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Volume 62 No 4 • October – November – December 2013 Inside this issue: 8 2013 IHS Convention Highlights 20 Journey into a Hidden Profession 48 Counseling for Quality of Life From Your Competition Stand Out

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Page 1: Stand Out - International Hearing Society Q4 2013 R2 Low-Res...PROFESSIONAL THE HEARING 2013 IHS Convention Highlights 8 The United States Capital, Washington, D.C., was the backdrop

Volume 62 No 4 • October – November – December 2013

Inside this issue:

8 2013 IHS Convention Highlights

20 Journey into a Hidden Profession

48 Counseling for Quality of Life

From Your CompetitionStand Out

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PROFESSIONALTHE HEARING

2013 IHS Convention Highlights8 The United States Capital, Washington, D.C., was the backdrop for

IHS’ annual gathering of members who traveled from near and far to celebrate, educate, uplift, and unite the hearing healthcare profession. This year’s convention theme and logo reflected the 40 countries where IHS members reside and practice.

Journey into a Hidden Profession20 THP sat down with three licensed hearing aid specialists and one

trainee currently following the apprenticeship path. These professionals exemplify that effective training can take place both in a classroom and in a practice.

Advocating for Fellow Veterans30 In September, IHS announced First Sergeant Matthew P. Eversmann,

U.S. Army (retired) as the National Spokesperson for the Fit to Serve Campaign. This IHS campaign seeks to lift existing Veteran’s Affairs (VA) restrictions in order to allow all qualified hearing aid specialists to provide hearing healthcare services to American Veterans.

Making the Most of IHS Webinars42 Two years ago IHS began offering 60-minute webinars several times a

year on everything from business planning, infection control, ethics, marketing, and HIPAA rules. To date, more than 4,000 hearing healthcare professionals have watched an IHS webinar!

Counseling for Quality of Life48 In this article the reader will be presented three challenging fitting

case histories, describing their unique Quality of Life (QOL) features as presented during patient interviews and the dispensing process. Readers may learn how to verbally express the principles presented in the following vignettes.

7 from the executive directorBy Kathleen Mennillo, MBA

5 president’s messageBy Thomas Higgins, ACA, BC-HIS

30 government affairs  Fit to Serve Moves Forward  Results From Our Health Policy

and Payment Survey  What’s New in the 2013

Model Licensure Act?

42 membership matters  List of New Members

56 professional development  The Computer-based

Licensing Exam is Here!  IHS Launches the Trainer Manual

64 soundbytes

66 classifieds

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The Hearing Professional Volume 62, No. 4 ♦ October-November-December 2013(USPS 036-940)

2013 OFFICERS AND GOVERNORS

Executive CommitteeThomas Higgins, ACA, BC-HISPresident201.934.7755

Scott Beall, AuD, BC-HISPresident-Elect513.772.2500

Todd Beyer, ACA, BC-HISSecretary715.384.4700

Richard Giles, ACA, BC-HISTreasurer360.690.4327

Alan Lowell, ACA, BC-HISImmediate Past President386.322.0832

Territorial GovernorsTodd Beyer, ACA, BC-HISCentral: IL, IA, MO, MN, WI715.384.4700

Antonio F. Calderon, M.D., BC-HISSouthwest: AZ, AR, LA, NM, OK, TX512.419.8685

Annette Cross, BC-HISCanada: All provinces902.543.5872

Richard Giles, ACA, BC-HISPacific: AK, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, WA360.690.4327

A. Frederick Goosen, BC-HISNortheast Coast: CT, ME, MA, NH, NY, RI, VT585.419.9702

Patrick S. Kochanowski, ACA, BC-HISCentral East Coast: DE, DC, MD, NJ, PA, VA, WV724.325.0079

John “Clell” Hamm, BC-HISSoutheast: AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC, TN910.792.0011

Douglas Dunker, BC-HISNorthwest: CO, KS, MT, NE, ND, SD, UT, WY435.628.9015

Susan M. Waite, BC-HISCentral East: IN, KY, MI, OH517.788.7677

INFORMATION contained in articles, editorials, or paid advertising does not represent the endorsement of any specific product nor is IHS responsible for opinions or interpre-tations expressed by contributors.

MANUSCRIPTS: Researchers, practitioners, and others are invited to submit articles and papers for publication. THE HEARING PROFESSIONAL assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited materials.

16880 Middlebelt Rd., Ste 4, Livonia, Michigan 48154Telephone: 734.522.7200 ♦ FAX: 734.522.0200 ♦ Website: www.ihsinfo.org

THE HEARING PROFESSIONAL (ISSN 1529-1340) is published quarterly for members of the International Hearing Society (IHS), 16880 Middlebelt Road, Ste. 4, Livonia, Michigan 48154. Periodicals postage paid at Livonia, Michigan and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Hearing Professional, 16880 Middlebelt Road, Ste. 4, Livonia, Michigan 48154.

THE HEARING PROFESSIONAL is the official journal of IHS, a nonprofit association of hearing healthcare professionals. Its purpose is to present authoritative technical and business infor-mation that will help hearing aid specialists serve hearing impaired individuals.

Copyright © 2013 International Hearing Society

IHS members are engaged in the practice of testing human hearing and selecting, fitting and dispensing hearing instruments. Special membership categories of the Society offer membership to those who are involved in or have an interest in the hearing instrument profession, but are not actively fitting and dispensing hearing aids. Call 734.522.7200 for information about IHS membership.

EDITORIAL STAFFKathleen Mennillo, MBA, PublisherKara Nacarato, EditorSandra den Boer, Communications Specialist

THE HEARING PROFESSIONAL is circulated to all members of IHS and to selected hearing aid manufacturers and suppliers. Advertising rate cares are available on request. Subscription is free to all members of the Society. Paid subscriptions are available for $35 in the United States and Canada and $45 in all other countries. Contact IHS for additional details.

The Home for Hearing Healthcare

Professionals!

Renew Online Today at www.ihsinfo.org

It’s Time to Renew!Your IHS membership

expires December 31st...

• Fit to Serve Campaign, plus strategies on insurance and payment issues• Trainer Manual, a dynamic resource to help you mentor your apprentices• Online community for hearing healthcare professionals• HIPAA Toolkit, training videos, and much more!

New and Coming Soon:

Half Page THP Ad Q4 2013 v2.indd 1 10/28/2013 3:22:33 PM

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Thomas Higgins, ACA, BC-HIS

President’s Message

Wow, what an amazing convention in Washington D.C.! I have been attending IHS conventions for many years and this one was extra special for me since I had the privilege to participate as your President. It was great to see so many familiar faces but also so many new ones. It’s refreshing to see new professionals eager to learn and become active members of the Society – I feel confident that the future of the profession is bright!

It was a humbling experience to walk around the convention and have so many people come up and share with me how happy they are with the progress of IHS. Additionally, the compliments and raving reviews of the convention were overwhelming. I want to first thank Kathleen and her team at the home office for their hard work and for somehow finding ways to make each year better! I also want to thank again all the sponsors and exhibitors for their support – the event simply would not happen without you. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us in Palm Springs!

I am so proud of the momentum our Fit to Serve campaign has seen over the past few months. As many of you know, providing Veterans with better access to hearing healthcare is near and dear to my heart and I couldn’t be happier with our progress on this important initiative. Our efforts are being validated by the generous donations from our membership, the positive feedback during Congressional meetings (over 90 to date), and the support of the Veteran Service Organizations.

Moving into the New Year, IHS is well positioned and poised to continue impacting the profession and the industry. With new training and professional development products in the works the standards have never been higher for new and seasoned hearing aid specialists and we stand ready to bring more people into this great profession. Your IHS Board of Governors and staff continue to be very strategic and have a lot planned for 2014.

As we make our way into another holiday season please take time to remember how many people will be enjoying a better holiday because of you. We have the honor and privilege to help people improve lives everyday and for that I am extremely grateful. I wish you all the very best during the holidays. Thanks for making my first year as your President so rewarding – and for keeping me so busy!

Best Wishes,

Thomas Higgins, ACA, BC-HIS

IHS is well positioned and poised to continue impacting the profession and the industry.

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Kathleen Mennillo, MBA

Dear Members,

At the IHS home office we are still recuperating from the 62nd Annual IHS Convention & Expo; phew what an event! I want to take a moment to send a big “Thank You” to all of the members who attended this homecoming event and made it so special. Since joining IHS in 2010, I have been to five IHS conventions and I must say I enjoyed this one the most. I know I’ve said it before but I want to state it again… our members are quite simply the best! In fact, during and after the convention I heard from several leaders from other professional groups, exhibitors and sponsors, who expressed how impressed they are at how kind-hearted, intelligent, appreciative and professional IHS members really are – and, frankly, so am I.

I sincerely hope all of you who attended this year’s event enjoyed it as much as I did and will “spread the news” to your colleagues and encourage them to attend next year. As you can imagine, we’re already working hard on the 63rd Annual IHS Convention & Expo, taking place in beautiful Palm Springs, California. For those of you who have never attended, or haven’t attended in the past few years, I encourage you to make 2014 the year you make the change and join us at our flagship event. Mark you calendar right now for September 18-20th and I promise you that in addition to a fantastic destination, we will deliver another incredible event. Just plan to be there and see for yourself what all the talk is about!

During the convention, we debuted the brand new IHS Trainer Manual. This professionally developed manual is a key element to unifying the training of Hearing Aid Specialists as well as guiding mentors/trainers through the material which candidates are now required to know to demonstrate competency through the licensing process. This manual is a game changer when it comes to training. I strongly encourage you to incorporate this new resource into your training process as you mentor apprentices.

As we move in to the final months of the year, we are in our annual membership renewal period and statements renewal statements should have landed in your mailboxes by now. Please be sure to take a few moments to renew your membership for the 2014 year. Keep in mind that strength comes in numbers and we have a lot more work in store for the coming year so we need each and every one of you to come along for the ride with us!

Please have a safe and happy holiday season and keep watching for great things from your IHS!

from the Executive Director

Kathleen Mennillo, MBA

Thank you to all of the members who attended this homecoming event and made it so special.

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2013 convention & expo

IntroductionThe United States Capital, Washington, D.C., was the backdrop for IHS’ annual gathering of members who traveled from near and far to celebrate, educate, uplift, and unite the hearing healthcare profession. This year’s convention theme and logo reflected the 40 countries where IHS members reside and practice. And, the binding theme that unites all IHS members, regardless of their country, is their commitment to providing their clients excellence in hearing healthcare. The educational seminars, expo hall, leadership meetings, and speakers all united around this same theme in encouraging and inspiring IHS members to strive for excellence in their local offices while uniting with a global force (IHS) for strength in numbers.

The Arlington convention location offered easy access for attendees to take advantage of the rich historical and government landmarks throughout the area. Some U.S. attendees took advantage of meeting with their state representatives on Capitol Hill prior to the start of convention. Other members opted for an organized tour of the Monuments by Moonlight, where they stopped for photo ops in front of the White House and Capitol Hill and some of the many war memorials located in The National Mall. A bus tour outlining the Life of Lincoln was also enjoyed by members who chose to stay in D.C. on Sunday morning.

The binding theme that unites all IHS members, regardless of their country, is their commitment to providing their clients excellence in hearing healthcare.

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continued on page 10

Chapter Leadership On Thursday morning, chapter leaders were warmly welcomed by IHS President Thomas Higgins, ACA, BC-HIS, who donned a train conductor’s hat, ‘chugged’ up to the podium, and declared how far IHS has come in the last few years in supporting and growing the profession. He declared, “IHS has a big engine, a powerful engine,” which will carry us through to the next important stops into the future. He then shared a moving video account by Brigadier General Steve Ritchie on the saving of Captain Roger Locher, who was stranded for weeks in enemy territory during the Vietnam War. The importance of knowing and understanding the language of pilots, rescuers, and command control amidst the deafening static was emphasized. Higgins encouraged Chapter leaders to reach their full potential by keeping (or, becoming) well-versed in the language of our business. Then, IHS Executive Director Kathleen Mennillo, MBA, and IHS managers shared with attendees the latest news and tools which will help Chapter leaders do just that:

• Unifying our profession (in the U.S.) by utilizing the same professional/occupational title used by the

U.S. Government for classification purposes: Hearing Aid Specialist

• The development of a software program to develop online communities within IHS where your Chapter could have its own microsite, and members could create their own profiles and networks.

• Newly-released Trainer Manual which is a step-by-step training plan that is designed to better help mentors train their apprentices (see article on page 58)

• Upcoming plans to revamp the Distance Learning Course and unite it into one workbook with one textbook for ease of use

• Fit to Serve initiative to reach more Veterans with hearing healthcare options

• HIPAA webinars and toolkit

In the afternoon author and consultant, Kordell Norton, CSP, shared ideas and practices from his book Grow Your Organization which are designed to drive membership growth, improve retention, increase volunteerism, and develop a powerful and committed leadership team in easy and creative ways. Hearing Industries Association

(HIA) Executive Director Andy Bopp shared the latest news, including updates on the Hearing Aid Tax Credit Assistance Act, focus group findings, and FDA attention on personal sound amplifiers (PSAPs).

Opening Keynote and Vegas PartyStarkey Hearing Technologies sponsored a stellar kick-off to the convention with an exquisite dinner and message by keynote speaker and extreme adventurer Jamie Clarke. Clarke shared a message of hope and perseverance in attaining your dreams amidst trial, failure, and discouragement. His refusal to give up after failing to reach the peak of Mt. Everest several times set an inspirational tone to the evening and following events. He shared the importance of not wasting failure, rather: analyze it, learn from it and then develop a plan for success from it.

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Immediately following dinner, attendees were treated to the Motown-style band and Vegas night complete with gaming tables and a chance to learn new games, win chips and prizes, and dance the night away.

Membership MeetingIHS attendees enjoyed a hot breakfast on Friday morning and learned about the hot topics that are keeping IHS governors and staff busy throughout the year on their behalf. An IHS banner hung proudly above 40 full-sized flags flanked across the stage, representing the 40 countries within IHS membership. Many members took the opportunity later in the day to photograph themselves next to their country’s flag. Mennillo welcomed all members to the Annual Meeting and shared a video starring the board of governors. President Higgins then recognized all members who have served in the military for their service to their country(ies). Then he listed some of the new resources produced by the IHS home office in the last year:

• The CE transcript to help keep track of continuing education credits

• “Have You Heard” patient booklets• Member Certificate and Code

of Ethics prints to display proudly in your office

• HIPAA Toolkit• Complimentary Webinars• Continued growth of our

magazine The Hearing Professional in size and content

Next, IHS Treasurer Richard Giles, ACA, BC-HIS, shared the Annual Report with members and announced, “IHS finished 2012 with a net gain—a HUGE accomplishment for our Society.” Giles also acknowledged, “in order to support all the increased activity and new projects, IHS needs to continue making investments—including more staff and resources.” The Chair of IHS’

Education Committee, the International Institute for Hearing Instrument Studies (IIHIS) Patricia Connelly, PhD, CCC-A, ABA, followed Giles and gave a report on IIHIS activities, which have been incredibly robust this year, proven by the recent release of the Trainer Manual (see page 58 for a full description of this new resource).

Anita Jackson, MD, MPH, FACS, FAAOA, Chair of the Otolarnygology section of the National Medical Association, was presented with a bouquet of flowers by Mennillo in appreciation for her work in advocating the importance of the hearing aid specialist role in an individual’s journey to better hearing. Then, IHS Government Affairs Director Alissa Parady shared the brisk activity in advocacy which occurred in the last year. She then announced that a National Spokesperson for Fit to Serve had been chosen: First Sergeant Matt Eversmann (Army ret.) and turned over the podium to him. Eversmann shared his moving experience with the military and his own hearing

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loss resulting from combat warfare (see page 30 to learn more about his story). $33,000 was subsequently raised by those in attendance to support IHS’ advocacy efforts.

Licensing Board ConferenceThe Licensing Board Conference took place on Friday morning with a lively discussion about the implementation of the computer-based International Licensing Exam, including best practices for legislative language. IHS Director of Education Joy Wilkins also led a great discussion about the importance of adopting IHS’ cut score for the exam, and some new resources like the Trainer Manual and CE Transcripts, and the status of the new Practical Exam. IHS Manager of Government Affairs Alissa Parady presented an overview of the updates to the Model

Licensure Act and reviewed recent action related to direct-to-consumer hearing aid sales. During the open discussion, Chair of the Licensing Board Conference John Clell Hamm, BC-HIS, moderated as attendees raised topics such as validation methods as part of the practical examination, and regulating the taking of ear mold impressions in light of new ear scanning technologies. At the conclusion of the meeting, the conference elected Ralph Jackson of Georgia to serve as the 2014-2015 Chair.

Seminars Attendees had the opportunity to earn up to 17 CEs by attending the events and classes offered. There were two pre-conference seminars offered on Thursday and 19 seminars available on Friday and Saturday. The IIHIS spent

much effort and time establishing a well-rounded educational event for all attendees and covered a gamut of categories which catered to different levels of expertise, from pre-licensed apprentices to seasoned professionals.

General SessionPhonak sponsored a delightful lunch and an inspiring speaker at the General Session on Friday. Phonak Territory Manager Jessica Zellmer introduced Kordell Norton ,CSP, and he took attendees on a trip down memory lane and back, where he shared how businesses ‘used to’ do business and how the market has radically changed. Norton suggested that drastic change is needed in order for practice owners to grow and thrive in modern times. Each member of the audience was treated to a copy of Norton’s book Throwing Gas on the Fire, which outlines a plan for creating drastic change in one’s business. (Read more about Norton’s tips for success in the 2013 THP April-May-June supplement.)

continued on page 12

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Expo Activities54 manufacturers and service providers filled the exhibit hall with their latest products and services to attentive members who gathered in the hall for their strolling meals on Friday night, and both Saturday morning and afternoon. This exhibit time was unrivaled by competing activities and allowed attendees to meet and greet each vendor and learn about new opportunities and products available to their practices and their customers. The popular Passport to Prizes returned this year and provided three diligent and winning attendees valuable prizes (eligibility to win required visiting each booth). Attendees were also able to take home quite a few souvenirs from vendors and, new this year, from our photobooth. Check out the

IHS Facebook page and see if you recognize any of the members (or staff) in disguise. National military hero and national Fit to Serve spokesman Matt Eversmann visited the exhibit hall on Saturday morning and signed Blackhawk Down books (which features his story from the battle in Mogadishu, Somalia). Proceeds from the book sales went to the IHS Advocacy Alliance fund.

Silent AuctionThe Silent Auction received quite an overhaul this year as IHS solicited the help of an outside company to run the auction with expanded hours both before and during the Expo. This enabled attendees to vie for a wider variety of items including: sports and entertainment memorabilia, jewelry, trips, along with popular hearing

aids and related equipment from our generous donors. $21,000 was raised to support IHS advocacy efforts, thanks to IHS’ benevolent donors and bidders.

Awards Gala Miracle-Ear sponsored another amazing night of celebration which began by honoring members with multiples of 5 years of IHS membership—All Star members. Of the 354 2013 IHS All Stars, 30 were present at the gala and each one was escorted into the hall by a board member. A group photo was taken and then all enjoyed an incredible meal followed by the announcement of these awards:

The NBC-HIS Marylene Freshley Award was presented by NBC-HIS ACA chair Bill Schenk, ACA, BC-HIS, to Sergei Kochkin, PhD, for his lifetime of work in hearing healthcare research.

The James P. Lovell Advocacy Award was presented to John “Clell” Hamm, BC-HIS, for his extraordinary commitment to advocating for the hearing impaired. Hamm’s long-time service as the legislative chair for the North Carolina Association of Hearing

Thank you to everyone who generously donated items in the Silent Auction!

Alan Lowell SeminarsAnnette Cross, BC-HISAudina Hearing Instruments, Inc. BeltoneGreater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau

International Hearing SocietyMedRx, Inc.

Mid States Laboratories, Inc.Miracle-Ear/Amplifon USANational Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences

Oaktree Products, Inc.Siemens Hearing InstrumentsStarkey Hearing TechnologiesUnitron

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Healthcare Professionals included being instrumental in the passing of four critical pieces of legislation since 2010. He also has been active in taking ground-breaking steps toward provider unity in North Carolina.

