Warrenville, IL - November 6, 2004 - On November 4-6, over 550 attendees from 32 countries were in Chicago, Illinois for the Third International Pediatric Conference sponsored by Phonak Hearing Systems. The program, appropriately called "A Sound Foundation Through Early Amplification", featured a combination of platform presentations, workshops, clinical forums and poster sessions devoted to the research and clinical issues related to hearing loss, communication development, and fitting of hearing instruments to infants and young children.
From left to right: Ora Buerkli (Phonak Switzerland) & Sound
Foundation Co-chairs Richard Seewald and John Bamford
Sound Foundation Speakers
Keynote addresses were provided by Judy Gravel, Patricia Stelmachowicz, and Martin Hyde. Additionally, over two dozen researchers and clinicians from around the world presented papers that shared their knowledge and experience with other participants during formal and informal discussion opportunities during the conference.
Mary Pat Moeller, Boystown National Research Hospital
Nearly three hundred attendees were from outside the United States, and hundreds more were able to participate in the first day of the conference via a live webcast. The morning's broadcast was recorded, and is available online at www.phonak.com. Presentations and posters from the entire conference will be available soon for online viewing.
The clinical relevance of the program was palpable, and many attendees related that it was the single best conference related to pediatric amplification that they had ever attended. The conference was organized by an international steering committee, chaired by Richard Seewald from Canada, who received a standing ovation at the end of the meeting. Seewald, in collaboration with Professor John Bamford, will edit the conference proceedings, which will be available in early Spring, 2005. The next Phonak international pediatric conference will be held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands October 23-25, 2005. For additional information, please contact your local Phonak representative or visit www.phonak.com/conference.
About Phonak
Phonak Hearing Systems is a global leader in the development and manufacture of hearing systems. Using state-of-the-art technology, the Swiss-based company strives to produce solutions for adults and children with and without hearing loss in the most challenging of listening environments. Phonak's ultimate goal is to make a key contribution to the quality of life of those with a hearing impairment, their family and friends. For more information about Phonak, please visit www.phonak-us.com.
