottlieb, M.M.Sc., CCC-SLP, Program Director
Amanda Uccardi, M.A., CCC-SLP
Cheryl Brackin, M.Ed., CCC-SLP 
Laurie Hill, M.A., CCC-SLP
Karen Criswell, M.S., CCC-SLP
Michelle Lynes, M.Ed.
Hilary Trottier, M.Ed., CCC-SLP

Audiology
Sheana Richardson, Au.D., Program Director
Caroline Zuck, Au.D.
Eliza Zollinger, Au.D.

Audiology Assistant
Jan Conners

Program Assistant
Jill Carver Black

Front Office
Virginia Snedeker, Administrator 
Joann Wilson
Penny Bumgardner
Belinda Gnann

Volunteer Coordinator
Ann Curry 

Centralized Interpreter Referral Service (CIRS) Coordinator
Hazel Davis - 912-657-2784

Sound Start - A School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Laurie Hill, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, Program Director

Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Hilary Trottier, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
Allison Ramsey, B.S.

Nicole Bock, Paraprofessional

Calendar

• Free walk-in hearing screenings every Thursday morning from 9 to 11 am.
• Free walk-in speech screenings the FIRST Thursday of the month from 10 to 11:30 am.
• Walk-in hours for our hearing aid patients every weekday morning from 10 to 11:30 am.

News
Walk-In Hours
Savannah Speech and Hearing Center is pleased to announce Walk-in Hours for our hearing aid patients. Our audiology program assistants, Jan Conners and Pam Lovett, will be available from 10 am until 11:30 am Monday through Friday to clean and check your hearing aids. Please remember programming adjustments cannot be performed during walk-in hours.

May is Better Hearing and Speech Month

To celebrate Better Hearing and Speech Month, Savannah Speech and Heraing Center was honored at the May 7th meeting of the Mayor of Savannah and City Aldermen with a letter praising SSHC for 55 years of dedicated service to the community, and recognized May as Better Hearing and Speech Month. David Schultz, Board President, Anne K. Smith, Board Treasurer, and Dr. Beth Larrimore, Executive Director accepted the letter from Alderman Larry Stuber.

ANNOUNCING PT AND OT SERVICES

  Savannah Speech and Hearing Center is pleased to announce the addition of physical therapy and occupational therapy services to our current speech, language and hearing programs. Wanda Lowery, MS, PT and Tara Thrasher, MS, MBA, OTR/L are available to provide physical and occupational therapies at our Center. Both therapists have many years of experience and expertise in working with children. We are very fotunate to have these exceptional therapists on site and feel the addition of these services will benefit the children and families we serve. Please call us to schedule an appointment for physical therapy and/or occupational therapy.

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United Way is featuring Kaitlin’s Story on their website during July.

A Sound Start for Kaitlin
Six months ago, while her four-year old playmates were exuberant and playful, Kaitlin sat expressionless and quiet playing by herself. Her speech was limited to only two word utterances that may or may not have been understood, and she was not progressing with her language development. Having difficulty auditorilly accessing the sounds, speech and language in her environment, Kaitlin was destined to enter the educational system as a handicapped individual, needing assistance in all academic areas. Sound Start was recommended.

Sound Start is an auditory/oral school for the deaf and hard of hearing. This much needed program for hearing impaired children in our community is offered by Savannah Speech and Hearing Center, in a coordinated effort with Calvary in Savannah. United Way of the Coastal Empire proudly supports this program to give children the ability to learn to listen, speak and understand spoken language using an auditory/oral approach. Children now have access to speech as never before with digital hearing aids and cochlear implants. Focusing on early intervention, this technology is utilized to its greatest potential to ensure success and independence in a mainstreamed educational setting.

Since enrolling in the Sound Start preschool program, Kaitlin has made an amazing progress. She now has a much more broad range of vocabulary and is initiating conversation and expressing herself with three to four new words, phrases or concepts every week. Kaitlin’s mother proudly exclaims, “The most wonderful accomplishment however, is seeing how confident our four year old little girl is in public and in social situations, instead of the expressionless little girl playing by herself.” Now, on their drive to school every morning, Kaitlin’s mom listens proudly as Kaitlin sings her morning songs, and they talk about what they see along the way.

It is through the generosity of United Way donors that young children like Kaitlin have the opportunity to participate in a program that literally changes their lives and the way others view and communicate with them in the future. Everyone deserves the opportunity to have a good life, and the United Way is focused on helping children and youth achieve their full potential through education.

For additional information about Sound Start and other services offered by Savannah Speech and Hearing Center, please call 912.355.4601.

Parent Resources

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
www.asha.org

A.G. Bell Association
www.agbell.org

American Academy of Audiology (AAA)
www.audiology.org

Council of Education of the Deaf (CED)
www.deafed.net

GA Council for the Hearing Impaired, Inc. (GACHI)
www.gachi.org

United Way of the Coastal Empire
www.uwce.org

Testimonials
These are comments taken from our anonymous surveys sent to all who receive services from us.

• It is always a pleasure to work with Savannah Speech and Hearing. I always feel very confident with their results.
• Excellent facility! Extremely impressed with staff.
• The staff was wonderful. They made my child feel very comfortable.
• I have been going to Savannah Speech and Hearing for years. You have always treated me like an old friend. Thanks a million. I just had my 90th birthday.
• Ms. Karen is really good with my son. He really enjoys coming there and improvement is evident.
• Dr. Richardson's handling of the initial visit was much more than I had anticipated. Very learned, professional and friendly. I'll be back.
• Nice office – professional people – very satisfied
• Thank you for your services. The Preschool Intervention program has already contacted me about their services. It was nice not to have to hunt them down.
• Other health and medical facilities should copy after you.