The Hearing Review Professional Leadership Award was presented by the magazine’s editor-in-chief Karl Strom to Annette Cross, BC-HIS, for her outstanding leadership in the hearing healthcare field and dedication to assisting individuals with hearing loss.

The Hearing Journal Joel S. Wernick Dispenser in Education Award was presented by Michelle Hogan to Tammy Clark for her outstanding contributions in the area of professional education for hearing aid specialists.

IHS member Doug Lewis’, JD, PhD, AuD, MBA, band, The Phil Am Band, serenaded all the award winners, All Stars, and other attendees onto the dance floor where the celebration continued into the night. IHS congratulates all award-winners and attendees for making this 62nd Annual IHS Convention and Expo a spectacular celebration of excellence in hearing healthcare. 

continued on page 14

And the award goes to… The Texas Hearing Aid Association (THAA)

THAA was awarded the IHS 2013 Chapter of the Year Award due to their consistent growth and excellence in the areas of membership, meetings, advocacy, and collaboration. Their tireless efforts in preserving and uniting the profession made national news this summer when they took a stand against over-the-counter hearing aids by filing a class action suit against major retailer Wal-Mart for selling hearing aids without a state license. This action follows THAA’s filing of a formal complaint in 2012 with the state licensing committee against hi HealthInnovations, which resulted in the committee issuing a cease and desist order against hi HealthInnovations and pursuing a subsequent review of the business’s practices, which is currently ongoing. (The outcome could have a national impact on the future of Internet and over the counter hearing aid sales.)

In addition to leading the charge against direct to consumer sales, THAA has worked is government affairs to amend and defeat

potentially damaging legislation for hearing aid specialists in the areas of telepractice and licensing. Their actions helped preserve access for Texas consumers to safe, high-quality hearing aid services. THAA’s membership has grown astronomically and now boasts 62 percent of all hearing aid specialist licensees and apprentices in the state. They offer 10 hours of quality education at their annual convention which has experienced its eighth consecutive year of record-breaking attendance. THAA is currently working on an online continuing education program for its members. THAA Secretary Lori Cook received IHS’ 2013 Chapter of the Year Award on behalf of the chapter.

Congratulations also to our other nominee, The Illinois Hearing Society, for their work in the Illinois Legislature, for their influence in amending bills regarding both the hearing healthcare profession and regulating Internet sales of hearing aids.

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IHS Executive Director Kathleen Mennillo, MBA, welcomed the following guests from other organizations:

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA):Arlene Pietranton, PhD, CAE – Executive DirectorNeil J. DiSarno, PhD, CCC-A, Chief Staff Officer for Audiology

American Academy of Audiology (AAA):Bettie Borton, AuD –PresidentCheryl Carey Kreider, CAE –Executive DirectorMelissa Sinden – Senior Director of Government Affairs

Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA):Stephanie Czuhajewski, CAE, Executive Director

National Medical Association (NMA):Anita Jackson, MD, MPH, FACS, FAAOA, Chair, Otolaryngology Section-National Medical Association

Hearing Industries Association (HIA) & Better Hearing Institute (BHI):Andy Bopp – Executive Director, Hearing Industries AssociationCarole Rogin, MA – Better Hearing Institute

University of Iowa: Richard Tyler, PhD, University of Iowa (Tinnitus Clinic)

ACA GraduatesIHS Congratulates the following graduates of the American Conference of Audioprosthology (ACA) program. Each of these individuals has earned the right to proudly us the ACA credentials as a symbol of professional excellence. IHS commends their dedication to quality healthcare through advanced education.

Nicholas Wright, ACA, BC-HIS – Saratoga Springs, UT

Thomas Rouse, ACA – Austin, TX

Mark J.S. Stevenson, ACA, BC-HIS – Logan, UT

Amber Lloyd, ACA, BC-HIS – Provo, UT

Dan Tyler, ACA – Pocatello, FL

Harry A. Leibovich Sr., ACA, BC-HIS – Herriman, UT

James T. Williams, ACA – Idaho Falls, ID

Karma J. Lloyd, ACA – Salt Lake City, UT

Susan C. Doan, ACA, BC-HIS – Henderson, NV

Douglas Dunker, ACA, BC-HIS – St. George, UT

Shane S. Larkin, ACA, BC-HIS – Layton, UT

John Daniel Shafer, ACA, BC-HIS – San Antonio, TXACA graduates from 2012 & 2013 who were in

attendance at the IHS Awards Gala

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Thank you to the 62nd Annual IHS Convention & Expo sponsors and

exhibitors for their generous support!ADCO Hearing Products Inc.All WellAmericanHearing.comAmplivoxAT&T Audina Hearing Instruments, Inc.Audio EnergyAudioscan, A Division of Etymonic DesignBeltoneBlueprint SolutionsCaption CallCareCreditContactaCostco WholesaleDiscovery Warranties & RepairEar TechnologyFrye ElectronicsGN OtometricsHal-Hen CompanyHamilton CapTelHansaton AcousticsHear in AmericaHear USAHearing Lab Technology, LLCHearingfusionInteracousticsMAICO Diagnostics

Market Approach ConsultingMed-RXMid-States LabsMiraCell, Inc.Miracle-EarNBC-HISOaktree Products, Inc. Oticon, Inc.Phase Seminars, LLCPhonakReSoundRextonRight Hear/Hearing PlanetSiemens Hearing InstrumentsSonic InnovationsSound CureStarkey Hearing TechnologiesSycle LLCThe Hearing Review/Anthem Media GroupTIMS for AudiologyUnitronWarner Tech Care Products IncWells Fargo Health AdvantageWestone LaboratoriesWidex USAZpower

®

Hearing Technologies

Premier Sponsors

Event Sponsors

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IHS recognizes the following 354 members celebrating a milestone anniversary with the Society, achieving All-Star status. We honor your commitment to the Society and your dedication to hearing healthcare.

55-Year All-StarsJohn F. Heskett, BC-HISLawrence C. InglesJohn C. Kenwood

50-Year All-StarsAl Beiswenger, ACASallye B. CarpentierHugh A. DavisMichael T. EusticeLyman F. MooredLloyd H. Musselman, ACA, BC-HISFrank Peavy

45-Year All-StarsJames M. CournoyerJohn F. Dunlop, BC-HISJoseph GronerW. F. S. Hopmeier, BC-HISLarson B. HudsonChester R. Mischke

40-Year All-StarsGene L. Armel, BC-HISDianne BernathTerry Dean Brewster, BC-HISNorman Domb, ACA, BC-HISGordon G. Faasse, BC-HIS

35-Year All-StarsJon E. Durkin, ACA, BC-HISRobert N. KarasArthur Lyle Smith, BC-HIS

30-Year All-StarsFelicity Albright, ACA, BC-HISJohn E. ArnoldJohn BC BryantMehrdad S. Daryoush, PhDTimothy L. Drake, BC-HISRick S. EdigerMaria C. Estrada, BC-HISRenee Ann Garrett, BC-HISBrenda J. Gehrke, BC-HISLane B. Hait, BC-HISRussell B. Hearn, ACA, BC-HISYogi Del Hicks, BC-HISKenneth R. Hill, ACA, BC-HISThomas H. Hutson, BC-HISDonald R. Kleindl, II, ACA, BC-HIS

Phillip C. Kribbs, BC-HISDaniel Mulrooney, BC-HISChris A. Pro, ACA, BC-HISThomas J. Rainford, BC-HISSharon E. Seago, BC-HISMark Selis, BC-HISMichael J. Shannon, BC-HISRobert K. Shepard Donald L. Simpson, BC-HISH. Keith Stroud

25-Year All-StarsThomas G. Caruso, BC-HISPatricia E. Connelly, PhD, CCCA, ABARobert J. DeGooyer, BC-HISRosalie A. Frerichs, BC-HISMichael K. Grove, BC-HISGary C. Hammers, BC-HISSandra A. HeunischTeresa R. Irwin, ACA, BC-HISPing-Kay KamPaul F. Kenney, Jr., BC-HISWilliam A. Kent, BC-HISEugene M. Lipin, BC-HISThomas M. McCroskey, Sr., ACA, BC-HISStanley A. McDaniel, ACA, BC-HISThomas H. Nash, BC-HISMary Margaret NelsonPatrick M. Portelli, BC-HISCatherine A. Porter, BC-HISBrian D. Pratt, ACA, BC-HISDavid R. TimmermanAdele M. Wiegers, BC-HISPaul J. Wilkerson, ACA, BC-HIS

20-Year All-StarsDavid Anthony Adams, BC-HISIris Antonucci, ACA, BC-HISMauro BaezDebra Binder, BC-HISJames R. Biven, Jr.William E. Burden, BC-HISJeffrey D. BurkholzKirk Joseph Carnahan, BC-HISDon Joseph Cloutier, AAS, ACA, BC-HISI. Jack Cohen, BC-HIS,CCCAWilliam R. Conklin, BC-HISPatrick J. Conlon, BC-HISKent J. Davenport, BC-HIS

IHS All-Stars

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Lewis V. DavisStephen N. Dawkins, BC-HISRonald J. Ensweiler, BC-HISBjorn E. Eriksen, BC-HISDoug Fendrich, BC-HISJames Gordon Ferrell, BC-HISNorman P. Fournier, BC-HISBarbara L. Friedman, BC-HISLuis Guzman, BC-HISJeffrey Daniel Heuermann, BC-HISTimothy J. Higgins, BC-HISJeff W. Hixson, BC-HISLarry T. Hixson, ACA, BC-HISWilliam L. Huntley, III, BC-HISGulten Karasay, BC-HISDorothy A. Kardos, BC-HISKeith D. Klumb, ACA, BC-HISJames M. Kraemer, BC-HISEdward S. La Duca, BC-HISRobert Paul Lammert, ACAPeter H. Lee, BC-HISRoy A. Martin, BC-HISRobert G. McCoy, Jr., BC-HISDouglas R. McMillin, BC-HISThomas M. Mentkowski, BC-HISJoseph S. Monestere, ACA, BC-HISLenore C. Monestere, ACA, BC-HISAmy L. Mustafaga, BC-HISJay K. Nicklas, BC-HISBradley Kent Norvell, Sr., ACAGary Lee Parks, BC-HISH. Roger Perry, BC-HISJerold E. Porter, III, BC-HISH. Michael Rich, BC-HISJan S. Rich, BC-HISKenneth D. Rich, BC-HISHowell F. Roberts, Jr., BC-HISJennifer K. Ross, BC-HISBernard J. Russell, BC-HIS

Richard J. Saad, BC-HISJohn S. Samuelson, BC-HISArthur Wade Smith, BC-HISRobert E. Smith, BC-HISWayne Smith, BC-HISPatty Sokolan, BC-HISSandra H. Squibb, MATodd A. Stephens, BC-HISDale S. Trebbs, BC-HISDon J. Tucker, ACA, BC-HISBarbara Ann Well, BC-HISWalter H. Whitney, BC-HISGregory Scott Yordon, BC-HISSharon M. Yordon, BC-HISMark W. Zehnder, ACA, BC-HIS

15-Year All-StarsWade A. Barocsi, ACA, BC-HISCathy A. Berg, BC-HISRobert A. Black, BC-HISEdson R. Brewer, BC-HISGeorgia Call, BC-HISGeorgia Call, BC-HISDavid G. CarrWilliam D. Catley, ACA, BC-HISRichard P. Claffey, BC-HISJoseph L. Crogan, BC-HISDaryn R. Crouch, ACA, BC-HISJoe D. Cunningham, BC-HISDonna L. Daley, ACA, BC-HISRichard R. Davila, II, ACA, BC-HISKathy-Jo Facteau, BC-HISChristine Feige, BC-HISClaude ForestA. Frederick Goossen, BC-HISRodger William Hale, BC-HISPam K. HaysCraig A. Hertz, BC-HISSalvatore N. Imperato

Kathryn A. Johnson, BC-HISJohn E. Kenul, ACA, BC-HISAllan S. Kleinfeld, BC-HISRobert J. LaCosta, BC-HISMark J. Lawrence, BC-HISJames H. LoughlinDeane Manning, ACA, BC-HISRandi L. Monsell, BC-HISNancy Thurow Newton, ACA, BC-HISGlenn A. Oberbeck, BC-HISTeresa M. Qual, BC-HISRussell A. Rabik, BC-HISRobert Ranere, BC-HISAnne R. Riley, BC-HISHelen L. RoyerKevin R. Royer, BC-HISLinda A. SageA. Jean Sanchez, BC-HISRay R. Sanchez, BC-HISJames M. Seedorf, BC-HISGrazyna M. Stanczyk-Brzezinska, BC-HISJennifer M. Steinruck, AuD,CCCA, BC-HISRon Anton Stelzl, BC-HISBeverly Anne Stevens, BC-HISMichael E. Tessmer, BC-HISEdward L. Toohey, BC-HISKeith R. WebsterLola M. Wiskow, BC-HIS

10-Year All-StarsRuslana AferzonAnthony M. ApplBrett Eric Bacon, ACAWilliam David Benson, BC-HISFrederick Wayne Billedeaux, ACA, BC-HISBrian R. BolenbaughDina K. Bradley, BC-HISNola Branch-WilliamsDavid O. Callahan, BC-HIS

IHS All-Stars were honored at the annual Awards Gala Event

continued on page 18

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All-Stars, cont’d.Ann Marie Carbajal, BC-HISMichael Lee Caudill, ACA, BC-HISJane M. ConnellyJohn Edward Degville, Sr., BC-HISAmy J. Dubiel, ACA, BC-HISMichael P. Durbin, BC-HISJuliann Kay Dykstra, BC-HISJacqueline A. Elcox, BC-HISKathryn Evans, ACAGlenn R. Fedyna, BC-HISRussell M. Fine, BC-HISBill Harold FletcherEric R. FoutsRobert T. Froberg, ACA, BC-HISYasumi FujiwaraG. Nelson GarrettBrian R. Getson, BC-HISLindsay K. GillespieBari Lynn Grohler, BC-HISEdward E. Grubbs, Jr., BC-HISYoung H. Ham, BC-HISIku HaradaChris A. HelikTimothy R. HiltonTricia Rae HunterOsvaldo IadarolaJoseph John Jerkovich, BC-HISMark E. Jones, BC-HISChristine M. Kent, AuDWilliam John Kent, BC-HISKelvin Y. Kim, BC-HISKimiko KondohScott R. Lau, ACA, BC-HISBernard E. Libel, BC-HISJanice K. LibelRobert N. Mario, PhD, BC-HISLeon A. Mark, BC-HISEduardo C. Martinez, BC-HISSeiichi MatsuokaJasen A. McKenrick, ACA, BC-HISLorraine F. MexicotteClaire K. Milligan, BC-HISJurgen A. Moore, BC-HISLaurie S. Morrison, CCCAPatricia P. Morrison, BC-HISStephen Patrick Mulranen, BC-HISKeita MurakamiYasutake NishijimaBobby L. Nowell, ACA, BC-HISJames H. Peck, BC-HISToby Llewellyn Augustus PenneyChristian PogrebaLisa ReedKaren R. Roark, BC-HIS

John R. Rodack, Jr.Lisa N. Salinas, ACA, BC-HISTerry W. Sanford, CCCASheila M. SheltonMurray G. Smith, BC-HISSandra L. Souza, ACA, BC-HISJodi Ann Turnwald, ACA, BC-HISGladys Catherine Vale, BC-HISVilma Cristina Villarroel, BC-HISNathan J. VossChristopher W. Weitzel, ACARandy Allen WilliamsGail A. Witwer-Walter, CCCAClarence Todd Wright, BC-HISStanley Wu, BC-HISPeter J. Zellmer

5-Year All-StarsJohn M. Adams, IIIJessica S. AllenEliodoro AnglarillJill Marie AskinsMegan C. Barnes, BC-HISUttam B. BelelZachary M. Bennett, BC-HISDennis D. Bettis, BC-HISBrenda BrumwellSandra Cahill, BC-HISMirtha CamachoKevin T. Cason, BC-HISMaria ChrysikosJack Moore Corry, II, BC-HISThomas M. CroneRhonda Lee Cunningham, ACAShirley M. DominickTracie D. EdwardsAndrew EhlersDarryl L. FeagaDeanne Lynn FeirickDebra D. Fischenich, BC-HISAnthony D. Foggia, BC-HISMarco A. Fuster, BC-HISRoger Alan GarciaDiane GonzalezShirley N. Green, ACADebra K. Griffin, BC-HISTayebeh HajibagheriTerry L. HallMichelle M. Hames, AuD, BC-HISClell Hamm, BC-HISTrevor William Hancheroff, BC-HISCandice L. Holden, BC-HISBeth HummeldorfNatalie Marie Huska, BC-HIS

Dianne L. IngwersenClifton O. Istre, CCCA, BC-HISThomas D. JonesKathleen M. Kelly, BC-HISDr. Dean B. KentKenneth Wayne KiddCindy L. King, BC-HISSteve J. KlapperichDonald R. Kleindl, III, BC-HISJulie Rita KlompasMelissa Marie Lee, BC-HISDouglas A. Lewis, JD, PhDJoyce N. Long, BC-HISVirginia LopezDiane Lukens, BC-HISSteve Vincent Marando, BC-HISBarak R. McClain, BC-HISThomas Micheal McCroskey, Jr., BC-HISAlexander E. MeierAngela W. Melton, ACAKaiwa MetzkerJeffrey David Olson, BC-HISSharon Rene’ PatteeRobert A. Pavlik, ACA, BC-HISAnthony Blake ProMike PrunedaJulie K. Raybuck, BC-HISKristi L. RaymondRicky D. RobinsonStephanie S. Sari, BC-HISMichael Schaeffler, BC-HISKaren Elaine Schneider, BC-HISGarrett SchuppRobert L.B. Stevenson, AuD, CCCA, BC-HISJeremy W. Stroud, BC-HISMark O. StuemkeSatoshi SuganoLaura L. Szot, BC-HISDavid A. TrefryCalvin Lee TreppMalvina A. Trifilio, BC-HISTiffani M. ValderezLeticia P. VidalPeter Vieira, Jr., BC-HISRonald J. Villeneuve, BC-HISDonna L. WatsonPaula WatsonBruce S. Weinstein, BC-HISKaren M. Wheeler, BC-HISGeorge E. Widhson, IIIJulianne WileyB. Scott Wisniewski, BC-HIS

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Hearing loss is required to participate in this program. A standard phone line and Internet connection are also required to use this service. CaptionCall is an FCC-authorized IP CTS provider.

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Ad_IHS_7.5X10_TA18428_v01.indd 1 9/19/13 2:57 PM

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In 2012, the IHS Board of Governors approved a position statement supporting two comparable and valid entry paths into the hearing aid specialist profession. These two types of training are necessary to meet the growing demand for services, and allow both traditional students and non-academic trainees the opportunity to prove entry-level competency. The two supported paths are: the academic training and the practice-based training (or apprenticeship) models. The academic training model, currently offered by several U.S. and Canadian colleges and universities, is approximately two years in length during which students may or may not be employed in the profession. The practice-based training

model consists of on-the-job training and education provided by a licensed dispensing professional, dispensing audiologist, or MD (ENT) to a trainee.

THP sat down with three licensed hearing aid specialists and one trainee currently following the apprenticeship path. These professionals exemplify that effective training can take place both in a classroom and in a practice. Although their stories vary widely, the end result of excellence in hearing healthcare is achieved through their diligence in education and through their care and devotion to helping others achieve a higher quality of life.

Journey into a Hidden Profession

Four IHS members share their path to hearing healthcare excellence.

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Doing the MathWhen Brian Fatla graduated from Ripon College in Ripon, WI, with his degree in math, he never imagined making a living by working with the elderly or by managing cerumen when his mother, Karen Mihalko, suggested that he consider a career in hearing healthcare. Instead, he took a position with Pepsi as a merchandiser and then later transitioned into the field of business insurance. These experiences left him desiring a job where he could interact more with people. He finally succumbed to his mother’s request to spend just one day shadowing a hearing aid specialist to see what life is like helping people

improve their lives. That one visit proved life-changing for Fatla as he was blown away by the experience of witnessing the incredible impact Todd Beyer, ACA, BC-HIS, had on his clients. He was able to witness the joy of a client’s experience ‘hearing again’ for the first time in years (and his family’s reaction). The technology was also fascinating for Fatla. Seeing Beyer conduct a hearing evaluation and then use technology to adjust the hearing device to make it more effective for his client was intriguing. The shadowing experience was so powerful that he immediately became an apprentice and is now studying to become a licensed hearing aid specialist in Wisconsin.

