Laura Jacobs was appointed chief of audiology and speech pathology at the Truman Veterans Hospital. She will replace Jon Deal, who retired in December.
Jacobs’ new duties include managing the entire audiology and speech pathology clinic. She will also manage patient flow and appointments, as well as see patients part-time.
“My favorite part about the job is dealing with patients,” Jacobs said. “It’s rewarding to see them regain the qualities of their life they had prior to their hearing loss.”
Jacobs said she wants to have more open access to the clinic and emphasize seeing patients when they need care.
She first gained an interest in the speech pathology field because her brother’s language development was delayed, Jacobs said.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in 1993 and a master’s degree in audiology and speech pathology in 1995, both from Central Missouri State University. In March 2004, she received a doctoral degree in audiology from the Arizona School of Health Sciences.
Jacobs began working as a clinical audiologist with the Veterans Affairs staff in 1998.