Tucson, AZ, April 21 - Eight prominent hearing professionals have launched a unique new blog, hearinghealthmatters.org. "Our mission," says Holly Hosford-Dunn, PhD, the editor, "is to share valuable information and insights with people who care about hearing. Our readers and contributors include not only hearing care providers, but also researchers, manufacturers, educators, and, importantly, hearing-impaired consumers and those who love them."
The blog is interactive, she notes, so readers are urged to comment on what they find at hearinghealthmatters.org.
Dr. Hosford-Dunn, who owns a private audiology practice in Tucson, holds a doctorate in hearing sciences from Stanford University, where she also directed the Audiology Clinic. An experienced blogger, she has also written many articles and books and taught courses in marketing and practice management. In her spare time, she's earning a degree in economics at the University of Arizona.
The associate editor of hearinghealthmatters.org is David H. Kirkwood, who was editor-in-chief of The Hearing Journal from 1990 to 2010. Before that, he was editor and publisher of an award-winning community newspaper in Scarsdale, NY.
The blog has a growing number of sections, each with its own editor, who adds new posts weekly. For example, at Hearing Economics, Dr. Hosford-Dunn and guest contributors will discuss the financial realities of hearing care.
Kirkwood is editor of Hearing Views, a forum for comment and opinion on any subject related to hearing. And at Hearing News Watch, he keeps practitioners and consumers updated on breaking stories of relevance.
A DISTINGUISHED ROSTER
The founders bring a wealth of experience and achievement to hearinghealthmatters.org. As editor of Wayne's World, Wayne Staab, PhD, a 40-year veteran of the hearing industry, offers his perspective on the history of the field and presents insights that often challenge conventional wisdom. His career has included university teaching, clinical practice, research and development, and hearing aid manufacturing. For many years he was executive director of the American Auditory Society.
During 30 years as a hearing instrument specialist, K. Ray Katz owned a practice that grew to include several offices in Arizona employing six audiologists and traditional dispensers. At Have You Heard? he discusses the ideas and experiences of hearing professionals whom he encounters in his travels.
Marshall Chasin, AuD, director of research at the Musicians' Clinics of Canada, has written and lectured extensively on fitting hearing aids on musicians and protecting their hearing. He discusses these and other topics at Hear the Music.
Hearing International, edited by Robert Traynor, EdD, MBA, examines hearing loss and its treatment around the world. Dr. Traynor is CEO of an audiology practice in Colorado and an adjunct professor at three universities. He is co-author of Strategic Practice Management.
Judy Huch, AuD, who began dispensing hearing aids while still in high school, draws on her success as a practice owner to offer helpful advice in her blog, Hear in Private Practice.
Dizziness Depot is devoted to vestibular diagnosis and treatment. The editor, Alan Desmond, AuD, is founder/director of Blue Ridge Hearing and Balance Clinic in West Virginia. He has written two textbooks, several book chapters, and two booklets for primary-care physicians, all related to dizziness and vertigo.
For further information, visit hearinghealthmatters.org or contact David H. Kirkwood at dkirkwood@nyc.rr.com or 212/784-1145.