Fatla’s apprenticeship began with the IHS Distance Learning for Professionals in Hearing Health Sciences Course. He found the first few chapters to be daunting and overwhelming. He realized that there was so very much that he did not know. His mother strongly suggested that he attend the IHS annual convention so that he could get the bigger picture of what this profession is about and have additional opportunities to learn in a different setting. As a result, the convention classes helped the academic pieces (what he learned in his books) fall into place. At the convention, he took the Pre-Licensing Training: The Hearing Evaluation Seminar. He learned so much

on the apprenticeship roadBrian Fatla

continued on page 22

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in that course because the items taught there reinforced the lessons from the book. Fatla also appreciated the Consultative Selling seminar taught by Kordell Norton, CSP. He admitted that, “trying to make the sale and how to approach sales is an aspect of this career that I was most unsure of, but Norton’s course gave me a lot of ideas and he made me feel better about what I’d have to do to achieve sales in the future.” Attending the convention was a big boost and encouragement in Fatla’s apprenticeship. It has strengthened his resolve and cemented his desire to become a hearing aid specialist.

Future PlansFatla plans to take the licensing exam in Wisconsin in January 2014. In the meantime, he continues to shadow Beyer to get more practical experience. Another important aspect of the apprenticeship training that Fatla appreciates is that it allows him to remain employed by his current employer and study the Distance Learning Course in his spare time. He doesn’t know where he’d be able to fit in a structured class time each week (which the academic training model would demand).

Fatla admitted that he was unaware of this field before his mother introduced him to

it and offers this advice to others who are considering this profession but are unsure: find a seasoned professional and shadow them in their office. The interaction that one has with a client and seeing how you can help someone change their life for the better is an inspiration. Fatla confessed, “I never even seriously considered this profession until my shadowing experience. Before that, my perception was that I had no desire to work with ‘old people’.” Fatla plans on diving headfirst into this profession as soon as he acquires his license and he notes that the future of this profession is bright when you see all the baby boomers now coming of age in their need for hearing assistance.

&/or After 2 yearsexperience

Practice-BasedTraining Model

Apprenticeship(Training Model)

AcademicTraining ModelFormal Education

(2 or 4 year degree orCanadian training

model)

Earn National Certification

Board Certified inHearing Instrument

Sciences(BC-HIS)

Earn Advanced PracticeDesignation

American Conference ofAudioprosthology (ACA)

Gain title of

“Audioprosthologist”(provides 15 Baccalaureate credits)

State orProvincialLicensure/

Registration

The Entry & Development Path of the Hearing Aid Specialist

This is a bird’s eye view of how professionals progress through the hearing aid specialist profession

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Ready to ServeAfter Mike Gedeon, BC-HIS, left the military ten years ago, he had to decide whether or not to stay in the field of aviation which was a struggling industry at the time. Inspired by the story of flying ace Captain Ken Dahlburg and his association with Miracle-Ear, he answered an ad for an operations position with Dr. Beall’s Miracle-Ear franchise in Cleveland, OH. He was hired as Operations Manager for a newly acquired territory because his experience as an officer in the military gave him managerial experience but he still had a lot to learn about the intricacies of the hearing healthcare field. He was exposed to his company’s basic formal training course and also studied the IHS Distance Learning Course, and he eventually

acquired his hearing aid specialist license in 2005. He took over all training in 2008 at Beall, Inc. and now trains approximately 20-25 apprentices a year in the company’s territories in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. In 2009, Gedeon received his board certification and is currently completing his ACA training through IHS.

Desirable SkillsCandidates undergo a very thorough interviewing process because his company makes a huge investment in training. An important quality he looks for in potential candidates is a proven track record of excellence in their previous fields. The profession requires a number of different disciplines in order to be successful:

1. You have to have a passion for helping people. You can gauge how you are doing by how many people you are helping.

2. In order to help more people, you have to build a broad based knowledge of the hearing aid field as a whole. It is

a life-long learning process. Hearing aid specialists have to constantly be evolving from a training perspective.

3. Candidates have to be driven, it’s not enough to just want to help people. They need to possess the special ability to convince people to let you help them. It is a unique ability to be able to sell the idea of better hearing.

Salesmanship has to be top-notch combined with staying on top of technological advancements. It is crucial to be able to translate features into benefits. Passion, professional development, and salesmanship are all needed to best help clients achieve a better quality of life.

The Apprentice CycleOnce a committed candidate is chosen, the training then begins in a group with the basics: anatomy, understanding how we

continued on page 24

mentoring apprenticesMike Gedeon, BC-HIS

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hear, audiometry, psychology, impression training, and then the training builds from there for the next 90 days. In Ohio, an apprentice is required to pass the licensing exam between 90 days to one year from the time their training permit is issued. After a license is earned, then time is spent working on your own, either with other practitioners, or independently.

Advice for Potential CandidatesGedeon’s advice to someone considering entering this field is to try to find a mentor or organization who is willing to provide you with structured training. Training is the key to success. The more training you get internally and externally increases your chance for success. Also, look for someone who is willing to mentor you, not only in the beginning but throughout the course of your career. That was the most important theme for Gedeon’s career: that he had a mentor in his career to help illuminate the path for him. Gedeon asserts, “You can’t just go through the licensing process and then know everything there is to know about the business. The mentoring process should never end. Then, when you have been in the field long enough, we owe the profession itself to become mentors to others, to give back, especially with the growth in the field with our current demographics.”

Common Causes for FailureFailure largely comes from having the wrong expectations of ourselves in what is required of us to be successful. We need to always be actively seeking out/identifying people whom we can help. Failure is to sit and wait for people to come to you.

There are opportunities all around us—the key is being awake to them. You have to be able to do the things that other people won’t do. Some people view this position in a retail mentality, “my responsibility is to sell this product.” But the larger part of what we do is the commitment we have to our customers to provide them with a life of better hearing—forever. Selling hearing aids is the beginning of the commitment, not the entirety of it. The product is only as good as the person dispensing it. The greatest hearing aid in the world is not going to provide the benefit it should in the hands of the wrong dispenser (if the hearing aid specialist isn’t able to utilize the features of the hearing aid to the benefit of the user). There is so much more to this field than just selling a product.

Apprentice vs AcademicThere are advantages to both the apprentice and the academic pathway, but the main advantage of the apprentice program is that you can bring new people into the field much more rapidly. This puts the burden of training on the mentor or

company, which works to the advantage of both parties because it can be done in a more efficient process. Also, with the apprentice model, you can begin to apply what you have learned faster as you apply what you’ve learned in a office setting. There isn’t a college in Ohio that offers a degree in hearing aid sciences but Gedeon has trained previously licensed hearing aid specialists (sometimes licensed in other states). Sometimes this involves re-training or ‘unlearning’ old habits. Other times, it just involves verifying that they have the knowledge required to perform their duties with excellence.

Gedeon appreciates both sides of mentorship, “The most important factor of success in my career was having a tremendous mentor. And, I enjoy seeing growth within an individual who achieves the ability to change lives by going through this training process. I love seeing people who I have trained succeed. It allows me to have a much greater reach throughout the community.”

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Hearing Loss Left Him with Sharpened VisionAnthony Nash has lived with severe-profound hearing loss since age three. His condition would finally lead him to a career in hearing healthcare but the pathway was certainly circuitous. When he graduated from Bloomfield College in August of 2000 with a BA in Accounting, the jobs available in that field were rare. A friend’s mother got him an interview at the Bank of New York, where she worked, in The World Trade Center. He didn’t get the job right away but was on a waiting list for a November 2001 position. The disappointment was great but was rapidly reversed by the subsequent events of September 11, 2001, which he viewed from across the river at his home in Kearny, New Jersey. He continued working in the supermarket where he worked since high school and advanced to be a department manager of two supermarkets in the chain.

The demanding retail hours began to wear on Nash after 10 years, and that was the impetus which made him look for other ways he could make a living while helping people. When his hearing aid cracked (and it was out of warranty) he took it to a local hearing aid specialist to see if he could repair it. He looked around at the office and thought, “Hmm, this equipment is pretty cool.” So, he thought of his hearing aid dispenser who helped him when he was a child, Patricia Connelly, PhD, CCC-A; and simultaneously found IHS on the Internet and contacted Kathleen Mennillo, MBA, at IHS. She connected Nash with Connelly, who referred him to the Hearing Instrument Science program at Burlington County College in Mt. Laurel, NJ. Thus, he began the two-year program which consisted of 64 credit hours coordinated by IHS member Charles Herb and graduated with an Associate of Applied Science in August 2012. (Note: When Nash searched

on the Internet he did find schools in other states, but nothing came up locally. This emphasizes the importance of asking seasoned professionals about educational opportunities in your area, and not relying solely on the Internet to find colleges which offer this training.)

Nash began the new program (in its second year) with 2 other students. Classes were taught by audiologists, ENT professionals, and nurses. It involved two years of courses such as ear physiology and anatomy, psychoacoustics, patient counseling, communication disorders, legal and ethical responsibilities, hearing assessment, hearing instrument technology, auditory rehabilitation, and a clinical practicum. It was all classroom work, and the classroom housed an audiology booth and diagnostic equipment. The time spent on homework was approximately 10-12 hours per week. There were opportunities for practical

continued on page 26

taking the educational route

Anthony Nash

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application (such as ear mold impressions and hearing tests) which were applied to other students and family members. Nash found the most challenging class to be Audiometry, especially the section on masking. In that class, he learned the physiology and pathology of the ear, and gained an in-depth understanding on how the audiometric system works. The Audiometry class, along with Counseling class, and Practical Lab work are the classes he sees as being the most helpful in his day-to-day practice.

Field TripsThere was also an externship program in the summer where students spent time in 3-4 local hearing aid specialist offices to allow the students the opportunity to observe and get the feel of a hearing healthcare office. Nash spent his time interning in multiple offices where he experienced a wide range of best practices, rather than just the single office experience to which apprentices are typically exposed. He appreciated this time spent witnessing work with hearing aids from different manufacturers. Each student had to work out our own schedule for visiting the various practices and they were required to have 100 hours of externship.

After the two-year course and externship, students typically take the state licensing examination. In New Jersey, you need an apprenticeship or this two-year degree to take the exam. In September 2012, he took the exam and passed all parts of the test except for the written portion. Nash went back to his IHS study materials which were introduced to him by his professors as a good reference source. He found the written sample test on the Distance Learning Course and the New Jersey sample test helpful in understanding the way the test was worded. He took the exam again in March 2013 and passed.

Academic AdvantagesNash advises others to take the educational route so that they can be best prepared to deal with all patients and conditions which walk through the door of their practice. He appreciated and gained an advantage from being trained by all the different professionals in the field, not exclusively hearing aid specialists, but also

the ENT and Audiologist points of view. The exposure and visits to many different dispensers enabled him to glean from their best practices in helping the hearing impaired. Another bonus was going on field trips to hearing aid manufacturers facilities. Nash believes that this gave him a well-rounded, in-depth knowledge base that prepared him for success in the office.

Nash currently works as a hearing aid specialist at Advanced Hearing Services in Ramsey, New Jersey, where he uses his story to make others feel comfortable and improve their quality of life. He also utilizes his American Sign Language skills to set clients and their parents at ease. Nash has always set goals in life and currently his goals are to continue his education with an advanced degree in audiology and to work more closely with children with hearing loss to achieve a better quality of life and attain their goals as he has.

College Programs for Hearing Instrument Sciences

Bates Technical CollegeTacoma, Washington

Burlington County CollegePemberton, New Jersey

George Brown Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Conestoga College Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

Grant MacEwan University Edmonton, Alberta Canada

Ozarks Technical Community College

Springfield, Missouri

Spokane Falls Community College

Spokane, Washington

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Krystal Broy’s journey to hearing healthcare began with a family connection. Broy received her Bachelor’s of Arts in Advertising/Public Relations from the University of Central Florida and after her graduation, she worked in different areas of the medical field. Her husband, Chad Broy, was a hearing aid specialist and she eventually began working in his family’s practice in the front office and in medical billing for a few years. She found the hearing healthcare field intriguing and grasped the opportunity to become a hearing aid specialist when an apprenticeship opportunity arose. In Florida, there is a precise set of four stages that one must successfully complete to become a licensed hearing aid specialist.

Stage OneThe first phase of apprenticeship training in Florida involves studying the IHS Distance Learning for Professionals in Hearing

Health Sciences course including taking and passing all 30 quizzes. Broy found the IHS course materials and the companion website very easy to navigate and very well organized in the way the workbook built upon foundational information. She paced herself, reading about two chapters a week and then took the quizzes at the end of each chapter. (Helpful hint: Broy keeps her study materials in her practice and constantly refers to them. She often goes back to refresh herself.) The most challenging topics she studied were performing impressions and technique for masking.

If something wasn’t clear, she would ask her mentor or her growing number of peers. Broy began training with other apprentices within her organization and she would call them and chat about their training—she likens it to having a study group in college. Occasionally, she searched the topic on the Internet and looked for images of different procedures and surgeries (so that she could better understand what people were going through with their different experiences).

Broy began her apprenticeship in July 2012 and it took her three months to complete this first stage. In this stage, she was employed as an apprentice and she performed front office and insurance billing tasks. At the end of stage one, she had to present proof of passing the distance learning program to the State of Florida, in order to begin the next stage. Then, when she was approved to

enter stage two, the state sent a letter with the exact completion dates for the duration of each remaining stage.

Stage TwoThis stage lasted for one month. After passing stage one, she could perform audiometric tests and make ear mold impressions and modifications but her sponsor needed to be physically present. At that point, she became more familiar with her equipment and was utilizing all that she had studied in stage one. It was important to ask a lot of questions. Broy wrote down questions throughout the day when working with patients and, before the work day was over, she reviewed them with her sponsor. After work, she was busy studying the IHS materials to make sure she had a clear understanding of the tasks she was performing.

Stage ThreeStage three began the following month, which built upon everything she learned so far. This stage was two months long and she continued to do testing, perform ear molds, and make modifications. Additionally, she could now recommend the selection of a hearing aid, she could counsel patients, but she still had to be under the direct supervision of her sponsor. Although Broy could not deliver a hearing aid, she enjoyed this stage because she was learning programming, different technologies, and the wide capabilities of different hearing aids. It was very hands

continued on page 28

advantages of apprenticeshipKrystal Broy

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on and it allowed Broy to really know models, and discover the lifestyle and needs of patients. Stage three ends after two months and then you move into stage four.

Stage FourStage four was three months long and Broy began performing the full range of hearing aid specialist responsibilities, but there was still someone supervising at all times. This is when she began working in her current Miracle-Ear office where she could deliver hearing aids but the sponsor still needed to be physically present at the delivery. The recommended amount of hours for training in Florida is 20 hours per week, and you need a total amount of 480 hours during your training period (stages two through four) working in the office. At the end of stage four, when you are applying for your license, you do have to sign off that you have worked the full amount of hours. It is imperative to keep a log of your hours each week so that you are ready to report your hours at the end of your training. During this stage, Broy signed up for the State Licensing Examination. Before she took the exam, she had to spend a certain amount of hours training in each topic; fill out applications; turn in a photo; provide three letters of proof of good moral character; and submit exam fees.

To help her prepare for the examination, she took a seminar offered by Alan Lowell Seminars in May 2013. It included two mandatory courses which need to be taken before you can sit the licensing exam: one on laws and regulations and one on medical errors. Broy thinks that this class was priceless in her training and she would highly recommend it to anyone. She also found the Lowell DVDs helpful and would listen to them in her car and in her office between clients.

The end of stage four to taking the licensing exam was a 2-3 month period. Broy took the last written licensing exam in Florida as they have now switched over to the computerized version of the licensing test. She took the exam in Orlando in a hotel conference room and it took less than two hours to complete. There were about 25 other people there, taking the test, and it took two and a half weeks to get the results from the Florida Department of Health. Broy passed the exam, sent in the license fee (with the test results), and then received her license in about a week. She was then free to practice independently.

Advice For Test SuccessBroy gives credit to a few factors for her success in passing the licensing exam:

1. Study: She kept reading, review and re-reading her study materials to drill details in her hear.

2. Networking: She would call people in her company who were recently licensed and she would interview them with study questions.

3. Professional Organizations: She found IHS and the Florida state chapter very helpful in quickly responding to her questions.

Broy encourages anyone seeking a career in hearing healthcare to investigate all pathways available to them. Broy would have been highly interested in participating in an academic course of study but the Apprentice model was a better fit for her current lifestyle. She recommends that candidates seek out professionals in the community and see if you can observe them for a day. Also, seek out a professor at your local college that offers this course of study and learn about the classes and internships required during the pursuit of the degree.

Apprentice Requirements Broy believes that a successful apprentice needs to work well independently, be a go-getter, be motivated, and be self-disciplined. She believes, “If you push yourself, then the apprentice model will work for you. You are on your own in this journey and you have to be someone who is self-motivated, self-sufficient, and very self-disciplined because it doesn’t end when you leave work each day. After work, you need to go home and study the books. You have to be very ambitious and you must count totally on yourself. I learned more in a program like this than I did in my four years of college. This training really puts it ‘hands-on’ right away. You are interacting with patients from the very beginning.”

In addition to self-discipline, Broy believes that picking the right mentor is crucial for success. This person becomes your own personal professor, so you need a good connection with them. It is important to have an excellent working relationship with your mentor because you will be connected with them for at least a year or so. It is vital to have an open line of communication with your mentor because you will be asking them a lot of questions. She suggests looking into the support the company gives you after your license, because education does not stop at the license. Broy acknowledges, “At Miracle-Ear, I have ongoing support regarding education, technology, and laws within my state.”

Broy currently practices independently in her Merrit Island, Florida, Miracle-Ear office with an additional front office person. Her next goal on the professional development pathway is to take the board certification exam, followed by the pursuit of the Audioprosthology program.

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Protect Your Profession, Your Future

Please return completed forms via mail, e-mail, or fax to: International Hearing Society 16880 Middlebelt Rd, Ste. 4 Livonia, MI 48145 Email: [email protected] │ Facsimile: 734.522.0200

IHS Advocacy Alliance

Individual Donation Form The International Hearing Society provides essential advocacy functions on issues of critical importance to our members by engaging with Members of Congress, federal agencies and workgroups, and state elected officials. These activities are funded solely through the generosity of our members and organizational partners. By making a contribution to IHS’ advocacy efforts, you are making a tangible difference in the strength of our programs, which, in turn, go to work for you and the future of your practice.

Critical activities for the International Hearing Society and its members include:

Working towards solutions on internet/mail order hearing aid sales Engaging at the federal level, including seeking hearing aid specialist inclusion in the VA system Defending state scope of practice and licensure issues, and against advertising restrictions Advocating on private and public payer issues

Please contribute today by making a one-time donation, or becoming a member of our Monthly Donor Club* by authorizing continuous monthly payments. Donor Information Name (First, Middle, Last) ___________________________________________________________________________________ Preferred Address (City, ST, Zip): ____________________________________________________________________________ Email (print clearly) _______________________________________________________________________________________ Phone No._________________________________________ Fax No. ________________________________________________ Contribution Amount Payable

To contribute, check the box that indicates your level of support:

☐ $2500 Leadership Circle* ☐ $1000 President’s Circle ☐ $500 Governor’s Circle ☐ $250 Capital Club ☐ $100 Statesman’s Society ☐ Other $_____________________

Please check one of the following:

☐ One-time donation ☐ Donor Club/Monthly donation* (you authorize your

credit card to be charged the amount indicated monthly until you indicate otherwise; $20/mo. minimum)

*Receive additional recognition and special gift

Payment Method:

☐ Check ☐ Cash ☐ Credit Card Please make checks payable to “International Hearing Society”.

