Constance Brown Hearing Centers will become part of Bronson Healthcare next week, allowing for easier collaboration and follow-up care between the two organizations.
The renamed Bronson Constance Brown Hearing Center will have four locations, including two existing offices on Gull Road in Kalamazoo and West Centre Avenue in Portage. Two additional locations will open at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo and Bronson Battle Creek Hospital and initially offer audiology testing with plans to expand services in the future.
The nonprofit Constance Brown Hearing Centers began in 1942 under the Kiwanis Club of Kalamazoo through an estate gift from Constance Brown, a prominent local resident who experienced hearing loss. It annually serves nearly 3,000 patients of all ages, offering diagnostic hearing testing, counseling and preventative programs. The organization had more than $1.5 million in operating income and performed more than 5,100 procedures in 2021, according to an annual report.
The organization donated its assets to Bronson and made a donation to the Bronson Health Foundation through a restricted endowment fund to assist people who are hearing impaired and need financial assistance.
As of Jan. 1, the hearing centers become part of the Bronson Medical Group, allowing for easier collaboration between audiologists and follow-up care with Bronson’s ear, nose and throat specialists, according to the health system.
