Interview with Robert M. Traynor, Ed.D., MBA, Audiology Associates, Inc., & University of Florida, Gainesville

CAROLYN SMAKA: This is Carolyn Smaka from AudiologyOnline, and today I'm speaking with Dr. Bob Traynor, who is our guest editor for our virtual conference in practice management coming up June 13 - June 17 entitled Bridge Over Troubled Water. Dr. Traynor, I'm so pleased that we get to work with you for this conference. Thanks for being here today.

ROBERT TRAYNOR: Thanks for having me.

SMAKA: Let me ask you: when we approached you to put together this conference, how did you come up with the current agenda?

TRAYNOR: Well, when we talked last year we were deep within the recession and business was off, significantly. I had also opened a new clinic in another community, where I wasn't known very well, and business was pretty slow. So as I thought about planning this series, I began to think about how things have changed in audiology private practice over my last 37 or 38 years that I've been in business. The way in which we need to look at our clinics, our professional ethics and the way we go about running a business is quite a bit different than it was back in the late '70s when many of us opened our practices.

I completed an MBA a few years ago and although accounting was never my strong suit, I wanted to consider how the economic situation is impacting us in our practices.

There are a lot of economic variables that affect our practices that I hadn't thought about. For example, we buy most of our products from overseas. As the dollar declines, we pay more for our products and therefore we have to raise our fees to our patients to continue in business. I'd also have calls from marketing companies, and they would ask, "Do you anticipate the new recession to be a major issue for your practice?" That question hit me hard, because back in the recession of the early '80s, my practice was extremely busy. Until the question was asked, I hadn't thought about the difference in the economic situation now versus then. I'll talk about these issues in my presentation for the virtual conference entitled Economics: Shark Repellant for the Future.

The other thing I had to consider when planning this series, is that even with the downturn in the economy and the changes today, there are some practices that are doing very well. They're thriving and they haven't really changed what they do very much in the last number of years. An old friend of mine, Dr. Gene McHugh, has had a private practice in Colorado Springs for 25 plus years. When I talked to him about what he does that makes his practice successful, he said that his plan is not to change anything. He is still practicing and marketing and running his business pretty much the same way he did 25 years ago. He will present a course in the series about what works for him and why he doesn't think it's necessary to make modifications to his routines in response to the economic downturn. His course is entitled Don't Rock the Boat: How a Simple and Consistent Strategy Helps Weather the Storm.

Next, I wanted input from a businessperson who has a whole different perspective. There are many tools available to us now that weren't available 25 years ago, such as the Internet, social marketing, videos and more that can be integrated strategically to grow our businesses. I invited Kevin St. Clergy to give a presentation in the series. Many of us know Kevin as he has worked with our practices through his company, EducatedPatients.com. He will give a presentation entitled Audiology & the Art of War on Wednesday.

SMAKA: So for this series, it sounds like the first three presentations are setting the tone with economics for where we are, presenting a conservative approach to practice management and then a progressive approach to practice management.

TRAYNOR: Exactly.

SMAKA: I should mention that all presentations are CE eligible, and all courses will take place from 12 - 1 pm Eastern/9 - 10 Pacific. What's on the agenda for Thursday and Friday?

TRAYNOR: The next presenter is someone that's also a friend and colleague for many years, Dr. Holly Hosford-Dunn. Dr. Hosford-Dunn has many years of experience in running a practice and also has authored a textbook in practice management. In today's economy, there can be clinics that just aren't going to make it, because there's not enough business, or too much competition. For one reason or another, it becomes obvious that you have to close your doors. Dr. Hosford-Dunn will talk about how you do that in a professional manner - for your patients, for your accounts payable and for yourself as a clinician in her presentation entitled, Know When to Hold 'Em and Know When to Fold 'Em.

To round out the series on Friday, I thought it would be beneficial to have a presentation devoted to the topic of ethics, to look at the ethical modifications we've had to make over the years in the way we do things. For example, is it more ethical now to get a loan from a manufacturer to run your clinic, when you cannot get a loan from a bank? Is it better to stay in business and take care of your patients, with a loan from a manufacturer? Or is it better to close your doors and not be able to make a living in practice because you want obtain funds from traditional sources?