If you wish to pay with a credit card, please provide the following information:

☐Visa ☐Master Card ☐Discover ☐American Express

Cardholder Information Name on Card: _________________________________

Card Number: __________________________________

Expiration Date: ________________________________

THP

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In September, IHS announced First Sergeant Matthew P. Eversmann, U.S. Army (retired) as the National Spokesperson for the Fit to Serve Campaign. This IHS campaign seeks to lift existing Veteran’s Affairs (VA) restrictions in order to allow all qualified hearing aid specialists to provide hearing healthcare services to American veterans. Eversmann’s service in Somalia was detailed in Mark Bowden’s 1999 book Black Hawk Down (and Eversmann was later portrayed by Josh Hartnett in the 2001 Oscar-winning motion picture based on the book). Eversmann is very familiar with hearing loss and the arduous journey of receiving hearing healthcare

through the VA upon retirement. What follows is his story and his reasons for reaching out to help the incoming flood of retired U.S. veterans receive quality and timely hearing healthcare.

I joined the army in 1987 and became an infantryman with the hopes of becoming an airborne ranger and living a very adventurous life. As a young man, when you join in peacetime, you dream of going to war. While I was doing all the things one needs to do to be a successful soldier (attending ranger school and sniper school) I migrated throughout the army to land in the ranger regiment—which has the best chance of going to

Advocating for Fellow Veterans

government affairs

Essentially, we are just trying to change a sentence in the current law. One little change will allow so many more Veterans to be helped.

By First Sergeant Matthew P. Eversmann, U.S. Army (retired)

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war, if a conflict does breakout. In 1993, I was deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia, where we went to war and survived an 18-hour incredibly intense gunfight, which at the time was probably the biggest gunfight since the TET offensive in Vietnam. The intensity of this event is depicted quite accurately in the movie Black Hawk Down. (The movie is not entirely accurate, but it is authentic.)

What stands out in my memory (among many memories) is how loud and intense the battlefield was. It was so loud that my teeth hurt. The machine gun was shooting right by my head, the helicopter was firing its machine gun above, and the enemy rockets were flying overhead—it was so loud that it felt as if your molars would fall out of your mouth. And, the effect from this gunfight was long-lasting. The first couple of days after the battle, it was similar to hearing underwater—I just couldn’t hear people. Eventually, the fog of sound did lift, but the ringing in my ears remained. At first, it was annoying and then it became almost deafening. It did subside a bit, but I soon realized that it was not going to get better. However, I was still able to pass the annual physicals given each year by the Army.

In 2000, I finally went to see an audiologist prompted by my wife (to be) who was becoming annoyed by the television being too loud and my constant requests for her to repeat herself. At that time, I received my first pair of hearing aids and I’ll never forget that day, driving away and hearing all the sounds I was missing

before: the raindrops on the roof of the car, the crispness of the turn signal—I hadn’t heard things that clearly in a long time. It offered a great change in my life.

Fast forward to 2006, I was preparing to deploy to Iraq with an infantry unit. During my pre-deployment physical, I was deemed ‘non-deployable’ because of my hearing. I had to appear before a board that the commanding staff general holds with the division surgeons to appeal the decision and plead my case to remain with my men in their deployment. Thankfully, they did let me go and I served in Iraq for 15 months. During that time, my hearing aids broke due to the awful conditions of sand, wind, constant mortar attacks, and small arms fire.

I returned to the U.S. in 2007 and retired from the U.S. Army in 2008, and that is where my personal hearing story goes sideways. As a veteran, when you retire, you need to go through an active duty physical and also be introduced to the VA system for a health physical. When I requested a physical from the VA, there was a 7 month wait for an appointment. I decided to postpone my physical until I moved back home to Baltimore, Maryland.

In 2009, I contacted the VA again for an appointment and thus began a bureaucratic nightmare, where no one could tell me where I needed to go and I was given the run-around. It was frustrating and seemed to me that it shouldn’t be this difficult to get registered in the VA system. I simply wanted to make sure that I was in the system for later in life but it was very challenging to get straight answers.

In 2012, I stumbled upon an Operation Iraqi Freedom organization, which was set up to help post-Iraq and Afghan soldiers like myself, and found them to be very helpful in enrolling soldiers into the system. (The people I dealt with at the VA were helpful but the system was not easy to follow.) The first step was to get a physical, and then meet with an audiologist. I was very much missing my hearing aids for the past few years, so I was anxious to get another pair. The audiologist admitted that I did have hearing loss but it was not “deemed” bad enough to qualify for VA hearing aids. That struck a bitter chord, as the irony sunk in that previously they weren’t going to let me go to Iraq because my hearing was so bad, but now they were saying that my hearing wasn’t bad enough for the VA to provide me with hearing aids. Finally, the audiologist did acquiesce to prescribe me hearing aids, since I had received them before during my service. It was a $50 copay for my physical, and $50 for my hearing services. It only took a couple of weeks to receive the hearing aids, but it took me four years since my retirement to navigate through the VA system to arrive at better hearing.

continued on page 32

Eversmann takes time to shake hands with members and sign copies of Black Hawk Down

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Although every soldier should have access to the VA when they leave the military, my journey to become registered in the VA system took four years. My experience makes me wonder how many other veterans are in the same situation. Hearing conservation has come a long way inside the military and that the war fighter cannot be completely protected from all damaging sounds. However, there is a huge need for greater efficiency in providing hearing healthcare services for those leaving the military. Hearing loss is a life altering affliction and is one of the most prevalent service-related disabilities experienced by Veterans.

This is where IHS and Fit to Serve offers a good, simple, and cost-effective solution. I have spent my entire adult life problem-solving, both in the military and now

in the business world. I can appreciate that Fit to Serve is a combat multiplier for the VA. It gives more opportunities for Veterans to be seen by more people in a shorter amount of time, which will only make the system more efficient.

I recently visited Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., with IHS Director of Government Affairs Alissa Parady. It was an enlightening experience to see how accessible our politicians are and to learn how lobbyists work. Congressional leaders who really want to take care of Veterans (for any issue that the Veteran has) need to really focus on the Veterans—not the provider. You need to start with the Veteran and then you need to backtrack. There will soon be a huge increase of Veterans coming through the system soon and they need our help, like I did. Hearing

loss is one of the biggest afflictions with which they will be dealing and if we don’t change the system, we’sre going to belabor the existing system, which is already saturated. We need a more efficient system in place to assist Veterans and the Fit to Serve program accomplish this. Essentially, we are just trying to change a sentence in the current law. One little change will allow so many more Veterans to be helped.

I am honored to have the opportunity to advocate for the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country.

IHS is advocating for hearing aid specialists to be included in the Dept. of Veterans Affairs’ network of providers so you can help Veterans with their hearing healthcare needs.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

In order to be successful, we need every hearing aid specialist to get involved and spread the word to Veterans!

Go to www.fittoserve.us to learn more about Fit to Serve and how you can help, and download campaign materials.

www.fittoserve.us ● [email protected] ● facebook.com/ihsfittoserve

Visit Fit to Serve’s website to:• Access campaign updates and

recent news articles• Send a message to your

Members of Congress• Download the Veterans

Advocacy Packet• Download talking points and

other advocacy materials• Make a donation

Editor’s note: Thank you, First Sergeant Eversmann for

your service to our country and to our Veterans.

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IHS’ initiative to enable hearing aid specialists to help Veterans in need of hearing aid services has made tremendous progress since its official launch in February 2013. Since that time, we have conducted more than 100 D.C.-based meetings with Congressional offices, Veteran Services Organizations, and industry partners on Fit to Serve. We recruited and announced a well-respected and high-level National Spokesperson, and launched a country-wide grassroots campaign to get Veterans involved and raise awareness of the campaign.

Federal ActionIHS knew a key component to success would be engaging Congressional leaders to push the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to change its policy. Therefore, early on, Congressional meetings were focused on educating members of the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees about hearing aid specialists

and our experiences with Veterans seeking help. Many of the Congressional offices were interested in helping, and several wrote letters to the VA seeking clarity on their policy and raising awareness of hearing aid specialists as a solution. In the summer, IHS representatives started meeting with major Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) in DC to make them aware of difficulties Veterans were having in accessing hearing aid services and how hearing aid specialists can help. Given their extensive experience and knowledge of working with the VA, the VSOs suggested that the best course of action would be pursuing a legislative solution, so IHS began laying groundwork for introduction of federal legislation. As a result, conversations on Capitol Hill became more strategic as IHS searched for its ideal champions to introduce a bill.

We are excited to have strong interest from members of both parties and those

Fit to Serve Moves Forward

continued on page 34

IHS organizes members to support Veterans seeking hearing healthcare.

IHS Government Affairs Director Alissa Parady (pictured left) and First Sergeant Matt Eversmann (right) with Senator Johnny Isakson’s (R-GA) D.C. staff.

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on committee in introducing legislation. Once introduced, our bill will be referred to the Veterans Affairs Committee where it will be eligible for a hearing and a vote, and then move to the full House for consideration. If passed, the next step will be Senate consideration. Since the Congressional session encompasses 2013 and 2014, we have one year to get the bill passed. Otherwise, it will need to be reintroduced in 2015.

The goal of the legislation will be two-fold. One, the legislation will provide the VA the authority to hire hearing aid specialists internally, for which its inability to do so has been identified as an obstacle for the VA. Second, since Congress cannot dictate VA policy, which currently places restrictions on local VA clinics’ abilities to contract with hearing aid specialists, the bill would direct the VA to ensure its fee-for-service policy is consistent with internal policies about who can perform what services. The ultimate goal of the second provision is to create parity between hearing aid specialists and audiologists with respect to hearing aid services in its fee-for-service network.

To grow support on the Hill, we encouraged IHS Convention attendees to meet with their Members of Congress on

Fit to Serve while in Washington, D.C., in September. This offered a fantastic boost for our efforts and experience for those who participated. In total our volunteers independently conducted 33 Congressional meetings and made many important contacts and impressions upon the Members and staff they met with.

Grassroots ActivitiesAction in the states also began to increase as awareness grew among IHS membership about Fit to Serve. To supplement your local efforts, we have developed several resources, including a comprehensive website, www.fittoserve.us, that allows users to email their Members of Congress and download key tools; a Veterans advocacy packet for distribution to patients, friends and family; Facebook and YouTube accounts; as well as toolkits for our state/regional captains.

During the IHS Convention, we hosted a seminar on Fit to Serve, through which attendees heard a detailed review of the

current policies and political climate, as well as ways they can help with Fit to Serve in their states and localities. The seminar slides can be accessed through the IHS Convention website.

Also, in September we announced that First Sergeant Matt Eversmann, whose role in the Battle of Mogadishu was documented in the book and movie “Black Hawk Down,” would be serving as National Spokesperson for Fit to Serve. IHS released this news to the PR Newswire and the story was picked up by dozens of media outlets across the country, raising national awareness of Fit to Serve and driving people to the website to learn more. The IHS Convention was the first opportunity for IHS members to meet 1SG Eversmann. During the Membership Meeting, he shared stories of his experiences with the VA and hearing loss, and he participated in a highly successful meet and greet, and book-signing in the Expo hall. His commitment to this effort was further solidified through time spent

IHS California members stop for a photo op during IHS Convention Hill visits. Pictured here (left to right): Don Tucker, ACA, BC-HIS, HHPCA President; Cynthia Peffers, ACA, BC-HIS, HHPCA Past

President; and Gloria Peterson, HHPCA Executive Director

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on Capitol Hill with IHS lobbyists, during which he met with several Congressional offices to reinforce Veterans’ needs for a better system. You can learn more about 1SG Eversmann in the article “Advocating for Fellow Veterans” on page 30.

We know many members have been hard at work promoting Fit to Serve in their areas. Through radio and TV interviews, Veteran outreach, and local Veteran Service Organization meetings the word is spreading. Facebook and YouTube provide you opportunities to highlight your local efforts and learn more about what others are doing.

While this is just a sampling of our work over the past eight months, we can tell you that Fit to Serve is being well-received and that the time is right for this very important issue. With increased attention on the VA backlog and an influx of new Veterans in the system as a result of action in Iraq and Afghanistan, Congressional leaders are open to solutions, and we know hearing aid specialists can help.

That being said, we cannot do this without your support. Grassroots action by each and every IHS member is key to our success. You can help in several ways:

• Spread the word about a need for change. Tell everyone you know about Fit to Serve, including Veterans, Veteran Service Organizations, Members of Congress, and the media, and ask for their help. You can find tools and guidance for engagement on our website at www.fittoserve.us. The public, as well as providers, can also use the site to send an email

to their Members of Congress.• Volunteer as a state or regional

captain for Fit to Serve. We are in need of captains in about 30 states, who will volunteer to serve as a liaison between IHS and his/her state peers. Captains will work with Fit to Serve grassroots staff to develop an action plan for his/her state to include state VSO and Congressional outreach, as well as communicating updates with peers and growing provider and Veteran involvement.

• Make a donation to IHS’ advocacy efforts. In order to be successful, we are actively lobbying in DC, and have hired a top-notch lobbying firm and public relations firm to assist. We have accomplished so much, and need to keep the momentum going. To achieve our goals, we need to raise $115,000 in 2013 and an additional $115,000 in 2014. To donate you can go online or use the form on page 29

IHS would like to recognize and thank members who visited Capitol Hill while in D.C.:

Catherine Ahrens Berke, BC-HISDavid Call

Janette Call, BC-HISRobert Dohe

Charles EricksonAndrew Etter, BC-HIS

Sarah EtterJohn Hoglund, ACA, BC-HIS

Patricia Hoglund, ACA, BC-HISKaren Klotz

Scott Lau, ACA, BC-HISPeter Lee, BC-HIS

Bernard Libel, BC-HIS

Janice LibelKirt Loupe, BC-HIS

William Morgan, BC-HISGloria Pederson

Cynthia Peffers, ACA, BC-HISChester PontiusDavid Rich, PhD

Linda SageCarol Scott, ACA, BC-HIS

Laura Szot, BC-HISEllis Thomas, BC-HIS

Don Tucker, ACA, BC-HISElizabeth Vickery, BC-HIS

With questions or to get involved, contact us at [email protected].

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Though the practice of hearing aid dispensing itself has not changed much in the past decade, the industry is experiencing new payment trends and market influences that have the potential to dramatically change the way dispensers do business. Speak with industry leaders and they’ll share concerns about the current and future role of insurance, third-party discount plans, and Internet sales on their practices, patients, and colleagues. We also know that the implementation of federal healthcare reform could challenge the way many of us have traditionally done business by bringing more of those untapped patients into our offices presenting with some form of insurance coverage.

These changes raise many questions. What are you, as a dispenser, most concerned about? Is your business currently able to work with insured clients? If not, are you even interested in getting involved with insurance? And if so, what do you need to be ready? And finally and most importantly, how can you be most successful?

This summer IHS conducted a health policy and payment survey to understand the role of insurance within your practices, identify trends, and get the pulse of the profession on payment issues. The results of the survey were presented to the IHS Executive Committee and Board of Governors in September for discussion and development of a short- and long-

We Asked. You Answered.Results From Our Health Policy and Payment Survey

government affairs

This summer IHS conducted a health policy and payment survey to understand the role of insurance within your practices, identify trends, and get the pulse of the profession on payment issues.

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continued on page 38

term strategy related to IHS’ health policy and payment activities. While leadership and staff will be further defining and examining these strategies and developing a plan for action, we are pleased to share with you some of the results of the survey.

The survey was sent electronically to over 5,000 hearing aid dispensing professionals, both IHS members and non-members, and both hearing aid specialists and audiologists. We received 440 responses to the survey, 82% of which were hearing aid specialists, 9% audiologists, 5% trainees, and the remainder being practice administrators.

InsuranceAn overwhelming 71% of respondents reported that less than 25% of their patients have health insurance that covers hearing aids; with approximately 15% of all respondents dealing with no insurance in their practice. Just 6% of

respondents stated that a majority of their patients have insurance, and perhaps no surprise, these respondents have a greater network acceptance rate than the average respondent. This is likely due to their experience and knowledge of the insurance credentialing and payment system as necessitated by their clients’ needs.

We asked respondents whether they had applied within the previous two years to join a health plan’s provider network and was turned down. Fifty-four percent said they did not apply to join a network, 26% said they applied and were turned down, and 20% said they applied successfully. For those who were turned down, the top reason (65%) as stated by the insurance plan was that they were not accepting new providers. Other reasons given were that hearing aids were not covered by the plan, or they use a separate third-party discount plan.

In terms of billing, on average for non-government plans, those who participate with insurance bill using a bundled model about 40% of the time, unbundled model about 37% of the time, or a combination of the two about 23% of the time.

How do dispensing professionals feel about the impact of unbundled services for payment on their practices? Thirty-five percent of respondents are either extremely or very concerned, 30% are somewhat concerned, 18% are not at all concerned, and 16% did not know enough to have an opinion.

If you feel uncertain about how to code and bill insurance companies, you are not alone. Only 30% of survey respondents felt confident that they had the needed knowledge to code and submit claims to insurance companies for payment, and just 44% indicated they have an established fee schedule.

Affordable Care Act

Extremely concerned

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Respondent’s Level of Concern with Payment Issues

Very concerned

Somewhat concerned

Not concerned at all

Do not know enough to have an opinion

Third-Party Discount Plans

Unbundling of Services

Referral Networks

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Referral Networks and Discount PlansWith the increasing incidence of referral networks and third-party discount plans playing a role in lead generation and the dictating of price and service delivery, we wanted to know what is the role of these entities in today’s hearing aid practice?

Well, the prevalence of referral networks is pretty significant, with more than half of all respondents (53%) indicating they work with referral networks. Of those, 26% of practices said they work with Hear USA and/or Tru Hearing, 17% work with Hearing Planet, and 16% partner with Hear in America, to name a few.

In terms of attitudes, third-party discount plans evoked the highest amount of concern among all respondents across all categories, with 61% being extremely or very concerned, 22% being somewhat concerned, and 8% being not at all concerned. The remaining 9% didn’t feel

they knew enough to have an opinion. Concerns with the impact of national referral networks were not as high but still significant, with 54% being extremely or very concerned and 27% being somewhat concerned. Eleven percent didn’t have enough knowledge for an opinion, leaving just 7% in the not concerned category. No surprise, private practice dispensers are more concerned with the impact of both referral networks and third-party discount plans than their peers who operate under a different model such as those with a network affiliation (i.e. Audibel, Beltone and Miracle-Ear) or who are affiliated with a multi-disciplinary practice.

Affordable Care Act EffectsWith the roll-out of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as federal health care reform, there are mixed levels of concern and the need for more knowledge. We asked respondents “how concerned are you about the impact of the [ACA] on your practice?” Twenty-one percent

indicated they didn’t know enough to have an opinion. Forty-nine percent are extremely or very concerned, 22% are somewhat concerned, and 7% are not concerned at all. We know the full effects of the ACA have not yet been felt, so uncertainty and concern are expected. IHS will continue to educate members about the implementation and new developments. In the meantime, for an overview of the ACA and its potential impact, check out our article “How Will the Affordable Care Act Affect You?” in the July-August-September edition of The Hearing Professional.

ConclusionThe information gleaned from the survey, which extends beyond the aforementioned responses provides IHS with a pathway to assisting members in becoming better informed, prepared, and equipped to respond to the ever-changing payment market. We will be working over the next year to deliver to you more resources and guidance to put into practice relating to coding and billing, and practice management. We will also be focusing our efforts on payer advocacy, in other words educating insurance companies and other payers about hearing aid specialists, the services you provide, and standards of care.

We thank those who participated in the survey. Your involvement helps us grow and better serve you! We look forward to sharing with you additional survey results in the next edition of The Hearing Professional, which will focus on practice management and hearing aid practice demographics.

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The IHS Model Licensure Act serves as an accepted international standard that defines the contemporary licensure and practice of hearing aid specialists and is used by governmental agencies and licensing bodies as a guide for modernizing the laws and rules governing the profession. A revised version of the Model Licensure Act, last updated in 2007, was adopted by the IHS Board of Governors in April 2013 and contains several changes of which all licensees, chapters, and policymakers should be aware.

