When Haley Calloway, AuD, was a child, her weekends were often spent cheering for her older sister Jessica at Special Olympics Florida. Jessica, who had Down syndrome, excelled in tennis and bowling, and found joy in both the competition and community surrounding the games.
While rooting on her sister, Haley also pitched in as a volunteer 鈥� helping staff events and stage competitions so that her sister and her fellow athletes could shine.
鈥淎s a younger sister, I looked up to her more than anyone could imagine,鈥� Dr. Calloway said. 鈥淗er positivity and her perspective on life really impacted me, and in turn shaped who I am as a person and who I am as a professional.鈥�
Jessica passed away unexpectedly in 2023. In the wake of that great loss, Dr. Calloway has carried her sister鈥檚 legacy forward by devoting her life to caring for patients in need, especially those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
As an audiologist and assistant professor in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Department of Otolaryngology, Dr. Calloway regularly treats patients suffering from hearing loss and related auditory conditions. But driven by her personal experiences, she has also worked to expand access to critical audiology care for people with special needs through community-based partnerships.
While still an undergraduate student at Florida State University, she began volunteering with Healthy Hearing, a program within Special Olympics Healthy Athletes that provides free hearing screenings, hearing aid fittings and repairs and follow-up care. After earning her Doctor of Audiology degree in the USF Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2021, Dr. Calloway was named clinical director of Healthy Hearing in the Tampa Bay area, helping to lead state efforts to detect hearing loss and connect patients with needed care.
鈥淚 am grateful and proud that USF Health has always encouraged me to keep building this work,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey have fully embraced this service passion of mine and encouraged me to continue in a leadership role as clinical director.鈥�
Dr. Calloway also partners closely with Easterseals Southwest Florida, where she recently led a group of volunteers to provide hearing screenings for youth and adult students. For many families, the services can be life changing.
Nicole Murby, vice president of programs at Easterseals Southwest Florida, is also the mother of Gavin, a 14-year-old with autism who was screened by Dr. Calloway鈥檚 team. When Gavin was younger, he couldn鈥檛 always verbalize when something was wrong, but Nicole said he has made progress thanks to care provided by USF Health and other partners.
鈥淎s a parent, having multiple community partners and a place like Easterseals working together is a huge burden lifted,鈥� said Murby. 鈥淭he comprehensive nature of what we do and how we鈥檙e able to bring in community partners in areas where we don鈥檛 offer services is what means the most to our families.鈥�
Kristie Geimer, director of clinical therapy at Easterseals Southwest Florida, also praised the collaboration with USF Health, and credited Dr. Calloway in particular for treating patients and training the organization鈥檚 staff in best practices.
鈥淗aley not only gave her time to make sure we served everyone, but she also shared the latest knowledge and tools with our professionals,鈥� said Geimer. 鈥淚n the future, I hope that USF and Easterseals can grow this community partnership so we can continue to serve and educate families.鈥�
To honor her support of patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities, in 2024, Special Olympics Florida donated a sound booth, audiometer and real-ear measurement system to the USF Health Department of Otolaryngology. The new equipment has allowed USF Health faculty and trainees to provide more comprehensive screenings and create better continuity of care for families.
Haley Calloway, AuD, audiologist and assistant professor in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Department of Otolaryngology.
For Dr. Calloway, all her personal and professional efforts are a continuation of the lessons she learned from her sister, and she hopes that every patient encounter will be a tribute to her memory.
鈥淚鈥檝e witnessed the impact these programs have on people with intellectual disabilities and their families, but they have also impacted me personally. This population of patients can offer so much more to us than we ever could to them,鈥� said Dr. Calloway.