Better hearing care

Choosing any kind of healthcare provider can be confusing and sometimes even a little misleading. Most people might not know what they are supposed to look for when it comes to receiving the best care, especially for their ears. 

Sarah Curtis, Au.D., audiologist and founder of Sounds of Life Hearing Center, wants to spread the word about how to find a hearing practitioner who will put in the work to help patients achieve their goals, answer their questions, and make them feel good about their hearing health in a beneficial and accessible way. 

The first step in the right direction is knowing the difference between a licensed audiologist and a hearing instrument specialist (HIS). Both can conduct hearing tests and fit hearing aids, but audiologists have an extensive education with a doctoral Au.D. degree. This degree includes approximately 2,000 hours of clinical experience while in school, plus credit hours that include human anatomy, pediatrics, geriatrics and more, giving them the expertise to figure out the diagnosis, create a treatment plan and make the appropriate referrals if needed. 

Next is getting to know the provider by doing some research, seeing what others have to say about them and learning about their services from their website. “It is important to note their educational background and avoid places that hand out coupons because it could be a bait-and-switch situation,” Dr. Curtis says.

The time a practice takes with patients can also tell a lot about its values and makes all the difference between someone providing care and someone trying to sell something. Are they trying to get to the root of the issue and schedule follow-ups to assess progress, or are they sending patients on their way after one fitting?

“It is so important we focus on asking the right questions, listening to our patients and identifying the true problem or problems they are having,” says Dr. Curtis. She also wants to highlight the importance of practitioners who can check their egos at the door with the ability to say, “I don’t know” and believes referring a patient to someone else who does know not only underscores their integrity but also their commitment to optimal care and guidance. 

“When the audiology students who study here start with us, I tell them that when they leave here the most important thing that they can know is what they don’t know,” she explains. “Because if you don’t know what you don’t know, you’re dangerous.” 

In the end, the goal isn’t to have all the answers but is instead to work together as a team to give care that makes a difference. Another way to show that is by talking with a patient on their level, using language that can be easily processed and understood. Technical speech might look good on paper, but it is useless if no one can follow it. 

Something else to consider is the relationship practitioners establish with their patients as well as their standing within the community. Do they get to know the people they treat and their families and value their time?

“You know, when I started my practice back in 2018, it was because I saw so many good, talented, well-educated and well-intentioned audiologists, me included, being forced to do fast audiology,” says Dr. Curtis, who stresses that while these practitioners and technicians are still brilliant, certain environments that are more fast-paced may not allow them to truly meet a patient’s needs. “I decided to to start a practice where we take care of the patient. The patient is first all the time.”

Sounds of Life Hearing Center gives back to the community by being one of few providers in the area that accepts Medicaid. The team also works with the Lake County Free Clinic doing pro bono hearing tests for those who may not be able to afford it or are uninsured and offers financial assistance through the practice’s nonprofit because equitable health care is part of the mission.

“I want every audiologist who works for me, every student who works for me and every person who represents my practice to make sure every patient knows how important they are,” says Dr. Curtis. 

For the outstanding team at Sounds of Life Hearing Center, every patient is exceptional, and they want to be exceptional for every patient—because they know what exceptional hearing care looks like, what it can do for a patient’s confidence and how it changes their quality of life for the better. 

Sounds of Life Hearing Center

8003 Auburn Road, Suite 4, Concord Township

440-579-4085

SoundsOfLifeHC.com