The most notable changes relate to the entry path to the profession. Previously, the Model Licensure Act endorsed an associate’s degree as the minimal standard for education. The 2013 Act reflects that there are two acceptable separate and equal paths: an associates degree in hearing instrument sciences (the Academic Training Model), or a one-year apprenticeship program (the Practice-Based Training Model), the latter of which now requires the IHS distance learning course as a prerequisite to the training period, which thereby provides the educational foundation for clinical learning. The appropriateness of two entry paths was affirmed in the IHS Position Statement on Entry Paths into the Hearing Aid Dispensing Profession, approved in April 2012, which reads, in part, “IHS maintains that these two models for entry into the hearing aid dispensing field are both necessary to

meet the growing demand for services, and allow both traditional students and non-academic trainees the opportunity to prove entry-level competence.”

The 2013 Model Licensure Act further restructures the preferred path for the Practice-Based Training Model by redefining when an apprentice should move from direct to indirect supervision. Under the previous model, an apprentice would train under the direct supervision of his/her sponsor for 160 hours and then move to an indirect supervision arrangement for the remainder of the one-year apprenticeship period. Then the apprentice would then be eligible to sit for the written and practical exams. The new model would have the apprentice directly supervised until they sit for and pass the practical examination, at which time they would move to an indirect supervision model, with the option for the licensing board to set a minimum number of directly-supervised practicum hours. The written examination would still be taken at the conclusion of the one-year apprenticeship period. This change would ensure that the apprentice is only allowed to work with patients independently once he/she obtains the necessary competencies and supervision status relies on the candidate’s readiness rather than a predetermined schedule, which may not accurately reflect his/her individual abilities at the time.

Additional updates to the Act include new and updated definitions for the terms “Audioprosthologist,” “hearing aid,” “cerumen management,” “sponsor,” “telepractice,” and “trainer,” and the integration of several provisions of the Sample Legislative Language relating to Direct-to-Consumer Sales and Personal Sound Amplifiers. Other updates to the Model Licensure Act include, but are not limited to, outlining reciprocity requirements, providing the licensing body new authorities with regards to investigational and disciplinary actions against unlicensed persons or companies, and capping manufacturer-sponsored and online continuing education credits counting towards renewal to five per year combined.

Licensing bodies and chapters are encouraged to review the 2013 Model Licensure Act for possible updates to their existing state/provincial laws and call on IHS for assistance as needed. To view the Act, go to the Advocacy portion of the IHS website at www.ihsinfo.org/advocacy. Questions? Contact us at [email protected].

What’s New in the 2013 Model Licensure Act?

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It was two years ago when the issue of direct-to-consumer hearing aid sales came front and center in the industry, largely a result of the entrance of insurance behemoth United Healthcare launching a new online hearing aid business. Its entry through subsidiary hi HealthInnovations, challenged our practices, the strength of our regulations, and our perceptions of the future.

Since that time, IHS has been working closely with its chapters and industry partners to advocate on behalf of hearing-impaired consumers. We have made significant progress resulting in governmental compliance actions, the consideration of new state laws, and unprecedented provider unity.

On the Federal side, we are pleased to report that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in addition to taking a stand against online hearing testing in 2012, is engaged in compliance activities on the issue of personal sound amplifiers (PSAPs). IHS and our industry partners have been educating the FDA about our concerns with direct-to-consumer sales, including with retailers that appear to be selling hearing aids as PSAPs. The FDA has further indicated that it will be revising its 2009 “Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff: Regulatory Requirements for Hearing Aid Devices and Personal Sound Amplification Products” (viewable via http://1.usa.gov/v2eyar). This guidance is largely blamed for the entrance of numerous new PSAP retailers to the marketplace over

Direct-to-Consumer Sales Update

government affairs

IHS and our industry partners have been educating the FDA about our concerns with direct-to-consumer sales.

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the past several years as it created a loophole through which hearing aid retailers are marketing their devices as PSAPs and forgoing compliance with the FDA rule. Finally, FDA officials are planning a public awareness campaign on hearing aids, the details of which have not yet been released.

At the state level, many chapters and licensing boards have expressed an interest in strengthening their licensing laws by reaching out to IHS for sample legislative language and information on national trends, as well as through the establishment of work groups and task forces. Illinois and Texas have taken significant steps toward improving consumer protections in this area. As a result of efforts by the Illinois Hearing Society, the state adopted a law this year that redefines a hearing aid, sets forth requirements for Internet hearing aid sales, and requires a disclaimer on all PSAP sales. And all eyes continue to be on Texas as the state hearing aid specialists and audiology licensing boards have been considering a complaint filed against hi HealthInnovations, alleging it is violating nine provisions of the law. A decision is expected in the coming weeks, if not by the time of publication. Also, five members of the Texas Hearing Aid Association in August made national news for having filed a class action lawsuit against Wal-Mart for selling hearing aids without the proper licensure. This case is expected to take a couple years, but we know that other states and stakeholders will be closely watching both challenges given their potential implications on the hearing aid marketplace.

Cooperation among the provider groups – IHS, AAA, AAO-HNS, ADA, and ASHA, as well as HIA, has been critical in our success, and this issue has truly paved the way for a more collaborative relationship, regardless of other outside interests. Since late 2011, the groups have been meeting regularly – first by phone, then in person. The partnership was solidified when the provider groups signed a joint statement in 2012 opposing direct-to-consumer sales and advising consumers to seek care through a licensed provider. This collaboration has extended into many states, with hearing aid specialists, audiologists and otolaryngologists putting aside any differences and speaking with one voice. Most recently, provider groups from Washington State

released a joint statement, which, in part, reads, “[W]e believe that all patients must have access to a comprehensive hearing evaluation performed by a licensed professional, have their hearing instruments fit by a professional licensed/registered in the state, and have access to appropriate counseling and auditory rehabilitation services.”

IHS has many resources available to assist members and chapters as continue to work on this issue, including policy statements, sample legislation, and sample strategic plans, all of which can be found on our website through the main page. To learn more, visit our website at www.ihsinfo.org or email us at [email protected].

Did you know IHS’ Code of Ethics addresses Internet sales?

Section I.k. “Mail Order/Internet Sales” states “The IHS member shall not sell hearing aids to a patient via mail order or Internet

without establishing direct, face-to-face contact.”

Code of Ethicsof the

International Hearing Society

Members of the International Hearing Society (IHS) are to abide by the Code of Ethics as stated herein. These principles of professional conduct are intended to provide the best service for the hearing impaired and to guide hearing health professionals in their relations with each other and the public in general.In order that we can best serve hearing impaired persons and contribute toward their participation in the world of sound and speech, we, the members of IHS, pledge ourselves to abide by this Code of Ethics:

a. We shall state only the true facts in our public announcements and advertising of hearing instruments and related products and we shall not, in any way, mislead of misrepresent in regard to their performance, appearance, benefits elements, and use.

b. We shall provide thorough and ethical consulting services when we dispense instruments, including the appropriate testing and fitting suitable for the patient’s particular type of hearing loss.

c. We shall, at all times, provide the best possible service to the hearing impaired, offering counsel, understanding, and technical assistance contributing toward their deriving the maximum benefit from their hearing instruments.

d. We shall constantly encourage and support research, cooperating with medical and other hearing health professionals and societies to employ the maximum accumulation of scientific knowledge and technical skills in the testing of human hearing for the selection, fitting, and maintenance of hearing instruments.

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Two years ago IHS began offering 60-minute webinars several times a year on everything from business planning, infection control, ethics, marketing, and HIPAA rules. To date, more than 4,000 hearing healthcare professionals have watched an IHS webinar! Imagine all of these colleagues worldwide sitting in a virtual classroom and learning how to make their businesses and careers the best they can be.

IHS webinars are free to attend, but for a small fee you can get continuing education credit or other certificates and bonus materials too. Almost 700 attendees so far have used the IHS webinars to earn continuing education credit, obtain HIPAA certificates of training, and get special bonus business tools and templates.

While so many of you have availed yourself of this online education opportunity, many are still webinar-shy. Don’t let technology jitters keep you from accessing this incredible resource. Read on for a primer on the IHS webinar program, what you can get out of it, and how to best utilize the webinars for the professional development of both you and your staff.

What Is a Webinar?A webinar is an online presentation that uses both visual and audio to present a subject. Many webinars use presentation slides as the visual, perhaps even show video and web page examples. A few webinars allow viewers to see the presenter through a web cam. Most live webinar formats let participants ask the speaker questions,

By Fran Vincent-Muscat

Making the Most of IHS WebinarsHow You Can Use These Live and On-Demand Presentations for Professional Development

membership matters

Keeping up with your education and professional development will give you the skills necessary to turn clients into raving fans.

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either through a typed-in chat box or by virtually raising one’s hand and speaking directly to the presenter through the phone or computer microphone.

Whatever the format, webinars give participants an opportunity to learn about timely and important content to help them further their skills, career, business or all three, all in the comfort of their own home or office. There is no need to get dressed up and drive to a class or seminar, spend money on gas and parking, or elbow your way down a narrow aisle of theater seating. You can watch and learn in your pajamas or while on lunch at your office.

A live webinar is one where the presenter is actually speaking in real time while you are watching. A recorded, or “archived” webinar, is simply a video of the live presentation.

What Do I Need to View a Live IHS Webinar?Live webinars do require some essential components to work properly. IHS currently uses the GoToMeeting/GoToWebinar software from Citrix to present webinars. Here’s what you’ll need.

• A computer • A working email account• A web browser (such as Internet

Explorer, Firefox or Google Chrome)

• A speedy Internet connection – cable broadband or DSL works best

• Computer speakers or a telephone (cell phone is fine too)

For the mobile viewer, you can also use an Android phone or tablet, or an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch device. Go to Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store to download the GoToMeeting app and install on your device. Make sure you have a working email account and an Internet connection.

Here are the steps to join a webinar after IHS sends out email invitations and posts the webinar on our website.

• Click on the registration button in the email or on the website and enter the required contact information.

• Citrix will send you an email that confirms your registration and includes a link to the webinar as well as a toll phone number and access code.

• You do not need a computer microphone to participate. If you cannot hear the presentation through

your computer’s speakers, you can use the phone number provided by Citrix to call in and listen.• Before the webinar, download the

CE quiz and any note taking guides from the ihsinfo.org so you will be prepared for your presentation.

• On the day of the webinar, click on the link provided in the Citrix email. Your web browser will open up on your computer and may prompt you to download a small program so that the webinar will run properly on your system.

• We recommend you try to access the webinar 10-15 minutes before the scheduled start time so that if you have any trouble accessing the webinar, you will still have time to try again or restart your browser or computer if needed.

• The webinar will open up through your web browser and you will see a small dashboard on your screen as well. This dashboard can be minimized or expanded, and will show your telephone dial-in number (in case you need it) as well as have a “Questions” box.

continued on page 44

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• Make sure your computer speakers are working or you have dialed into the phone conference so you may hear the presentation.

• After the webinar begins, you will be able to submit questions for the presenter in the “Questions” box in the webinar dashboard.

• When the webinar is over, the moderators will end the program and your webinar screen will close on your computer.

• The next day, you will receive an email from IHS with contact info for the presenter, a link to a survey and a link to the CE quiz.

• If you’d like to submit the CE quiz for continuing education credit or to receive bonus materials, you can download the quiz, fill it out, and send with payment to IHS.

What if I Miss a Webinar?If you couldn’t make it to a live presentation, you can still access the webinar recording from the IHS website. Within a few weeks, the recorded webinar is available at ihsinfo.org. Click on Professional Development, and then Webinars for a full list.

Live webinars are hosted through the IHS website only. You only need a computer, browser, Internet connection and speakers to participate. Choose the webinar you’d like to view, enter the registration information, and the site will bring you to the page with the video recording. You can stop and start the video, so no need to allocate a full hour in your schedule to watch it in one sitting. In fact, if you bookmark the page

with the webinar video, you can go back any time within 30 days. The web site will recognize that you have already registered using that same computer and you can pick up where you left off!

Why Do I Have to Register to Watch a Webinar?It’s important that viewers fill out the webinar registration page fully and accurately for both live and archived webinars.

For a live webinar, Citrix sends you an email with a link to the webinar presentation. This link is UNIQUE to you only. When you click on it, the Citrix system logs you in as having attended the webinar (as opposed to only registering).

Why is this important? Should you choose to submit a CE quiz, you must be able to show that you actually attended the

presentation. It’s not enough to simply submit and pass a quiz. In order to maintain the credibility and viability of our webinar programs and accompanying certification, we must be able to verify that you attended the presentation for which you are applying for continuing education credit or other offered certificates.

If you think you will watch the presentation with co-workers as a group and any of you will be submitting a CE quiz, we recommend that each person still registers individually so at least we have a record of your registration. Then, email [email protected] to let us know you viewed the webinar as a group.

The same goes for recorded webinars. Fill out the registration form with your information and let us know if you watched with a group.

Here is a current list of available archived IHS webinars:

• New HIPAA Rules: What Business Owners Need to Know

• HIPAA Training for Office Staff: How to Comply with the New Rules

• Front Office 101: How to Wow Patients on the First Call

• Front Office 201: Advanced Phone Skills

• Tympanometry: Why It Should Be Used by the Hearing Instrument Dispenser

• Ethics: Exercise (or Exorcise) Legal and Ethical Dilemmas in Your Hearing Healthcare Practice

• How to Avoid the Top Ethics Pitfalls for Hearing Healthcare Professionals

• Ideas, Tips and Strategies to Secure an Initial Appointment

• Winning with Social Media• Modernizing Your Practice

with Social Media and Clinical Best Practices

• Evolving Today’s Marketing Plan for Tomorrow’s Practice

• How to Design an Effective Case History Questionnaire

• Business Plan Strategies for the Hearing Healthcare Professional

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Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Presenter?We know there is so much talent and expertise amongst our membership and we want to tap into it! If you are considering applying to become a webinar presenter, consider the following:

To be a webinar presenter is to volunteer your time and expertise to the Society and the hearing healthcare profession. Some of the benefits to you as a presenter include:

• Further elevate one’s profile as an educator and expert presenter, especially when it comes to digital delivery

• For newer speakers, being a webinar presenter helps you build your speaking credentials and learn how to engage an audience that can’t see you

• Help professionals in the industry gain greater knowledge from your expertise

• Opportunity to showcase your presentation content and skills to chapter decision makers

• Be recognized as an IHS speaker• Gain exposure through promotions

on the IHS website and through promotional emails sent to more than 14,000 subscribers, as well as on our social media sites

• Learn the popular Citrix webinar software platform GoToMeeting/GoToWebinar

• Opportunity to be featured in The Hearing Professional as a writer or columnist

• Reach a wide, international audience of hearing aid specialists, audiologists and their office staff

• Be considered for future IHS event speaking opportunities

Here is what we ask of IHS webinar presenters:• Create a presentation using

the IHS template, or drop your presentation into our template (we can help with this if needed)

• Provide brief bio, blurb about presentation, and a headshot

• Be available for 1 webinar software training session (up to 30 minutes) and 2 practice presentations (1 ½ hrs each), as well as the live webinar (which will be recorded)

• Help provide content for a CE quiz (IHS staff works with you on this)

• With some IHS webinars, we offer bonus materials (such as tools, templates and guides) that people can obtain by sending in their CE quiz with payment. If it makes sense to offer these for your webinar, we ask the presenter to either provide bonus material or work with IHS staff to create it.

Whether or not your state accepts online education CEs toward licensure, IHS webinars are a great opportunity to learn and expand your knowledgebase. IHS webinars are complimentary to attend and a great way to elevate the professionalism of your staff and the industry as a whole. Be sure to visit ihsinfo.org for information on upcoming IHS webinars!

CERTIFICATE OF TRAININGThis document recognizes that

[Attendee Name Here]has attended HIPAA Training for Office Staff: How to Comply with the New Rules,

presented by the International Hearing Society on [insert date here] and successfully passed the accompanying quiz.

This training covered the following learning points: Overview of HIPAA • What constitutes patient health information (PHI) and who must comply • How to maintain patient confidentiality and

ensure compliance with HIPAA • Implications for coail media, office and tech equipment security, and handling of paperwork • What constitutes a breach and steps to take when a breach happens

Executive Director of IHS

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United StatesKathryn D. Abrams—Tilton, NH Edgar J. Aldana—San Diego, CA Trent Anthony—Mansfield, OH Mary Theresa Arnold—Raleigh, NC Joshua A. Asbill—Valparaiso, IN Ryan Nelson Atienza—Minneapolis, MN Caleb A. Auchey, BC-HIS—Mt. Joy, PA Daniel P. Baggott, BC-HIS—Albany, NY Reshma Balmick—Bonita Springs, FL Jay R. Bartholomew—Lady Lake, FL Joy Marie Bastow—Temple, TX Joelle R. Beisel—Louisville, KY Judith B. Belk—Lake Oswego, OR John David Bendt—Saint Augustine, FL Robert R. Bishton, III, BC-HIS—Waterville, NY Austin G. Blakeman—Campbellsville, KY Christopher W. Blanco—Hickory Hills, IL Kathleen R. Bond—Elyria, OH Ashley Nicole Bonds—Birmingham, AL Carol L. Bourbeau—Sarasota, FL Lonnie E. Bowling, BC-HIS—Lacey, WA Juan Manuel Bravo—Ontario, CA Mark Brose—Poulsbo, WA Alex Brown—Greenville, MI Jenny Ann Brown—Hackensack, NJ Kevin Anthony Brown—Cincinnati, OH Robert Charles Brown—Riverside, CA Angela L. Cabrera—Santa Maria, CA Tim Donovan Campbell—Broomfield, CO Byron K. Campisi—Lake Katrine, NY Larry Joseph Cantrell—Lawrenceville, GA Gina Marie Capone—Austintown, OH Kelsie Renee Carnahan—Cincinnati, OH Ryan Carpenter—Cape Coral, FL Cynthia Annette Carter—Kennesaw, GA Augusta Ann Cetnar—Schenectady, NYCharles Ryan Clapper—Cincinnati, OH Tim Cleary—N. Tustin, CA

Matthew J. Cmunt—Hinsdale, IL Kathy J. Colapinto—Marietta, GA Maureen A. Coleman--Santa Fe, NM Tammy L. Coleman--Plant City, FLTommy Alexander Collie—Winston Salem, NC Amy J. Collins—Rochester, NY Kelly A. Conlon—Winter Haven, FL Elizabeth C. Cooper—Cumming, GA Brenda A. Coro—Culpeper, VA James C. Cox—Rochester, MN Leslie A. Cox—Redlands, CA Jay Thomas Craft—Sheridan, WY Martha K. Craine—Newtown Square, PA Emily Colleen Cuya—Potomac, MD Christopher Ryan Dame—Panama City, FL Cindy C. Davis—Overland Park, KS John . Denaro, IV—Rochester, NY Dwight Richard Denton—San Jose, CA Paul G. Dole—Norwell, MA Paul Burton Downhour—Jacksonville, FL Stetson Paul Drolet—Hoffman Estates, IL Sheryl Lyn Emery—Madison, WI Genna M. Englert--Pittsburgh, PA Nicole Thomas Facemire—Charleston, SC Sean Finn—Kansas City, MO Cindy S. Francis—St. Clair, MO Matthew Troy Frisk, CCCA, AUD—Fargo, ND Jake Gamangasso—Salt Lake City, UT Kimberly Michelle Gander—Tampa, FL Marissa Mieko Ganeku—Austin, TX Thomas Shawn Gilliam—Sequim, WA Christina Gordon—Lorain, OH Cherrie Denise Greenwell—Johnson City, TN Thomas P. Groszko—Dayton, OH Priscilla Guardado—Sunland Park, NM Yvonne Marie Hall—Cincinnati, OH Wyatt B. Haney, III—Quitman, GA Hilary Elizabeth Hansch—Fort Dodge, IA Shawn Joseph Harrison—Cincinnati, OH

