The Saint Louis University – Sacred Heart Medical Center (SLU-SHMC) formally opened the Clear Tone Hearing and Voice Center, located at the SLU-SHMC Medical Arts Building lobby, with a ribbon cutting ceremony and the blessing of its facilities on 26 February 2026.
The ceremony was led by SLU President Rev. Fr. Gilbert B. Sales, CICM, PhD along with Rev. Fr. Emanuel Enjang Pranatal, CICM, Parochial Vicar and Hospital Chaplain of the SLU Sacred Heart Medical; SHMC Medical Center Chief Dr. Paul Adlai B. Quitiquit; Clear Tone General Partner Dr. Anthony M. Vanadero, FPSOHNS, FPCS; and the rest of the SLU administration.
Thereafter, the blessing ceremony continued at the Endoscopy Room and the Audio Room with prayers focused on the facilities turning into a sacred space that serves its purpose of caring, healing and supporting the medical needs of its stakeholders.
According to Dr. Vanadero, the Clear Tone Hearing and Voice Center has been in operation for a year with the goal of serving patients with impaired hearing and in need of hearing aids to provide them with rehabilitation. The services offered include Pure Tone Audiometry, Speech Audiometry, Tympanometry, Hearing Rehabilitation, Conditioned Play Audiometry, and Endoscopic Services.
Fr. Sales said the opening of the Center adds to the inclusive and encompassing services of the SLU-SHMC in order to usher in more ways to help people. He noted, “The launch of this Clear Tone Voice Center is a big step forward. Our patients no longer have to look for specialized care somewhere else. They can find it at SLU Sacred Heart Medical Center.”
Dr. Lester D. Anthony Baga, FPSOHNS, further elaborated on the objectives of the center and its commitment to excellence. He explained that one of its goals is for patients to be able to head directly to the Outpatient Department, no longer having to visit the specialized operating rooms for their check-ups. Dr. Baga ended the program by expressing that this will essentially serve as a momentous step because it will pave the way for the training of the Ears, Nose and Throat (ENT) department in the hospital.
Overall, the Clear Tone Voice Center has become yet another addition to the pioneering innovations of the SHMC, anchored on the CICM Advocacy of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation, as well as United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), 10 (Reduced Inqualities), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). As it can be recalled, the SLU-SHMC previously launched the Cardiovascular Center and the Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis (LASiK ) Surgery Clinic. (Article by Kassandra Marie Lucero, UIO Intern | Photos by Zen Carreon , UIO Intern)
