Summary: A hearing clinic in Florida partnered with Widex as part of its Community Giveback Day and gave a young patient with otosclerosis a free pair of Widex hearing aids.
Key findings:
- Strengthening communities: Through a collaboration between Citrus Hearing Clinic and Widex’s Community Giveback Day program, a local patient was able to receive modern hearing aids, highlighting the clinic’s commitment to giving back to the community.
- Tailor-made customization and technology upgrade: Through precise fitting techniques and the use of the latest Widex hearing aid technology, the clinic ensured that the patient experienced a significant improvement in her hearing.
- Comprehensive support and information: The clinic provided comprehensive training and aftercare to ensure the patient was able to get the most benefit from her new hearing aids and improve both her professional and personal life.
Citrus Hearing Clinic in Clermont, Florida, announced its collaboration with Widex as part of the company’s Community Giveback Day, a component of the Partners in Excellence for You program that gives hearing care professionals the opportunity to gift a free pair of Widex hearing aids to a member of their local community who otherwise could not afford them.
“Knowing our close relationship with Widex, our sales representative took the time to explain the program in detail, and we are so happy she did,” says audiologist Teresa Parsons, AuD, CCC-A, F-AAA, of Citrus Hearing Clinic. “Just by fitting Widex hearing aids, which we do every day, we are able to give back to our community, and that is something we are truly passionate about here at Citrus Hearing Clinic. We are changing lives by equipping patients with the best hearing aid technology possible.”
Hearing aid for otosclerosis patients
The chosen recipient for her contribution to Widex Community Giveback Day was existing patient Sierra Janae. Janae is still in her twenties and has been a long-time hearing aid user due to otosclerosis, a form of abnormal bone growth in the middle ear that causes progressive hearing loss. She already wore Widex hearing solutions, but the devices were nearly four years old and inherited from a family member who had worn them previously. She wanted to upgrade, but as a young professional still working on her career, she lacked the funds.
“When I received the notification that I was the recipient of the donation, I had just started my career and was finishing my studies. I was close to tears of gratitude,” she says.
Parsons added: “Sierra is already a fan of the sound quality that Widex is known for, but she reached a point in her life where she could not afford a new device. Although her old Widex hearing aids were still functional, we knew she would benefit tremendously from the technology upgrade.
A tailor-made customization experience
Parsons used a Sensogram to measure Janae’s hearing thresholds at different frequencies to ensure a more precise fit and minimize the need for fine-tuning. This was combined with Real Ear Measurements (REM), which measure the sound pressure level created when a hearing aid is worn in the ear and ensure the device has the correct gain. She then also discussed the training and resources available to Janae to get the most out of her Widex hearing aids.
“Many people think you just put the devices in your ears and you’re good to go,” says Parsons. “That’s actually less than the bare minimum you can do to help a patient succeed with hearing aids. So, like all of our patients, we paid a lot of attention to Sierra, explaining all the great features of the Widex app, the different cleaning requirements and more. We knew how life-changing this would be for Sierra, so we wanted to make sure she was set up for the best experience possible.”
A comprehensive hearing test and adjustment
Citrus Hearing Clinic provided Janae with a comprehensive hearing test and fitting experience, as well as 45 days of free follow-up appointments.
She says she noticed an immediate improvement with the Widex Moment hearing aids and Parsons feels fortunate to have been part of this exciting opportunity.
“Sierra noticed a noticeable difference immediately and had dinner at a busy restaurant right after our appointment. It was amazing for us to see how excited she was to enter an environment that can be really challenging for people with hearing loss,” says Parsons.
Janae now wears her Widex Moment hearing aids every day, both at home and in the office. “They allow me to communicate effectively at work and at home without the constant ‘huh?’, ‘can you repeat that?’ and ‘excuse me, say that again?’ that I constantly get from people around me,” says Janae. “Not to mention, I love the Zen mode when I’m at work and need to concentrate without the constant tinnitus noises!”
Community Giveback Day is made possible through the Widex Partners in Excellence for You program, which provides healthcare providers with access to a range of tools and resources that improve their efficiency, increase their impact in their communities and accelerate the growth of their practices. Interested healthcare providers can participate in the program to gain the knowledge, confidence and tools they need to succeed in the ever-evolving world of audiology and underscore the value of clinical expertise and excellent care.
“Ultimately, you go into audiology to help people – and participating in Widex Community Giveback Day allows us to really help those in need,” says Parsons. “The opportunity to make a difference and give back to the community is one of the pillars on which we run our practice, and that will continue to be the case with many more Community Giveback Days to come.”
Photo: Teresa Parsons, AuD, CCC-A, F-AAA, from Citrus Hearing Clinic