Cassandra Ann Hartford—Augusta, ME Dawn Marie Hatler—Madisonville, KY Kollin Scott Haws—Decatur, IL Richard L. Herman—Mansfield, OH Brian J. Hill—Cedar Park, TX Norman R. Hindulak—Elyria, OH Michael John Hogue—Goose Creek, SC Douglas S. Holmes—Woodbridge, VA Carol Lynn Holt—Fresno, CA Barbara Horne—Tucson, AZ Gregg D. Ilagan, BC-HIS—Marlton, NJ Lee Ann Jackson—Bozeman, MT Megan M. Jellema—Lady Lake, FL Laura Joan Jeziorski—Las Vegas, NV Tamar Beth Katz—Andover, MA Doreen D. Keator, BC-HIS—Lacey, WA Shawn Michael Keeling—Chicago, IL Raymond E. Kelly, BC-HIS—Ft. Worth, TX Jay H. Kerner—Rutland, VT Okyoung Lee “Linda” L. Ketz—San Jose, CA Steve Key—Woodway, TX Sharon King, BC-HIS—Henderson, NV Bradley C. Kirkpatrick—Jacksonville, FL Eric L. Kochert—Athens, GA Weston Michael Kofford—Orem, UT Sara T. Krueger—Yuma, AZ Peter John Kruse—Douglasville, GA David Steven Kuczewski—Westbrook, ME Nicole Ashly Lambert—Walnut Creek, CA Kristina M. Langlois—Crystal, MI Alex Lee—Westborough, MA Caitlin Marie Letts—New Smyrna Beach, FL Karma Jean Lloyd, ACA—Salt Lake City, UT Elijah Lovejoy—Naalehu, HI Shawn A. MacDonald—Gorham, ME Peter L. MacKenna—Raleigh, NC Yousseet Maisonet—Paterson, NJ Matthew C. Mango, BC-HIS—Toms River, NJ Ryan Stanford Margetts—Hoffman Estates, IL

The IHS extends a cordial welcome to the following new members

New members from June 16, 2013 to September 15, 2013membership matters

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Christine Mark—Mount Joy, PA Pamela J. Marquardt—Elyria, OH Kasey S. Marshburn—Corona, CA Michael Andrew Martin—Cincinnati, OH Trisha Jean Martinez—Ocala, FL Daniel J. Matheny, BC-HIS—Lebanon, OR Samuel A. Matheny—Corvallis, OR Amanda R. May—Auburn, ME Ronald Joseph McDuff—Springfield, MA Jacqueline Vega Mclean—Miami, FL Brett Miller—Grandville, MI Othoniel A. Molina—Frederick, MD Jason Amos Moody—Augusta, ME Kurt Kay Mooney—Orem, UT Verna Sue Morris—Langhorne, PA Rene L. Morten, ACA—Pleasanton, CA Emily Marie Munoz—Cincinnati, OH Anthony F. Nash—Kearny, NJ Ellen L. Nathan—Glendale, CA Beth D. Newton-Veasey—Holderness, NH Caitlin L. O’Doherty—Lockport, IL Thomas S. Olsen—Hoffman Estates, IL Laura Valarie O’Reilly—Pennsburg, PA Rick Orlan—Pinecrest, FL Hunter Blake Owensby—Milton, TN Danielle E. Parrott—Point Pleasant Beach, NJ Tammy A. Payne—Lonsdale, AR Steven M. Pendleton—Layton, UT Thomas J. Petramale—Lake Katrine, NY Darlene Petroski—Woodbury, NJ Mary P. Pomeroy—Corning, NY Jeffrey Robert Preston—Hollywood, FL Steve Pyo—Rockaway, NJ Karla Quillen—Salisbury, MD George T. Ray—Garner, NC Daniel Paul Ressler—Leesburg, FL Sandra Dee Reyes—Sandusky, OH Jim Reynolds—Savannah, GA Carlotta Ann Marie Roberts

Rhoden—Northridge, CA Jeffrey W. Rogers---Cincinnati, OH Benjamin E. Roshko—Saint Paul, MN Jeri Kay Ross—Scottsbluff, NE LaGina Wingate Roy—Jacksonville, FL Tara Michelle Royster—Washington, DC Mojtaba Sadr-Panah—Plymouth, MN Frank Salgado—Apple Valley, CA

Shay Lynn Sandberg—American Fork, UT Coleen A. J. Sanford—Buffalo, MN Phillip M. Satterlee—Rochester, NY CoryAnn Carol Schlueter—Eden Prairie, MN Laura A. E. Schmidtberger—Mililani, HI Chris Michel Schrowe, II—Cape Coral, FL Patrick A. Scully—Matamoras, PA Andrea Seiders—Hutchinson, KS Johnathan Selley—Flint, MI Laurence G. Selsky—Groveland, MA Neal R. Senglaub—Victor, NY Sarah J. Sheeley—Coralville, IA Cynthia L. Short—Freedom, PA Rhonda L. Smith, BC-HIS—Tampa, FL Kristine M. Spencer—Rochester, NH Ken R. Stallons, MS—Omaha, NE Shirley Staniland—Thomaston, GA Todd Daniel Staub—Mechanicsburg, PA Darren Stevenson—Gorham, ME Ashlyn N. Stokes—San Angelo, TX Joel Thomas Surber—Bristol, VA Christen C. Tallas—North Tonawanda, NY Trisha Jefferson Tatman—Lafayette, LA Dib B. Tayar—Chatsworth, CA Kerry A. Tetrault—Naples, FL Kelly Thurber—Oneida, NY Patricia Ann Tomlinson—Cincinnati, OH Manuela Trailer—Chula Vista, CA Christopher Paul Treadaway—Denton, TX Neenah Valenzuela—Sterling Hts., MI Jonathan David Van Scoyk—Safford, AZ Jessica D. Vasas—Palm Beach Gardens, FL David Mark Vasquez—San Francisco, CA John J. Vicenti—Vero Beach, FL Gerald J. Vien, Jr.—Scotia, NY Gerald J. Vien, Sr.—Scotia, NY Marie Wade—Salisbury, NC Chester Jon Walker—Arlington, TX Joseph M. Wallace—Saint Louis, MO Jared Alan Walsh—Hoffman Estates, IL Shelley August Walz, ACA—Roswell, GA Amanda Jean Waradzin—Mohnton, PAPatricia G. Warner—Pensacola, FL Alice Lyn Warren—Ben Lomond, CA David A. Wasiloski—Leetsdale, PATenisha A. Watson—West Palm Beach, FL Mary June Weiss, HIS—Bonne Terre, MO

Douglas Gordon Welsh—Junction City, OR Tyler J. West—Minneapolis, MN Michael H. White, BC-HIS—Madison, IN Robert Brandon Wilkinson—

Hoffman Estates, IL Saundra Berry Williams—Fort Mc Coy, FL Ruby M. Woods—Mechanicsburg, PA Sylvia Wright—Newport News, VA Renee M. Wyman—Rensselaer, NY Meagan E. Zachary—Wolfforth, TX Rebecca Rena Zubis—Fairfax, VT

AustraliaJoon Shin—Meadowbank, NSW

CanadaNancy Chan—Burlington, ONJohn Creedy—Chilliwack, BCCarolyn Ann Marshalsay—Vancouver, BCYasmeen Moghrabi, BC-HIS—Calgary, ABLarissa Margaret Nelson—Lake Cowichan, BCFawn Povelofskie—Williams Lake, BCShelley A. Randall—Niagara Falls, ONNicole R. Ranson—Chilliwack, BCVivienne Saba-Gesa—Etobicoke, ONLindsay C. Shearer—Victoria, BCLisa Simmonds Taylor—Cambridge, ONBenjamin Charles Smits—Trenton, ON

IrelandDonal Keane, BC-HIS—County Kildare

JapanHidemi Abe, Hachinohe—AomoriShinsuke Amano—Okazaki, AichiYukie Anzai—Yokohama, KanagawaHideki Arai—Yokohama, KanagawaShikou Fujimura—Morioka, IwateKazuhiko Fujita—Yokohama-shi, KanagawaYoshikazu Hori—Takamatsu, KagawaMuneharu Imazumi—Kasuga-Shi, FukuokaTaiji Kawachi—Takaraduka Shi, Hyogo

LebanonEliane Elias Chahine—Beirut Rabih Adnan El-Korek—Beirut Mohamad Abdul Hafiz El-Masri—Beirut

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As reported by Kochkin (2011a), “there is a strong relationship between quality hearing healthcare, benefit, and quality of life improvements” when hearing aid specialists provide their best services to hearing impaired individuals (p. 25). Indeed, recent technological and rehabilitative advancements have added an average improvement of 55% in hearing health improvements in current hearing aid users since the advent of Receiver-in-the-Canal (RIC) devices (Kochkin, 2011b).

In this article the reader will be presented three challenging fitting case histories, describing their unique Quality of Life (QOL) features as presented during patient interviews and the dispensing process. Presentation of needs and outcomes are discussed in practical,

psychosocial terms rather than in abstract technical terms so that readers may learn how to verbally express the principles presented in the following vignettes.

Counseling for Quality of Life Improvement

in Problem Hearing Aid Fitting Cases

There is a strong relationship between quality hearing healthcare, benefit, and quality of life improvements.

Max Stanley Chartrand, PhD, BC-HIS(Behavioral Medicine)

Take the quiz on page 55!

Max Stanley Chartrand, PhD, BC-HIS(Behavioral Medicine)

Dr. Chartrand is a longtime member of the International Hearing

Society, and has served in manufacturing, research and development, and private practice dispensing over the past 37 years. Profoundly deaf, he utilizes a multichannel cochlear implant, assistive technology, and coping strategies to overcome significant communication challenges. Contact: [email protected].

practice management

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Vignette #1Johnny Johnson, 42, married with two children, is a new hearing aid user who just received his Power Receiver-in-the-Ear (RIC) devices with custom-fitted vented receiver inserts. As his audiometric profile (figure 1) suggests, he will still experience some difficulty with aided speech discrimination in quiet, and marked poor aided speech discrimination in noise (Hornsby, 2011; Cox, et al., 2011). His telephone and television listening will also still be lacking without utilization of assistive technologies. In earlier trials with traditional BTE/conventional earmold configurations alone he was hampered in all of these situations, including own voice (mechanoreceptor) occlusion and lower-than-expected loudness growth intolerance. Hence, until this latest fitting, he had given up in past trials because of these recurring limitations. Furthermore, he has had no experience with assistive technologies or coping strategy training. He works as a full-time stocker at a local supermarket. He complains that although he has been with the company for more than 18 years he has never been promoted because he cannot hear in meetings, interact with customers, or respond to overhead

announcements from the PA. He would like to be considered for a managerial position, if only he can overcome the communicative barriers and speech impediment that hinder his familial, social, and vocational interactions.

Vignette #2

Sarah Davis, 82, is a long experienced monaural hearing aid user (right ear only) who has always wanted to be able to enjoy binaural function (see figure 2). Head shadow effect, lack of good speech-noise and spatial function have ever limited her ability to function in public. Her dispenser fit her with a binaural set of new hearing aids-- moderate power custom canal on the right and high power full-shell In-the-Ear on the left--that demonstrated significantly improved speech-in-noise function and spatial localization in binaural state. She was offered Behind-the-Ear (BTE) devices, but because of a long history with custom devices she preferred to stay with what she was already familiar. Living alone, she has long desired to broaden her activities and social circle, but has lacked confidence

because of the reasons listed above. Also, in her case, she exhibits considerably poor dexterity and balance issues. The latter issue has now been addressed, but the dexterity issues remain an ongoing quest.

Vignette #3Kenneth Gomez, 62, is a successful businessman who purchased his first set of hearing aids at the insistence of his wife and children. In addition to a bilateral mild-to-severe high frequency sensorineural loss, he also suffers from moderate tinnitus, hypertension, and high stress levels in his work. He knows he “misses a few things”, but does not see the need for hearing aids, in spite of the fact that his hearing in noise ability is very poor. He was fitted with a binaural set of Receiver-in-the-Canal (RIC) instruments with dual microphones and noise reduction technology. His wife and family are quite pleased, but the “jury is still out” as far as he is concerned. He wonders aloud, for instance, if he is hearing any better with them than without them in quiet. His unaided and aided speech discrim scores in quiet @60 dBSPL are 78% and 82%, respectively, using the traditional the PB-word list (all or nothing) scoring methodology. Under this discrim grading

continued on page 50Figure 1 Figure 3

Figure 2

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strategy he appears to have little speech discrimination improvement in a quiet listening, yet his performance in noise demonstrated marked improvement.

Distinctly Different Fitting ChallengesOften new hearing aid users exhibit heightened expectations of hearing aid correction that can cause them to feel that aided outcomes are less than optimal. This, in turn, can create demands for unnecessary reprogramming, remakes, and credit returns, especially in cases like Vignette #1, where there are significant physiological and acoustic limitations built into the equation (Chalupper & Kasanmascheff, 2008). Corner audiograms not meeting the criteria for cochlear implantation can particularly pose challenges that amplification alone cannot surmount.

Vignette #2 can evoke almost endless post-fitting training sessions, if certain measures are not taken early in the delivery process due to dexterity issues. And the population aligned with Vignette #3 often requires reassurances and outcome measures that are not demonstrated in traditionally graded

PB discrim scores. In other words, the advantages of the critical yet elusive high frequency range, not so evident in quiet, close-up listening, will be much more evident in distance listening, speech-in-noise, and in cognitively challenging situations.

Perception MattersThe chart below depicts an overlay of patient audiograms and their progressive timeline averages from the baseline of first realization from more than 3,300 files in the author’s practice from the

late 1970s through the 1990s. It is noted that perceptions of problems resulting from those in realization years 1-5 tend to advance from passive to active forms of denial as thresholds decline over time (Chartrand, 1998).

Those in awareness years 6-20, relative to severity of loss and left to their own internal references, tend to bring varying degrees of sense of urgency in recognizing the markedly negative impact on life quality. However, this population almost always came with unrealistic expectations of what they felt technology alone should be able to accomplish in resolving those negatives in first time hearing correction (Saunders, Lewis & Forsline, 2009; Chartrand, 2012).

Without compensatory use of Assistive Technology (captioning, Bluetooth, infrared, FM, signaling, etc.) for situational and large-area listening) and training in Coping/Repair Strategies (lighting, positioning,

Hertz (Hz)

NOW

2 YRS

5 YRS

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20 YRS

Dec

ibel

s (d

B)

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2030

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8090

100

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speechreading, etc.), many of those in years 6-20 audiometric profiles experienced significant communicative challenges even in aided state.

Therefore, it is doubtful that patient and family expectations can be met with amplification alone in the more severe losses. Each case will be different, of course, but it behooves the alert professional to take note of these challenges during Case History taking, and not to wait until negative experiences demand additional help in meeting expectations. This will mean bringing up the strong possibility of these resources to supplement amplification correction in the initial interview (Chartrand, 2007).

QOL Outcomes: Vignette #1Of the three vignettes, #1 presented the greatest challenges. Handled properly, though, this profile also held the highest potential in terms of quality of life improvements. Education, career advancement, and satisfying social relationships had suffered markedly during the life of this individual. Corner audiograms and dramatic precipitous losses with cochlear dead spots-- growing dramatically in terms of prevalence in the larger population-- have ever been the most challenging of all audiometric/psychosocial profiles (Minnesota Deaf/Blind Project, 2013; Cox et al., 2011). In addition, there is a direct correlation between degree of hearing impairment and annual income, which could further define a chief concern in a case history like this one (Chartrand, 2009).

Without proper pre- and post-counseling on the part of his dispenser, his experience

could have been a repeat of past failed trials. But with appropriate assistive devices and training in effective coping strategies introduced early in the evaluation and post-fitting process, his experience turned out to be a resounding success by any standard.

Hence, Mr. Johnson enjoyed communicative wholeness with his new Power Receiver-in-the-Canals (RIC) hearing aids by supplementing with Caption Call on his home and work telephones, Blue Tooth® on television, FM systems for large area listening, an adjustable-tone alarm clock for home and travel, and making it a point to strategize listening positions for optimal advantage at social, work, and home settings (Hearing Loss Association; 2013; Larsen et al., 2009; Chartrand, 1999).

Likewise, he was able to overcome own-voice complaints, speech-in-noise barriers, and psychosocial invisibility that once interfered with his aided condition (Chartrand, 2007). This time, his time with family and friends has become more enriched than ever before.

At work, he was soon promoted to Assistant Manager, became a coach of his son’s soccer team, and he and his wife were able to go on that dream vacation to Hawaii they always wanted. And if, in the future, his loss advances into cochlear implant candidacy territory, he will be amply ready (Edwards, 2013).

QOL Outcomes: Vignette #2Eighty-two year-old Sarah Davis brought a completely different set of challenges to the table. Dexterity and cognitive issues come to the fore. Just putting the hearing

aids in at the start of each day and taking them at night were challenges for her. Over the years she has struggled along with the single custom canal in her better ear, and now two devices, though badly needed, presented more need to receive better post-fitting training than before.

Consequently, Mrs. Davis needed remedial training to help her take full advantage of the new opportunities to expand her social life, and stop being so socially invisible to those around her. The post-fitting rehabilitation program made to order for Mrs. Davis is HATP, acronym for a protocol designed by the author some years ago titled Hearing Aid Training Protocol (Chartrand, 2006). HATP is “especially designed to help elderly users overcome the challenges… for which handling the hearing aids is a persistent problem”.

It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss HATP use in any detail, but the reader is referred to the resources found at http://www.audiologyonline.com/articles/effectiveness-hearing-aid-manipulation-training-1024. Utilization of this training protocol empowered Mrs. Johnson to develop confident handling of her hearing aids and various assistive devices that supplement her hearing when in difficult listening situations.

continued on page 52

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Hearing binaurally gave her the self-confidence to also frequent the local Senior Center and community functions. She now knows how to use the FM Listening System at church, and telecoil/loop system in public meetings when such are available (McCarthy & Roeser, 2013). “All I was doing before was sitting at home watching TV,” she reports. “Now, I go anywhere I want to go, and have the confidence to make friends and speak my mind when I want.”

QOL Outcomes: Vignette #3This new user finally came to grips that he, indeed, possessed an aidable hearing loss. But it was not until his family pointed out how much more relaxed he was, that he exhibited a newfound sense of humor that was changing his life for the better.

Gone was that ever-present pained expression on his face while he strained to hear friends at a social gathering, anxiously glancing at his wrist watch, and other signs that signaled frustration and impatience. His tinnitus aggravation became less bothersome as a result of residual inhibition and environmental masking realized from his wide-band hearing aids (Chartrand, 2004). His hypertension moderated significantly, and his workday is immensely less stressful.

But being the businessman he is, he still wanted his dispenser to provide some measures that actually demonstrated improvements in speech understanding, both in noise and in quiet. To assuage

doubts that his new open-ear RICs were helping him with improved speech discrimination, the dispenser utilized the Phoneme Recognition QuickTest as described by John K. Duffy (Chartrand, 1999).By breaking down the single-syllable phonetically balance words of the speech discrimination test into three phonemes, comparing the correct phonemes in aided versus unaided state, his discrimination in quiet and noise demonstrated a clear improvement.

On a practical level, he could now take down a name and telephone number over the telephone without error, and respond to conversation at distances and converse in a less effortful manner in noise. With less stress in his life, he realized that better hearing did indeed mean better life quality.

ConclusionRecognizing and talking about QOL effects of hearing loss that negatively impact an individual’s life during the Case History taking and throughout the hearing aid fitting process are essential ingredients of best fitting practices. These potentially include not only communication breakdown, but also stress, health factors, memory and cognitive decline, spatial dysfunction, occupational/economic limitations, psychosocial effects, impaired relationships, and tinnitus aggravation (McCarthy & Roeser, 2013).

Leaving expectations strictly within the communicative arena, for instance, prevents a frank assessment of the

wider universe of realizable benefits of amplification that users could be enjoying. Furthermore, forgetting these very real, but less evident benefits could serve to discourage some candidates from accepting needed help for their hearing loss (Kochkin, 2013).

Likewise, leaving out an introduction to the wide array of assistive technologies and coping strategies available to hearing impaired individuals can potentially place unrealistic expectations of what can be achieved by hearing aid amplification alone. Hearing aid users need a wider vision of how the hearing health and communicative challenges might be overcome through hearing improvements.

The subjects of this article are real cases and are representative of the majority of those seen on a daily basis in hearing aid practices everywhere. In the studied opinion of this author, there has never been so many in need of hearing services as there are today. Nor has there been such a wonderful array of solutions, at all economic levels, as there is today. Indeed, lives can be truly changed for the better with a comprehensive auditory rehabilitation program that considers quality life issues of the individuals and families involved.

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References Chalupper, J., Kasanmascheff, R. (2008). Maximizing Speech Intelligibility for Open Canal Fittings. Retrieved July 2, 2013, from http://www.audiologyonline.com/articles/maximizing-speech-intelligibility-for-open-906.

