Bio

Throughout Mr. Jensen’s career, he has worn many hats. He has been a private practice audiologist, a health program manager for the Arizona Department of Health Services, a consultant to the Arizona Department of Health Services, a consultant to the Bureau of Maternal and Child, and a consulting audiologist for Arizona Affiliated Tribes and Migrant Head Start Programs Health. His most rewarding hat, and the primary reason we are recognizing him for the 2016 Humanitarian Award, is for the Ayudame a Escuchar (Help Me to Hear) program.

Mr. Jensen began the program in 1992, when he went on a fact-find mission to Mexico to assess the hearing needs of the local population. The following spring he returned to Guaymas with a small group of volunteers who set up a hearing help program and analyzed the need. Since that time he has single-handedly coordinated the program known as “Ayudame a Escuchar” or in English, “Help Me to Hear.” The program, which receives support from the Mesa Baseline Rotary Club, The Rotary Club of Guaymas, and other fundraising events all coordinated by Mr. Jensen, has provided hearing services to thousands of underserved children and adults. Under Mr. Jensen’s guidance and direction, a team of approximately 30-40 volunteer professionals including audiologists, ENT physicians, and audiology students travel annually to Guaymas, Mexico, where they see as many as 400 children and adults. This intensive two-day event provides hearing screenings, audiological diagnostic testing, ENT medical examinations, and hearing aid fittings.

Mr. Jensen’s rationale for his selfless work is that “We need to give back a little to society.” He has never asked for recognition of his work, which, is perhaps, the most wide-ranging, on-going humanitarian mission in audiology. Indeed it is notable that he does not even mention the program in his CV! It is for this work that Mr. Jensen is being recognized by the American Academy of Audiology Honors Committee as recipient of the 2016 Humanitarian Award.