Early Intervention for Underserved Children

Thanks to your generosity, Potomac River Clinic continues to close critical gaps in early hearing care for babies in Washington, DC. Hearing loss is a low-incidence, high-impact condition, and timely diagnosis impacts lifelong outcomes.

With your support, we remain one of the few centers in the region offering unsedated Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) testing for newborns who do not pass their initial hearing screening, including infants covered by Medicaid and those without insurance. Our specialized team keeps wait times minimal, just eight days on average, compared with the months-long waits families often face elsewhere in the District.

We are excited to share that we recently received grant funding to help expand this vital work, increasing access to timely, accurate testing and early intervention for every child who needs it. This important support brings us closer to our goal, but continued generosity from donors like you is essential to meet the need.

Your commitment, combined with funding from our foundation partners, ensures that every infant, regardless of family income or insurance status, can receive life-changing care from the Potomac River Clinic. Together, we are giving more children the chance to develop language, learn, and thrive.

Thank you for making this impact possible!

Links:

• Visit our website
• Check out the latest on Facebook
• Follow us on Instagram

Hearing loss is a low-incidence, high-impact disability—and for infants, early identification and intervention can dramatically change the trajectory of a child’s life.

At Potomac River Clinic, we are deeply committed to closing the gaps that too often leave children waiting months for the diagnostic services they need. Timely testing is critical. Without it, families face long delays that can affect language, social, and cognitive development.

A key tool in diagnosing permanent hearing loss in infants is the Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) test. For babies to undergo this test without anesthesia, they must remain asleep for extended periods—often several hours—while a specially trained audiologist conducts the test.

Unfortunately, low insurance reimbursement rates mean that very few providers offer ABRs. In Washington, DC, the wait time for this test can range from a few weeks to many months. These delays disproportionately affect infants from marginalized communities.

Potomac River Clinic is working to change that. With your support, we are expanding our diagnostic services to increase access to ABRs. Our goal is simple but powerful: ensure that every infant with hearing loss receives timely, equitable access to life-changing care.

Thank you for standing with us in this work. Together, we can ensure that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Links:

• Visit our website