Chartrand, M.S. (1998). Average timelines from perceived first realization in progressive hearing loss. From the CE Course titled “Psychosocial Effects of Hearing Impairment: Perception vs Reality”, Aural Rehab Concepts.

Chartrand, M.S. (1999). Hearing Instrument Counseling: Practical Applications in Counseling the Hearing Impaired, 2nd edition. Livonia, MI: International Institute for Hearing Instruments Studies.

Chartrand, M.S. (2004). Tinnitus Retraining Therapy and Concepts of Amplification. Retrieved on September 15, 2013 from http://ihsinfo.org/IhsV2/hearing_professional/2003/020_March-April/030_Tinnitus_Retraining.cfm

Chartrand, M.S. (2005, June). Effectiveness of Hearing Aid Manipulation Training for Elderly Hearing Aid Users. AudiologyOnline. Retrieved on September 25, 2013 from http://www.audiologyonline.com/articles/effectiveness-hearing-aid-manipulation-training-1024.

Chartrand, M.S. (2007). An Exploration of Psychological and Physiological Causes of Failure to Fit. Retrieved, June 10, 2013, from http://

www.audiologyonline.com/articles/exploration-psychological-physiological-causes-for-940.

Chartrand, M.S. (2012). Resolving Problem Hearing Aid Fitting Cases. DigiCare Hearing Research & Rehabilitation. Retrieved on September 10, 2013 from http://www.digicarehearing.com/im-here-to-learn-more/our-library/for-hearing-health-professionals/item/27-resolving-problem-hearing-aid-fittingcases.

Cox, R., Alexander, G., Johnson, J., Rivera, I. (2011). Cochlear dead regions in typical hearing aid candidates: Prevalence and Implications for use of high frequency speech cues. Ear & Hearing 32(3), pp. 339-348.

Edwards, C. (2013). Reflections on Counseling: Families and Hearing Loss. Retrieved on September 20, 2013 from http://www.advancedbionics.com/content/dam/ab/Global/en_ce/documents/libraries/SupportLibrary/Newsletters/Loud%20and%20Clear/Reflections%20on%20Counseling.pdf.

Hearing Loss Association (2013). http://www.hearingloss.org/content/join.

Hornsby, B. (2011). Dead Regions and Hearing Aid Fitting. Retrieved on June 2, 2013, from http://www.audiologyonline.com/ask-the-experts/dead-regions-and-hearing-aid-35. Kochkin, S. (2011a). Patients report improved quality of life with hearing aid usage. Hearing Journal, June, 64(6). Retrieved on August 10, 2013 from http://www.betterhearing.org/

pdfs/M8_Hearing_aid_benefit_quality_of_life.pdf.

Kochkin, S. (2011b). MarkeTrak VIII: Mini-BTEs tap new market, users more satisfied. Hearing Journal, 10(2): 12-34.

Kochkin, S. (2013). The Impact of treated hearing loss on quality of life. Better Hearing Institute, http://www.betterhearing.org/aural_education_and_counseling/articles_tip_sheets_and_guides/hearing_loss_treatment/quality_of_life_detail.cfm.

Larsen, V. D. et al. (2009). Efficacy of 3 commonly used hearing aid circuits: a crossover trial. Journal of the American Medical Association, 284(14): 1806-1813.

McCarthy, P., and Roeser, R. (2013). Hearing Loss Counseling (Auditory Rehabilitation). Retrieved on September 24, 2013, from

http://www.betterhearing.org/hearing_loss_treatment/hearing_loss_counseling/index.cfm.

Minnesota Deaf/Blind Project (2013). Genetic/Congenital Syndromes. http://www.dbproject.mn.org/ushersyndrome.html.

Saunders, G.H., Lewis, M.S., and Forsline, A. (2009). Expectations, Pre-Fitting Counseling, and Hearing Aid Outcome. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 20(5):320-34. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19585963.

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Costco is an equal opportunity employer and a drug- and alcohol-free workplace.13AB0904A 5/13

To Apply

Contact Tammy Clark at [email protected] Or, visit audiologyonline.com/Costco

Why CostCo?• More than 69 million members and growing• High quality products at an incredible value• Competitive, non-commission wages• Phenomenal benefits package • Full-time and part-time positions at locations nationwide

BE part of somEthing ExCEptional! noW hiring liCEnsEd hEaring aid profEssionals

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Name ���������������������������������������������������������������������������

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City ���������������������������������� State/Province ����� Zip/Postal Code ���������

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Professional and/or Academic Credentials ����������������������������������������������

Please check one: ☐ $29.00 (IHS member) ☐ $59.00 (non-member)

Payment: ☐ Check Enclosed (payable to IHS)

Charge to: ☐ American Express ☐ Visa ☐ MasterCard ☐ Discover

Card Holder Name ����������������������������������������������������������������

Card number ���������������������������������������������� Exp Date���������������

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COUNSELING FOR QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENT IN PROBLEM HEARING AID FITTING CASES✁

IHS Continuing Education Test1. The type of audiometric configuration that

BEST describes Mr. Johnson’s case would be a a. gradually sloping high frequency loss b. reverse loss c. corner audiograms d. flat loss e. none of the above

2. Which of the following sensory/motor aspects represent Mrs. Davis’ MAIN challenges in accommodating binaurally fitted hearing aids?

a. dexterity/tactile b. visual/spatial c. gustatory d. olfactory e. auditory

3. To complete the auditory rehabilitative program for hearing aid users, the Hearing Aid Specialist must consider:

a. assistive devices as needed for situational listening/alerting

b. training in coping strategies c. speechreading training d. HATP is needed for many elderly users e. all of the above

4. Outcomes of hearing aid fittings must include the accommodation of which of the following Case History-revealed challenges?

a. workplace and education challenges and goals

b. corrosive effects on personal and familial relationships

c. hearing-related stressors on one’s mental and physical health

d. all of the above e. none of the above

5. Duffy advocates utilizing which kind of Monosyllabic Speech Discrimination scoring method to show incremental improvements in aided hearing over unaided hearing when an objective picture is not obtainable through traditional scoring:

a. all or nothing scoring method b. the Phoneme Recognition QuickTest method c. percentage incorrect d. percentage correct e. none of the above

6. When assistive technologies and training in coping strategies are left out of the hearing aid dispensing process:

a. the patient does well without the devices or strategies in every case

b. serious hearing losses can miss out in various listening situations

c. too much of the burden for quality of life improvement can be placed on the hearing aids

d. a & c are correct e. b & c are correct

7. From the Vignettes in this article, the reader may conclude that the most important part of the hearing evaluation to be the:

a. pure-tone tests b. speech testing c. middle ear assessment d. case history e. masking

8. When hearing above 2,000 Hz is missing in the individual’s audiometric profile, which technologies and strategies can best fill the gaps in communication:

a. FM, Bluetooth, Telecoil/Loop b. closed captioning, caption call telephone c. adjustable tone alarm clocks,

flashing light alarms d. speechreading, coping & repair strategies e. all of the above

9. Quality of Life (QOL) issues due to long-standing hearing loss affect:

a. hearing impaired individuals b. their social circle c. their community d. their workplace and school e. all of the above

10. According to Chartrand, those suffering from progressive sensorineural loss at years 6-20 from baseline of first realization, tend to

a. advance from passive to active forms of denial as thresholds decline over time

b. bring varying degrees of sense of urgency in recognizing the negative impact on life quality

c. have unrealistic expectations of what can be accomplished with hearing aids alone

d. b & c e. all of the above

For continuing education credit, complete this test and send the answer section on the next page to:

International Hearing Society • 16880 Middlebelt Rd., Ste. 4 • Livonia, MI 48154•  After your test has been graded, you will receive a certificate of completion.•  All questions regarding the examination must be in writing and directed to IHS.•  Credit: IHS designates this professional development activity

for one (1) continuing education credit.•  Fees: $29.00 IHS member, $59.00 non-member. (Payment in U.S. funds only.)

Answer Section(Circle the correct response from the test questions above.)

1. a b c d e

2. a b c d e

3. a b c d e

4. a b c d e

5. a b c d e

6. a b c d e

7. a b c d e

8. a b c d e

9. a b c d e

10. a b c d e

(PHOTOCOPY THIS FORM AS NEEDED.)

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In September 2013, IHS launched the much-anticipated computerized International Licensing Examination for Hearing Healthcare Professionals to eligible test candidates in the state of Florida. “It’s been a long project, but we finally did it,” exclaimed Joy Wilkins, IHS’ Director of Professional Development. The computerized delivery alleviates the difficulties of exam scheduling and proctoring by government employees and members of the licensing board. The new format also allows us to regularly update the exam, increase its quality and timeliness as well as deliver results to the licensing bodies more quickly.

Following the licensing board’s certitude of eligibility, the candidate will receive an email message from IHS with instructions on how to schedule an exam appointment. First, each candidate must create a test-taker account in the online examination

system. The test-taker account is verified by IHS within 3 business days. Then the candidate may schedule and pay for the examination. The candidate narrows down the list of testing centers by choosing a country, province or state, and city. The list of qualified testing centers and facility hours is then displayed and the candidate chooses when and where he/she wishes to take the examination. All of this is easily completed online.

IHS provides each candidate with a study guide for the licensing examination. Wilkins explains, “The purpose of this study guide is to help the candidate prepare for the International Licensing Examination for Hearing Healthcare Professionals. Candidates will become familiar with some of the various question formats utilized on the exam.” The study guide does not provide the actual test questions contained in the

The Computer-based Licensing Exam is Here!

professional development

The computerized International Licensing Examination for Hearing Healthcare Professionals has been launched!

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examination, but familiarizes candidates with the different question types and competency areas that will be tested.

In many states & provinces, the International Licensing Examination for Hearing Healthcare Professionals fulfills one of the requirements needed in the professional licensing process. It assists these state and provincial licensing bodies in their responsibility to identify entry-level professionals whose knowledge and clinical skills meet or exceed basic expected professional standards.

The examination is practice-based, meaning that candidates are expected to understand and apply, analyze and evaluate

experiences in their everyday professional work. Each exam question will provide a scenario or information to consider and apply knowledge of processes, relationships, etc., to solve a problem or devise a solution in the given situation. Examination questions are drawn from, and referenced to the recommended reference materials in the study guide.

On the date of the examination appointment, the candidate will arrive and show proper identification to the proctor at the testing center. Candidates will be given two (2) hours to complete the examination. Once the candidate submits his online examination, IHS is notified of its completion. Results are not

provided to the candidate immediately. Next, IHS notifies the licensing board of the candidate’s examination results. The state or provincial licensing body determines if the candidate passes or fails the examination and informs the candidate of the determination. Candidates will not receive examination results directly from the International Hearing Society.

The examination is confidential and it will be made available to the candidate, solely for the purpose of assessing the candidates’ proficiency level in the hearing healthcare professional skill areas. To protect the integrity of the examination, candidates are prohibited from disclosing the contents of this examination,

including, but not limited, to questions, form of questions, or answers, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means (i.e. verbal, written, electronic) to any third party for any purpose.

Now that the computer-based examination is ready and in the marketplace, IHS will work with each licensing body to transition to the computerized delivery. Eventually the paper-and-pencil examination will be eliminated from use. At this time, licensing bodies should be changing rules, regulations and statutes to reflect the new delivery format, if required by law.

DistanceLearningCourse

InternationalLicensing

Examinationfor

Hearing HealthcareProfessionals

RecommendedReading

Materials

StudyGuide

PracticalExperience

TrainerManual

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The new Trainer Manual which was recently launched at the IHS convention in September, is the culmination of two year’s effort by leaders of the International Institute for Hearing Instruments Studies (IIHIS) the International Hearing Society education committee. The new manual is an essential tool for those who train apprentices. The initiative was launched to standardize the training of apprentices, providing an education built on the core competencies of the hearing aid dispensing profession.

The curriculum aligns to the IHS Distance Learning for Professionals in Health Hearing Science course. The manual is organized into four progressive units: Unit I: The Human Ear, Unit II: Audiometric Testing, Unit III: Hearing Instruments

and Unit IV: Hearing Instrument Fitting. Throughout the manual, there are competency based training objectives to be mastered, proficiency reviews, practical skills checklists and assessments.

IHS Launches the Trainer Manual to Standardize Training of Apprentices

professional development

Mentors and apprentices now have a new resource for training.

By Patricia Connelly, PhD, CCC-A, Audiologist, Valley Hospital Center for Child Development

Patricia Connelly, PhD, CCC-A

Pat Connelly received her master’s in audiology from Wayne State University and her PhD in audiology from

Michigan State University. She is a pediatric audiologist at The Valley Hospital’s Center for Child Development in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Connelly served on the New Jersey Hearing Aid Dispensers Examining Committee for six years and was President of the New Jersey Association of Hearing Health Professionals for four years. She chairs the International Institute of Hearing Instrument Studies.

The Trainer Manual was very well received at the 62nd Annual IHS Convention & Expo in Washington, D.C.

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IT HAS ARRIVED…

Organized lesson plans, detailed tasks, photos, charts, evaluation forms, competencies, code of ethics… and more!

Successfully lead apprentices toward competency in hearing instrument sciences.

Designed for professionals training Hearing Aid Specialist apprentices, this manual: • Is a step-by-step training plan • Follows the flow of the workbook for the IHS Distance Learning course • Is mapped to the competency model for the licensing exam

Prolapsed or Collapsed Canal

As the ear ages it can lose elasticity resulting in the sagging of the skin in the external canal. The skin is soft and can be pulled aside with an ear light or otoscope.

Testing should be done with insert earphones to ensure that the canal remains open.

If the canal is collapsed by headphones, you will get the appearance of a greater loss in air conduction scores.

Excessive / Impacted Wax

Unable to see a clear view of the TM.

The most common cause of conductive hearing loss

Requires medical removal before testing

Foreign Object

Any object in the ear that is not meant to be there

Requires medical referral

Bony Exostosis

Usually associated with swimming in cold water

A bony nodular appearance of the external ear canal

Can range from minimal to an almost full

closure of the external canal

Requires a medical release to fit as it is an

abnormal condition

Do not confuse with stenosis (a narrowing of the canal)

Any Polyp, such as growths on the canal wall

Medical referral required

Otitis Externa

Canal is red and inflamed

Can be swollen in appearance

Medical referral required

9

Outer Ear and Disorders of the Outer EarTrainer Instructions: Listed below are specific topics that need to be taught by the trainer. The trainee must be able to explain the term and/or demonstrate the procedure or comprehension of each specific item listed.

Sound transmission through the ear

Acoustic

Mechanical

Hydraulic

Electro-chemical

The Outer Ear

The outer ear is important for impression taking

Comfort of earmolds and custom hearing instruments are related to the outer ear

Pinna gathers sound and directs it to canal

Bridge and Brace Technique

Show proper method accepted by your state

Bridging in the inferior-posterior section is NOT sufficient for proper bracing

Landmarks of a Healthy TM

The umbo

Cone of light

Manubrium

Abnormalities of the External Ear Canal

Atresia

Not likely to be our patient. In many cases, treatment would be with a BAHA when pinna is absent or badly deformed

Congenital due to the failure of the pinna and/or ear canal to form normally during gestation

Subject could have a normally functioning inner ear and hearing nerve

8

THE ALL-NEW TRAINER MANUAL

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!Members $279 • Non-Members $299

Visit www.ihsinfo.org/trainermanual or call (734) 522-7200

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IHS recognizes and endorses two ways that individuals can enter the field of hearing aid dispensing. One is the traditional educational approach which requires that a degree in applied hearing instrument sciences be earned from an academic program. The other approach is the one most widely used in the United States and in countries where the profession is just emerging, that is, the workplace model or apprentice training. Academic programs provide an integrated curriculum that fosters skill development through organized learning and laboratory exercises. Best practices require that the workplace model meet the same standard of training as the academic model.

The Trainer Manual provides a step-wise approach to learning and training that has not been previously available. The public and other interested parties can now be assured that an educational standard has also been applied to practitioners whose professional preparation came through the workplace training model. In this way,

all hearing aid specialists can practice according to the nationally recognized standards, the core competencies of the profession. The ultimate goals are two-fold: first, to improve patient/client outcomes irrespective of which path a person took to enter the profession; and second, to ensure the continuation of independent practice through the workplace model.

The content of the Trainer Manual is mapped to the competency model of the IHS International Licensing Examination for Hearing Healthcare Professionals. This exam, which is used by 39 U.S. states and 4 Canadian provinces, assists the licensing

body in its responsibility to determine if a candidate has demonstrated sufficient competency to be eligible for a license. Competency based training provides the trainer with a roadmap for teaching the knowledge and skills necessary for safe and successful entry-level practice. It allows for a highly individualized learning process by focusing on the outcome of training. The outcomes of training are measured by an assessment, that is, the evaluation and documentation of a trainee’s progress. The manual is a benefit both for the trainer and the apprentice – each will improve as they invest in each other. Ultimately, the manual provides a pathway for successfully leading apprentices towards competency in hearing instrument sciences.

To learn more about the Trainer Manual and the Distance Learning for Professionals in Health Hearing Sciences course please visit our website at www.ihsinfo.org/trainermanual. IHS Members will receive the member discount rate.

Convention attendees pour over the just-released Trainer Manual

On the Horizon….

IHS staff along with a special taskforce, are currently working on updating the Distance Learning for Professionals in Hearing Health Sciences course. The new course will be streamlined into a single student workbook and a single textbook and will be professionally edited. The updated course content will map to the competency model of the International Licensing Examination for Hearing Healthcare Professionals.

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Deborah leaves behind a legacy in hearing health that anyone would be proud of. She became involved in the industry in 1993 near Raleigh, NC. She was 100% committed to the profession, and was a tremendous advocate for all hearing professionals and the hearing impaired.

Deborah immediately joined the North Carolina Association of Hearing Care Professionals (NCHCP) where she shared her goals and led the Association to many accomplishments. She served in every Board position and chaired numerous committees, with her main emphasis on education.

Deborah served as President of the NCHCP from 2001 to 2004. Times were trying and legislation concerns rampant when Deborah took the reins. Her calm and focused leadership helped the organization become Chapter of the Year in 2006 by the International Hearing Society (IHS). She became an IHS member in 1996.

Deborah helped found The Mid-Atlantic Hearing Care Conferences. She saw the importance of states in the same region sharing their thoughts and ideas. She ensured participants would receive excellent education during the conferences.

Deborah’s focus on education and her commitment to excellence led her to become Board Certified in Hearing Instrument Sciences, (BC-HIS) on September 24, 1998. As soon as Deborah stepped down from her role as President of the NCHCP, in 2004 she was elected as a director for the National Board for Certification in Hearing Instruments Sciences (NBC-HIS). Her leadership skills were recognized immediately by the NBC-HIS Executive Council. They elected her Secretary/Treasurer in 2004. Deborah served in that position until elected Vice-Chair in 2010. She served as Vice-Chair from 2011-2012. She was elected to Chair of NBC-HIS in 2012. Shortly after she took over this leadership role she had to resign due to illness.

When Deborah joined the NBC-HIS Executive Council, the organization was experiencing operational issues. NBC-HIS had separated from IHS in 2000, and was experiencing growing pains. Deborah spearheaded some major changes in the organization and got the organization on solid footing. She played a major role in the simultaneous transition of a new Executive Director and accounting firm.

Deborah was a passionate hearing aid specialist who constantly sought improvement and excellence for herself and her colleagues. She earned our respect through her actions. In essence, she walked her talk. Deborah’s compassion, integrity, and work ethic earn her a place among the exceptional in our field. Her contributions will have a life-long impact on the hearing health industry. She is truly missed by all who knew her.

A Fallen LeaderNBC-HIS Pays Tribute to Deborah G. Twisdale, BC-HISMay 6, 1952 – April 21, 2013

Tribute authorsGay Davis, BC-HIS, Member NCHCPClell Hamm, BC-HIS, Member NCHCPLinda Jackson, Executive Director, NBC-HIS

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professional developmentThe International Hearing Society encourages your participation in the following listing of approved courses for continuing education.

