Loud and Clear

Today’s hearing aids can do more than just enhance sound. Robert Pavlik, Jr., owner of Brookway Hearing Center, reveals how advanced technologies like Bluetooth are dramatically changing the way his clients connect with the world around them.

By: Ken McEntee
Date: 05/20/2009
If you’re experiencing a gradual loss of hearing, chances are your family members will notice it before you do. That’s why it’s a good idea to bring them along when you have your hearing checked by someone who is a board certified in Hearing Instrument Sciences like Robert Pavlik, Jr.

Robert, co-owner of Brookway Hearing Center, in Strongsville, invites your family to meet his family.
Brookway is clearly a family business. Robert’s wife, Michelle, is the co-owner. His mother, Joyce, greets visitors as the secretary and receptionist, and his father, Robert Sr., handles the books and ties up loose ends. Even his soccer-playing triplets are a fixture in the office, albeit as foot-tall cardboard cutouts who keep watch from atop a file cabinet.

“We asked Mom to help out temporarily, but I guess she’s stuck here now,” Robert laughs. “Working with family creates a comfortable atmosphere and I think the patients pick up on it, too. We want to make them feel as though they are at home when they visit.”

Realizing the frustration that hearing loss already causes, Robert says he intentionally spreads his appointments to give each patient sufficient time for personalized care.

“In a lot of places you’re like a number waiting to get in, then you’re shuffled in and out,” Robert laments. “We keep the wait to a minimum, then take plenty of time to do proper testing and adjustments of a hearing aid. It’s kind of like sitting down and talking with a neighbor over drinks. Except without the drinks.”

Proper adjustment is important, he says. Unlike the putty-like amplifiers of a generation ago, many of today’s hearing aids are high-tech digital devices that can be specially programmed to meet not only the needs, but also the wants, of the wearer.

“Not only is everybody’s hearing ability different, but so is the way they want to hear,” Robert says. “While driving, for example, one person wants to hear the noise of the road. Another driver doesn’t. Today’s hearing aids can be set according to that preference. Many of today’s hearing aids are so technologically advanced, they can be digitally programmed to accentuate specific sound frequencies—like a spouse’s voice. It’s like wearing a graphic equalizer in your ear.”

By carrying hearing aids from 11 different manufacturers, Robert ensures that he has the perfect product for each person and for every budget.

“Most places handle one or two manufacturers,” he says. “By offering more choices, we give our patients more bang for the buck. Of course we offer no-cost lifetime service for all hearings aids we sell.”

This month, Brookway will be one of three exclusive hearing centers in Ohio to pre-release the brand new Passport hearing aid from Unitron. Passport’s innovations include unprecedented control over listening preferences, wireless remote control programming, and Bluetooth connectivity, which means it will pick up your Bluetooth compatible cell phone or listening device.

When you visit Brookway, you start with a complimentary hearing screening. And it isn’t as simple as raising your hand when you hear the beep through the headset.

The computerized test simulates real-life situations, like a quiet conversation, the noise you hear while riding in a car, or pushing a loud lawn mower.

Robert, a Strongsville resident, opened Brookway after working for almost seven years at other hearing centers.
In appreciation of the community’s support of Brookway, Robert is planning a patient appreciation cookout this summer. Keep your ears open for more details.

To schedule a complimentary, no-pressure hearing screening at Brookway, you can call 440-572-9929. Brookway Hearing Center, located at 12202 Pearl Road, in Strongsville, across the street from the Staples Plaza, is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Evening and Saturday hours are by appointment. You can visit the website at www.brookwayhearing.com for more information.

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