The health care work happening at University of the Pacific’s Hearing and Balance Center is life changing for some, including Margarito Serrano.

So extreme is the farmworker’s hearing loss that he was in his 50s before he truly heard spoken words. Through a family member serving as interpreter, he recalled that day in 2014 when Pacific audiology students outfitted him with hearing aids as “one of the happiest of my life.”

On Nov. 6, Serrano received another boost.

He smiled with glee and then cried tears of joy after he received new, far-superior hearing aids.

“You are going to hear sound at a level you have never experienced,” Leigh Grossmann ’25, a third-year student and clinical resident, told Serrano as she installed and programmed the devices. “You need to get used to the new sound level, but it’s going to be so much better for you.”

“It is,” Serrano motioned before hugging his wife, Dolores.

The Hearing Aid Access Program was sponsored by Lodi Sunrise Rotary Club. Seven individuals were selected based on the degree of hearing loss and financial need and given free hearing aids.

Richard Ross, president of the Sunrise Rotary, said the club gave $25,000 for what he called a “passion project” of former President Dustin Taunton.

During a screening this year by Stockton- and San Francisco-based Pacific audiology students and faculty, 143 people were assessed, 45 were found to have severe hearing loss and seven were chosen to be fitted with state-of-the-art hearing aids.

Another screening will be held in 2025.

There is a huge demand for testing and services said Gail Amornpongchai, clinical director of audiology for the center, which provides audiological care from prevention to rehabilitation.

“The technology has advanced so far that patients getting upgraded hearing aids are going to see an appreciable difference in their hearing,” she said. “Seven people may not seem like a lot, but it makes an impact.”

Assistant clinical professor Munirah Awad ’20 added that the new devices eliminate background noise and focus on actual speech.

The distribution of hearing aids is also emotional for the audiology team.

“We get close to the people we serve,” Amornpongchai said. “You can see what a profound impact this has on their lives. We want to celebrate the impact we are making.”

Pacific’s Hearing and Balance Center has locations in Stockton and San Francisco. Learn more about the services they offer.