In 1973, the Lions Multiple District 5M Hearing Foundation entered into a partnership with the University of Minnesota's Department of Otolaryngology. One project created and completed is the Lions 5M International Hearing Center, which works to improve hearing health via three initiatives:
Clinical Care of Patients
Hearing Research
Educating Hearing Professionals
The Lions 5M International Hearing Center sees a wide range of patients seeking hearing care in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as well as care for ear, nose, and throat problems.
Our Professionals:
Test Hearing
Provide Follow-Up Care
Treat Allergies
Treat Balance Problems
Fit Hearing Aids
Manage Head & Neck Cancer
Treat Sinus Problems
Treat Voice Issues
Place Cochlear Implants
Perform Craniofacial Surgery
Treat Tinnitus
Expertise & State-of-the-Art Equipment
With the combined expertise of otolaryngologists and audiologists, state-of-the-art equipment, and ready access to the vast resources of the University of Minnesota Hospital system, the Lions 5M International Hearing Center can efficiently treat complex cases. You can rely on getting hearing care of the highest caliber.
Ongoing Support
In 1977, an agreement was signed between the Regents of the University, the University of Minnesota Foundation, and the Lions Multiple District 5M Hearing Foundation stating that we would provide $1.6 million toward the construction and equipment of the center and continuing support to the Department of Otolaryngology in clinical, educational, and research areas. We reached this goal via club projects, two telethons, grants, corporate sponsorship, and individual and memorial gifts.
The Lions 5M International Hearing Center was dedicated in November 1985. The center provides patient care in general ENT, audiology (hearing testing and diagnosis), cochlear implants, craniofacial surgery, sinus, allergy, head and neck cancer, voice issues, and vestibular problems. The center is also a teaching facility for medical students and residents as well as visiting scholars and physicians from around the world. Since research is a key element of the center's activities, we launched a $500,000 Hearing Research Endowment in 1987 to provide continued support. Planned as a five-year campaign, the goal was reached in half the time. The principal from this endowment has supported research projects in the Department of Otolaryngology since that time.
Additional Funding
In 1989, the Lions Multiple District 5M Hearing Foundation established a $515,000 Program Development Fund to replace equipment in Audiology, improve the Vestibular Lab, and complete the Psychoacoustics Lab. In 1993, we dedicated the 52,500-sq.-ft. Lions Research Building with generic lab space used by the Departments of Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, and Neurosurgery. We purchased a transmission electron microscope, which is housed in the Lions Research Building, and we completely renovated the Temporal Bone Surgery Lab, including ten new operating microscopes.
The Lions Hearing Research Fellowship was established in 1997 as a way to both support research and recognize Lions who have shown unusual commitment to hearing programs. The Lions Multiple District 5M Hearing Foundation is committed to bringing future medical solutions to fruition by providing the space, equipment, and seed money necessary to cultivate promising ideas.
In 2011, we approved a $1 million pledge over a ten-year period for an Endowed Lions Professorship in Otolaryngology, which will stand in perpetuity as a testament to our dedication. The Minnesota Lions Hearing Foundation is committed to improving hearing and ENT care for the people in our district, our nation, and the world.
