Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/334922
OTO INSIGHTS: AN INTERVIEW WITH JOSH MILLER, OWNER, AUDIBEL HEARING Q Mr. Miller, what is the background of your firm — what year founded, how many locations? A: Audibel is a national firm, founded in 1969, with locations across the United States. I am the owner of the Syracuse Hearing Aid Center, DBA Audibel, here in Central New York. We have three convenient locations. Q In our present-day, media-rich world, do you see special challenges to hearing well? A: Yes, absolutely. With the prevalence of music, concerts and poorly fitted headphones, caring for hearing loss begins at a younger age. We have seen the average age of our clients go down significantly over the past decade. Hearing loss can mean loss of employment, loss of communication skills and a definite impact on the quality of life. It used to be that a 45-year-old person had a very negative view of hearing aids, something only for "old people." We have to retrain our brains to deal with the problems. You would not walk around for years on a broken leg; in the same way, people need to learn to deal with this problem in a timely manner. Q Hearing loss is a major health concern in our society. How do you take your message to consumers? A: Many people do not realize that hearing loss is the No. 1 birth defect in the United States. Five in every 1,000 children are born with some degree of hearing loss. Our firm works to reach out and pass along the good news that there are solutions. We attend public events, such as county and state fairs, that allow us to show people firsthand why they may need our services (free hearing screenings). This also allows us to overcome any inherent stigma that may be associated with going to "the office" for testing. We are willing to subject our equipment and methodology to just about the worst environment to test hearing — crowds and ambient noise — because we are confident we can help them. Q I know your firm believes in community and giving back. Can you give us an example of how you do that? A: We are definitely sensitive to giving back to our com- munity and nation. We work in conjunction with the Starkey Hearing Foundation to provide hearing aids to underprivileged children in the United States and elsewhere. Whenever someone purchases a hearing aid from Audibel locally, our firm, in cooperation with the Starkey Hearing Foundation, provides a free hearing aid for someone less fortunate. We are also part of the Clinton Global Initiative, working to provide 1 million hearing aids to people in need within this decade. Q H ow do e s th e p ro ce s s work with a physician referral? A: Part of each patient referral's information kit is a HIPAA release for patients' information to be shared with their doctors. We feel very strongly that there should be open communication. We also prioritize physician referrals and get them in for evaluation within a day or two. We appreciate the trust shown by the physician and try to take personal care of all referrals. In the near future, we are working with cutting-edge technology like iPhone interactive hearing aids and Invisibel aids, which are virtually undetectable. Josh Miller is the owner of Audibel Hearing Aid Center in Central New York. For more information, Miller is available at 315-452-1600 or www.audibel.com. ■ 1 0 | Central New York MD NEWS ■ M D N E W S . CO M