Grand Rounds Series - Complex Adult Hearing Aid Cases

Catherine Palmer
PhD

Catherine Palmer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Science and Disorders at the University of Pittsburgh and serves as the Director of Audiology and Hearing Aids at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center including the UPMC Children’s Hospital.  Dr. Palmer conducts research in the areas of auditory learning post hearing aid fitting, the relationship between hearing, cognitive health and health outcomes, and matching technology to individual needs.  She has published over 80 articles and book chapters in these topic areas as well as provided over 100 national and international presentations. Dr. Palmer teaches the graduate level amplification courses at the University of Pittsburgh and serves as Editor-in-Chief of Seminars in Hearing. 

Lori Zitelli
AuD

Audiologist

Lori Zitelli joined UPMC as an audiologist in 2012. She received her clinical doctorate in Audiology from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a part-time lab instructor at the University of Pittsburgh and teaches a Clinical Procedures Lab for first year AuD students. Her special interests include amplification, tinnitus/decreased sound tolerance evaluation and treatment, clinical education, clinical research, and interventional audiology.  She is an active fellow of the American Academy of Audiology.

Virginia Milne
AuD

Ginny Milne joined the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center as a Clinical Audiologist in 2010 and became a Clinical Lab Instructor with the University of Pittsburgh in 2011. She received her undergraduate degree from Case Western Reserve University and doctorate at the Northeast Ohio AuD Consortium. Dr. Milne’s special interests include hearing aid selection and fitting, auditory processing disorders in adults, and clinical education and supervision.  Dr. Milne currently teaches the Clinical Procedures Lab for the second year AuD students and focuses one semester on vestibular testing and the other on hearing aids.

Benjamin Boss
AuD CCC-A

Dr. Benjamin Boss is a clinical audiologist at UPMC Eye and Ear Institute. He completed his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh in 2010 and his Doctor of Audiology degree at Arizona State University in 2014. Dr. Boss has been practicing at UPMC since 2014. His specialties include cochlear implants, tinnitus retraining therapy, hearing aids, and diagnostic testing.  

Corrine B. Pfaff
AuD

Corrine B. Pfaff, Au,D., joined UPMC in 2015 at the Horizon (Hermitage) office. She currently practices at the Monroeville location. She received her bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from The Pennsylvania State University and her master’s degree and doctorate of audiology from University of Pittsburgh. She is a member of the American Academy of Audiology, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Her special areas of interest include diagnostic testing, hearing aid fittings and aural rehabilitation.

Megan E. Keirans
AuD CCC-A

Megan Keirans, AuD earned her Bachelor of Science in speech-language pathology and audiology from Northeastern University in Boston, MA and her Doctor of Audiology from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Her areas of interest include diagnostic testing, hearing protection, clinical education, and adult amplification services. She completed her clinical externship year with UPMC at the Eye and Ear Institute Center for Audiology and Hearing Aids and has been with UPMC as a clinical audiologist at the St. Margaret Hospital location since 2016.

Brad Stach
PhD

Senior Staff Audiologist, Division Head, Henry Ford Health System

Brad A. Stach, Ph.D. is Director of the Division of Audiology, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, of the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. He also serves as a faculty member and Advisor of Audiology Clinical Education at Wayne State University Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.Dr. Stach is the author of a number of scientific articles, books, and book chapters and is the Audiology Editor-in-Chief for Plural Publishing.

Chelsea Conrad
AuD

Audiologist, Henry Ford Health System

Chelsea Conrad, Au.D is a senior staff audiologist at Henry Ford Health System.  She completed her AuD at the University of Wisconsin. Following completion of the externship at Henry Ford Health System in 2015, Dr. Conrad worked as a cochlear implant audiologist at University of Michigan Health System.  Dr. Conrad rejoined the Henry Ford Health System in 2018. Her clinical areas include amplification, cochlear implants, and diagnostics.  In addition to clinic, Dr. Conrad is also a part-time lecturer at Eastern Michigan University. 

Erica Bennett
AuD, PhD

Senior Staff Audiologist, Clinic Coordinator, Henry Ford Health System

Erica Bennett, Au.D, Ph.D is a senior staff audiologist at Henry Ford Health System. She earned her AuD and PhD from the University of Wisconsin. She completed her externship at Henry Ford Health System and has been working as a clinical audiologist there since 2017. Her clinical areas include amplification, cochlear implants, and diagnostics.  In addition to clinic, Dr. Bennett is also the research coordinator for the Audiology department and helps facilitate ongoing research projects. She is an active member of the American Academy of Audiology and is a member of their research initiatives committee.

Lindsey E. Jorgensen
AuD, PhD

Lindsey Jorgensen is an associate professor at the University of South Dakota and is a Research Audiologist for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Sioux Falls, SD as well as in Pittsburgh, PA. She is also a clinical supervisor and has a research interest in the interaction between cognition and cognitive changes, hearing loss and hearing assistive technology.

Jessica Messersmith
PhD

Jessica J. Messersmith is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of South Dakota (USD).  Her current line of research focuses on clinical practices in the cochlear implant clinic and improving the outcomes of children with cochlear implants through these practices.  She also serves as past president of the South Dakota Speech Language Hearing Association.

Marni Johnson Martin
AuD

Agelia Stout
AuD

Agelia Stout is a clinical audiologist who serves pediatric, adult and geriatric populations at West River Ear Nose and Throat. She performs audiologic testing, hearing aid fittings, cochlear implant candidacy and programming, and osseointegrated candidacy and device fitting. In addition to diagnostics and treatment of hearing loss, a large role of her position consists of educating and counseling patients and their families. She received her AuD from the University of South Dakota in 2018.

Ashley Price
BS

Ashley Price is currently enrolled in the University of South Dakota AuD program. She is expected to be awarded her doctoral degree in 2020. She currently serves as a research graduate assistant and works on the Health Resources and Services Administration grant for South Dakota Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Collaborative. 

Michelle Novak
BS

Michelle Novak is currently enrolled in the AuD program at the University of South Dakota. She is expected to receive her doctoral degree in 2021.