So, I've asked Dr. Michael Metz to present in the conference. He was on the ethical practices board at AAA, and as a private practice audiologist for a number of years he has dealt with some of the same pressures that we private practitioners have dealt with. He knows the challenges of having to make a payroll, having to pay taxes, having to do things like meet payables and all of these things, yet trying to meet an ethical method of interaction as well. Dr. Metz will talk about some of the changes in our practices throughout the years relative to ethics, and some of the current concerns. His presentation is entitled Ethical Surfing in Shark Infested Waters.

So, by the end of the week we'll have a complete orientation to the current topics in audiology practice management today.

SMAKA: Thanks for those descriptions, Dr. Traynor, we're really excited about the conference. I love the tongue in cheek titles, too and the song references.

TRAYNOR: Well I would expect a bit of humor and some fun mixed in with our learning throughout the week as well.

SMAKA: You mentioned that you'd been in practice for 38 years. Can you talk about your audiology career?

TRAYNOR: Yes, in addition to my private practice I teach at the University of Florida, and I have a couple of other adjunct appointments - I teach a business course at the University of Colorado and at University of Northern Colorado, in alternate years.

I started my career in 1975. I always thought that when I finished my doctorate that I'd end up as a professor and follow an academic career path, until I found out what professors make.

[Laughter]

So then I opened a clinic that was mostly diagnostic testing since audiologists were not able to dispense hearing aids. Then, by the late 1970s, ASHA changed its stance and we immediately began dispensing hearing instruments. I also continued to teach at university.

About that time, I went into the US Army Reserve, while continuing to teach and keep my practice going. I spent 22 years as a reserve officer in the military and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the Army Reserve and Colorado National Guard as an audiologist. I was a professor at Colorado State and, after the retirement of Dr. Jack Willeford, ended up directing the program there until it closed in 1993, and then I went into practice and consulting full time.

I also worked with Bernafon as their Senior International Audiology Consultant for 17 years, presenting on various aspects of audiology in over 40 countries and on virtually every continent in the world. It was very enlightening to get to know colleagues in other countries and how they practice our profession.

SMAKA: I just have one question, Dr. Traynor. Did you sleep at all during any of this time?

{Laughter}

TRAYNOR: On planes sometimes. I also have a fabulous office manager who helped me tremendously when I was traveling a lot.

SMAKA: And you also managed to author a book during this time?

TRAYNOR: Yes. It was my pleasure to collaborate with a colleague that I'd known for well over 30 years, Dr. Robert Glaser, on a book called Strategic Practice Management . Bob Glaser is an audiologist and a fabulous practice manager in Dayton, Ohio. We learned a lot through running our practices, and we often learned it the hard way, through our wallets. In writing that book, it was our hope that our young colleagues will not have to go through some of the same things that we did when we were starting out. We're now in discussions about a second edition.

SMAKA: And speaking of writing, you're also blogging now.

TRAYNOR: Yes. I joined a group of colleagues on a blog called "Hearing Health & Technology Matters!" There's about ten of us that blog once a week, and so in addition to learning a lot from each other, we actually research some things and put them on our own blogs.

SMAKA: Lastly, Paul Dybala wanted me to ask you if you're still making your "Tinnitus Enhancer" ale.

TRAYNOR: Ah, that was from my beer-making phase. Because some people get tinnitus when they drink alcohol, we thought that would be a good name for the flagship brand. We had some interesting labels including a stout beer called Hair Cell Supercharger, another called Oval Window Red, and others.

SMAKA: We were really excited when Dr. Kathleen Campbell gave a presentation on AudiologyOnline earlier this year entitled Otoprotective Agents for Noise and Drug Induced Hearing Loss, and she mentioned the otoprotective properties of red wine. There was loud cheering from AudiologyOnline.

TRAYNOR: Yes, my wife, Krista, and I heard her present at AudiologyNOW! this year, and when she mentioned the benefits of red wine, my wife starting poking me in the side. We have a nice wine collection from around the world so we were happy to hear that.

SMAKA: Dr. Traynor, we covered some great topics today in addition to the upcoming practice management virtual conference. We appreciate your expertise in putting this conference together, and for taking the time to talk with me today.

TRAYNOR: Thanks, Carolyn. We're really looking forward to the upcoming conference.

Editor's note: To register for any of the courses in Practice Management Virtual Conference, click the links in the interview. If you're reading this interview after the courses have occurred, you can find the recordings in the AudiologyOnline course library.