Date City, State Course Title Education Provider# of CE Credit More information

Course List for 2013-2014

November11/14-11/15/13 Mashantucket, CT 2013 New England Healthcare Conference Massachusetts Hearing Aid Society 8 [email protected]/1-12/31/13 Various Cerumen Management Alan Lowell Seminars, LLC 6 [email protected]/1-12/31/13 Various NBC-HIS Pre-Exam Seminar Alan Lowell Seminars, LLC 15 [email protected]/1-12/31/13 Various Tutorial for New Dispensers Alan Lowell Seminars, LLC 3 [email protected]/1-12/31/13 Various State Licensing Pre-Exam Seminar Alan Lowell Seminars, LLC 15 [email protected]/1-12/31/13 Various Medical Errors Alan Lowell Seminars, LLC 2 [email protected]/1-12/31/13 Various Florida Laws & Rules Alan Lowell Seminars, LLC 2 [email protected]

5/16-12/31/13 Various From Resistance to Acceptance: The Path to Better Hearing AmplifonUSA 3 www.amplifonusa.com

1/6-12/28/13 Various Advanced Hearing Instrumentation Technology: Survey, Programming, Fitting Strategies audifon hearing systems 2 www.audifon.com

1/6-12/29/13 Various Medical Errors: The 3 R's audifon hearing systems 2 www.audifon.com

1/10-12/31/13 Various Continuum of Care: Implantable Hearing Solutions for Your Patients Cochlear Americas 3 www.cochlear.com

1/22-12/31/13 Various Intro to Baha: What Professonals Need to Know Cochlear Americas 2 www.cochlear.com2/8-12/31/13 Various HHII 2013 Seminar A Hearing Healthcare Instructional Institute (HHII) 10 www.hhii-ceu.com2/8-12/31/13 Various HHII 2013 Seminar B Hearing Healthcare Instructional Institute (HHII) 10 www.hhii-ceu.com2/8-12/31/13 Various HHII 2013 Seminar A & B Hearing Healthcare Instructional Institute (HHII) 20 www.hhii-ceu.com

3/1-12/20/13 Various Advances in Bone Anchored Hearing & the Ponto System Oticon Medical, LLC 2 [email protected]

1/15-12/31/13 Various Unitron TrueFit Software Training Unitron Canada 1 Contact your Unitron sales rep1/15-12/31/13 Various 360 Product Training Unitron Canada 1 Contact your Unitron sales rep1/15-12/31/13 Various Moxi 3G Product Training Unitron Canada 1 Contact your Unitron sales rep1/15-12/31/13 Various Latitude Product Training Unitron Canada 1 Contact your Unitron sales rep1/1-12/31/13 Various The Best Solution for Children Widex USA, Inc. 4 www.widexusa.com1/1-12/31/13 Various Welcome to Widex - Wireless Solutions Widex USA, Inc. 2 www.widexusa.com1/14-12/31/13 Various Widex Dream: True to Life Sound Widex USA, Inc. 4 www.widexusa.com6/1-12/31/13 Various Case Studies: Patient Management Widex USA, Inc. 3 www.widexusa.com

January 2014

1/10-1/11/14 Wisconsin Dells, WI 2014 Wisconsin Alliance of Hearing Professionals Annual Meeting Wisconsin Alliance of Hearing Professionals 10 www.wahpinfo.org

1/16-1/18/14 Las Vegas, NV 2014 Hearing Innovation Expo Starkey Hearing Technologies 20 www.starkey.com/1/17-1/18/14 Madison, MS MHAA Annual Continuing Education Seminar Mississippi Hearing Aid Society 10+ [email protected]

1/24-1/25/14 Lake Mary, FL 15th Annual Southeast Regional Continuing Education Workshop Audina Hearing Instruments, Inc. 16 www.audina.net

1/24-1/25/14 Baton Rouge, LA Annual Convention Louisiana Society of Hearing Aid Specialists TBD www.lshas.com/

February 20142/27-3/2/14 Blue Springs, MO Missouri Hearing Society Annual Meeting Missouri Hearing Society TBD www.missourihearingsociety.org

March 20143/6-3/8/14 Couer d'Alene, ID 42nd Annual Tri-State Convention Tri-State Hearing Convention 12 www.tristatehearingconvention.org3/13-3/15/14 Harrisburg, PA 2014 Mid-Atlantic Hearing Expo Mid-Atlantic Hearing Expo 10 Bob Stewart (717) 238-4331

April 20144/4-4/5/14 Norman, OK Central States Conference on Hearing Oklahoma Hearing Aid Association 12 www.ohaaonline.org

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63

Date City, State Course Title Education Provider# of CE Credit More information

November11/14-11/15/13 Mashantucket, CT 2013 New England Healthcare Conference Massachusetts Hearing Aid Society 8 [email protected]/1-12/31/13 Various Cerumen Management Alan Lowell Seminars, LLC 6 [email protected]/1-12/31/13 Various NBC-HIS Pre-Exam Seminar Alan Lowell Seminars, LLC 15 [email protected]/1-12/31/13 Various Tutorial for New Dispensers Alan Lowell Seminars, LLC 3 [email protected]/1-12/31/13 Various State Licensing Pre-Exam Seminar Alan Lowell Seminars, LLC 15 [email protected]/1-12/31/13 Various Medical Errors Alan Lowell Seminars, LLC 2 [email protected]/1-12/31/13 Various Florida Laws & Rules Alan Lowell Seminars, LLC 2 [email protected]

5/16-12/31/13 Various From Resistance to Acceptance: The Path to Better Hearing AmplifonUSA 3 www.amplifonusa.com

1/6-12/28/13 Various Advanced Hearing Instrumentation Technology: Survey, Programming, Fitting Strategies audifon hearing systems 2 www.audifon.com

1/6-12/29/13 Various Medical Errors: The 3 R's audifon hearing systems 2 www.audifon.com

1/10-12/31/13 Various Continuum of Care: Implantable Hearing Solutions for Your Patients Cochlear Americas 3 www.cochlear.com

1/22-12/31/13 Various Intro to Baha: What Professonals Need to Know Cochlear Americas 2 www.cochlear.com2/8-12/31/13 Various HHII 2013 Seminar A Hearing Healthcare Instructional Institute (HHII) 10 www.hhii-ceu.com2/8-12/31/13 Various HHII 2013 Seminar B Hearing Healthcare Instructional Institute (HHII) 10 www.hhii-ceu.com2/8-12/31/13 Various HHII 2013 Seminar A & B Hearing Healthcare Instructional Institute (HHII) 20 www.hhii-ceu.com

3/1-12/20/13 Various Advances in Bone Anchored Hearing & the Ponto System Oticon Medical, LLC 2 [email protected]

1/15-12/31/13 Various Unitron TrueFit Software Training Unitron Canada 1 Contact your Unitron sales rep1/15-12/31/13 Various 360 Product Training Unitron Canada 1 Contact your Unitron sales rep1/15-12/31/13 Various Moxi 3G Product Training Unitron Canada 1 Contact your Unitron sales rep1/15-12/31/13 Various Latitude Product Training Unitron Canada 1 Contact your Unitron sales rep1/1-12/31/13 Various The Best Solution for Children Widex USA, Inc. 4 www.widexusa.com1/1-12/31/13 Various Welcome to Widex - Wireless Solutions Widex USA, Inc. 2 www.widexusa.com1/14-12/31/13 Various Widex Dream: True to Life Sound Widex USA, Inc. 4 www.widexusa.com6/1-12/31/13 Various Case Studies: Patient Management Widex USA, Inc. 3 www.widexusa.com

January 2014

1/10-1/11/14 Wisconsin Dells, WI 2014 Wisconsin Alliance of Hearing Professionals Annual Meeting Wisconsin Alliance of Hearing Professionals 10 www.wahpinfo.org

1/16-1/18/14 Las Vegas, NV 2014 Hearing Innovation Expo Starkey Hearing Technologies 20 www.starkey.com/1/17-1/18/14 Madison, MS MHAA Annual Continuing Education Seminar Mississippi Hearing Aid Society 10+ [email protected]

1/24-1/25/14 Lake Mary, FL 15th Annual Southeast Regional Continuing Education Workshop Audina Hearing Instruments, Inc. 16 www.audina.net

1/24-1/25/14 Baton Rouge, LA Annual Convention Louisiana Society of Hearing Aid Specialists TBD www.lshas.com/

February 20142/27-3/2/14 Blue Springs, MO Missouri Hearing Society Annual Meeting Missouri Hearing Society TBD www.missourihearingsociety.org

March 20143/6-3/8/14 Couer d'Alene, ID 42nd Annual Tri-State Convention Tri-State Hearing Convention 12 www.tristatehearingconvention.org3/13-3/15/14 Harrisburg, PA 2014 Mid-Atlantic Hearing Expo Mid-Atlantic Hearing Expo 10 Bob Stewart (717) 238-4331

April 20144/4-4/5/14 Norman, OK Central States Conference on Hearing Oklahoma Hearing Aid Association 12 www.ohaaonline.org

May 2014

5/15-5/17/14 Louisville, KY 22nd Annual Mid-America Conference on Hearing Mid-America Conference on Hearing 10 www.

midamericaconferenceonhearing.org

Online

1/1-12/31/13 Online The 12-Step Closing Process & Handling Objectives PHASE Seminars, LLC 2.5 [email protected]

1/1-12/31/13 Online The "P" Principles PHASE Seminars, LLC 0.5 [email protected]

1/1-12/31/13 Online Anatomy & Physiology of the Tympanum PHASE Seminars, LLC 3 [email protected]

1/1-12/31/13 Online Mastering Instrument Fittings & Post Fitting Visits PHASE Seminars, LLC 3 [email protected]

3/19-12/31/13 Online Ethics & Professionalism PHASE Seminars, LLC 2.5 [email protected]

3/19-12/31/13 Online Resolving "Own Voice" Complaints in Dispensing Practice PHASE Seminars, LLC 3 [email protected]

3/19-12/31/13 Online Alzheimer's & Hearing Loss: A New Paradigm in Hearing Health PHASE Seminars, LLC 3.5 [email protected]

5/15-12/31/13 Online Multimodal Tinnitus Management PHASE Seminars, LLC 4 [email protected]

7/16-12/31/13 Online Introduction to Widex Zen Therapy Widex Canada, Ltd. 1 www.widex.ca

7/23-12/31/13 Online Widex Zen Therapy: Adjustment Based Counseling & Cognitive Behavioural Intervention Widex Canada, Ltd. 1 www.widex.ca

7/30-12/31/13 Online Zen: Not Just Another Sound Generator Widex Canada, Ltd. 1 www.widex.ca

11/22/13 OnlineBeyond the Hearing Aid Industrial Hearing Protection & Personal Audio Devices for Musicians & Music-Lovers

Starkey Canada 1

2/12/14 Online Pediatric Hearing Aid Fittings: An Intro to Oticon Sensei & Easy RECD Oticon Canada 1 [email protected]

3/5/14 OnlineNew Innovations in Hearing Aid Technology for Children & Teens: Advancements in Blue Tooth Connectivity Using Streamer Pro

Oticon Canada 1 [email protected]

Date City, State Course Title Education Provider# of CE Credit More information

IHS wishes you a happy and healthy

holiday season!

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64

Soundbytes

CongratulationsAlissa Parady has been promoted from Manager to Director of Government Affairs at IHS. Parady is responsible for the significant IHS projects launched in the last year, including the Fit to Serve initiative and authoring the first IHS piece of federal legislation. She is responsible for the Advocacy & Government Relations Department and will continue to expand her federal and state projects while further building strategic relationships with key government bodies, research groups, and allied associations.

ATA Executive DirectorIn August The American Tinnitus Association (ATA), based in Portland, Oregon, announced that Cara James will be its new Executive Director

and lead its mission to find a cure for tinnitus. Before joining ATA, Ms. James was the founder and Executive Director of Bola Moyo, an international nonprofit organization working in Malawi, dedicated to empowering and improving the health and lives of youth in Africa. She has served on the Board of Jubilee Oregon, a nonprofit advocacy organization focused on decreasing poverty in the world and

earned her B.A. in Communications from California State University, Chico.

“I am both humbled and honored to have the opportunity to lead such an important organization,” said James. “With tinnitus increasing as a serious health condition in various at-risk populations, like veterans, musicians and even children and teens, there is tremendous potential to help these patients and to grow ATA’s services and impact globally. I look forward to working with ATA’s Board of Directors, staff and supporters in the coming years to raise awareness of ATA and the ever growing necessity to find a cure,” she said.

Michigan Chapter Hosts First-Time Event

The Michigan Alliance of Hearing Care Professionals (MAOHCP) held their annual fall conference on October 11-12th at the beautiful Soaring Eagle

Casino and Conference Center in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. MAOHCP President Aaron Toth, ACA, BC-HIS, welcomed more than 80 attendees and 13 vendors. Presenters included Sergei Kochkin, PhD; Tom Tedeschi, AuD; and IHS Central East Territory Governor Susan Waite, BC-HIS. Toth noted, “This was the first event we’ve done like this in the last 10 years. This year, we changed our name

from the Michigan Hearing Aid Society to the Michigan Alliance of Hearing Care Professionals in order to re-energize our organization and to move us forward in a new and exciting direction, much like the way IHS did. We could NOT have pulled this event off and made it such a resounding success without the help from IHS! We’ve already reserved the first weekend of October next year at the Soaring Eagle and if our responses are any indication, we believe next year’s event will grow substantially!”

Top Position for BoppIHS congratulates Andy Bopp in his promotion from Director of Government Relations to Executive Director of the Hearing Industries Association (HIA) in Washington, D.C. Carole Rogin, MA, will remain president of HIA and Bopp will assume responsibility for HIA’s regulatory and statistical programs and other special member initiatives.

The Hearing Industries Association (HIA) is the national trade association of manufacturers of hearing aids, assistive listening devices, component parts, and power sources. Together, these companies produce the vast majority of the over 2 million hearing aids that are purchased in the United States on an annual basis.

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Oticon’s First Virtual Launch

Oticon recently held the company’s first virtual launch event to introduce Oticon Nera, Oticon’s newest mid-level hearing solution, on October 7th. More than 2,200 hearing care professionals logged on for the live streaming event that achieved the company’s goal of reaching more professionals, more efficiently, and in a manner that not only informed but also engaged online participants. The event was staged similar to a network talk show and allowed easy transition from on-site discussion to off-site visits to Denmark for a message from Oticon A/S President Soren Nielsen and a tour of Oticon’s state-of-the-art Custom Labs in Somerset. Nera and its benefits were unveiled with the support of expert commentary; videos; and give-and-take interaction with both the live audience in Somerset, New Jersey, and from viewer posts and tweets from across the country.

Save the Date!

Our next annual gathering of hearing healthcare professionals will take place in lovely Palm Springs, California, at

the luxurious Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa on September 18-20, 2014. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us next year for the 63rd Annual IHS Convention & Expo!

HearStrong Honors Champions

September 27th marked the first time the HearStrong Foundation celebrated two champions at two different ceremonies in two different states in one day. The foundation, joined by basketball legends Tom Hoover and Albert King, honored Joshua McGriff at Oticon in Somerset,

New Jersey. With the assistance of his hearing devices, Joshua was able to not only lead his high school team in blocks, rebounds, and scores, but also represented the U.S. as a member of the men’s basketball team at the 2013

Deaflympics in Bulgaria. In the evening, the foundation honored Bradley Peterson in DuBois, Pennsylvania. Bradley is a high-school junior who overcame his hearing loss to live his dream of playing on his school’s football team. HearStrong has honored many HearStrong Champions from across the country for their perseverance in overcoming their hearing loss and inspiring others to do the same since its founding in January of 2013 in Syracuse, New York.

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classifieds

Email classified ad copy to [email protected] or fax to 734.522.0200. The ad rate is $.99 per regular word and $1.15 per boldface or all-capped word with a minimum rate of $50.00. There is an additional charge of $20 for boxed ads. For additional information call 734.522.7200.

Classifieds

THE HEARING PROFESSIONALCLASSIFIED ADVERTISING GETS RESULTS!

Business Ownership Opportunities Available

Are you satisfied with your current work in the hearing healthcare industry? Would you consider an opportunity to improve your position- professionally, personally, financially?

Miracle-Ear is currently seeking entrepreneurial-minded licensed professionals to own and operate Miracle-Ear franchises in AR, AL, CA, HI, MO and OK. A Miracle-Ear franchise enables you to be an independent business owner with the support of Miracle-Ear® the most recognized hearing aid brand nationwide and supported by Amplifon, the global leader in hearing aid distribution.

In addition, Miracle-Ear provides:

• National marketing leads

• Exclusive territories

• Comprehensive local marketing tools and support

• Industry-leading systems

• Exclusive innovative products

• Competitive Cost of Goods

• Shared best practices

These business opportunities won’t last long! For more information call 763-268-4053, e-mail [email protected] or visit us online at www.miracle-ear.com/franchiseinformation.

our cliniciansare the heart

of avada

Apply online at www.avada.com, or email your resume and letter of interest to [email protected].

Your response will be held in confidence.

Avada Hearing Care Centers has been in business for decades in our local markets. Here Today, Here Tomorrow.

Hearing Care Centers

• Hundreds of Locations• Competitive Salary• Bonuses• Comprehensive Benefits• Advancement Opportunities

Frasier Enterprises LLC, a Miracle-Ear Franchise is growing throughout the country and is looking for top level sales professionals to join our team. We are in the business of improving lives through better hearing. Miracle-Ear has been the leader in our industry for over 60 years and our franchise is over 20 years old. We have locations in East Bay CA, NY, MA, CT, NE, IA, KY, IN, VT, ME, IL and WA. We are a profitable, stable company with a solid vision for our future. (All states require licensing and some college credits.) We will help provide all training to become licensed.

You can expect:➢ $400/ week training salary for 2 months / $400 week draw against

commissions➢ 401K / 25K life insurance➢ 50% healthcare, dental and vision coverage➢ Promotional trips, incentives➢ Aggressive national and local advertising using multi-layered target

marketing via TV, direct mail, newspaper, etc.➢ Fully equipped professional office with existing patient base

Position SummaryThe Hearing instrument Specialist is responsible for the identification and rehabilitation of the hearing impairment including determining the appropriateness and benefit of amplification. This is a great opportunity for high achievers to learn a new industry that is poised to take advantage of advancements in technology within the growing hearing aid market.

If you wish to help us improve the quality of life of others, we want to hear from you. Email Resumes to [email protected] or Fax 518.736.2285

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MIRACLE-EAR &

YOUa sound business opportunity

Our target market is huge and expanding. Nearly 35 million Americans have a hearing loss, and that number is growing daily as baby boomers experience the consequences of aging and exposure to noise.

this OppOrtunity has never been better. Only one in four hearing-impaired individuals has received hearing help. At the same time, hearing aid technology has advanced tremendously, spawning new interest in amplification.

Are you ready to own a business and be your own boss? There’s never been a better time to explore a “sound business opportunity” with Miracle-Ear®! Consider what’s happening in the hearing health care industry:

©2013 Miracle-Ear, Inc. 15173NATA

miracle-ear is ideally pOised tO help yOur business. Miracle-Ear supports your entrepreneurial spirit with cutting-edge products, powerful marketing, proven IT systems, strong brand recognition and effective training— all the ingredients you need to make the most of this unprecedented opportunity.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TODAY!Contact Miracle-Ear at 877-301-0842, email [email protected] or

visit us online at www.miracle-ear.com/franchiseinformation.This advertisement is not an offer of a franchise. In some states, a franchise offering can only be made by first filing a prospectus with the applicable state. Filing does not constitute approval by the state. Minnesota Registration #F-1032

I’m not reinventing the wheel here; I now have a lot of tools and resources at my disposal that allow me to duplicate patterns of success. You’re not going to find that in any other business as an independent. Manufacturers don’t share tools and resources that really make your business grow.

ben norris, Franchise Owner Joined Miracle-Ear in 2012 with 5 stores in Grand Rapids, MI market

1 3

2

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To learn more about Board Certification, visit us online at www.nbc-his.com or call 734.522.2900

Hearing is a precious gift. Each patient entrusts that gift to the quality and proven expertise of a hearing healthcare provider. There is no greater reassurance to a patient than knowing their provider has taken the initiative to excel beyond the normal requirements for operating a hearing instrument dispensing practice.

outstanding skills and professional expertise.

Be the Best.

BC-HIS