Widex Donates Over $60,000 to the AFA for Practitioner and Student Support

Lafayette, IN -In recognition of a shared interest in increasing private practice opportunities and support for audiology practitioners, Widex is donating over $60,000 to the Audiology Foundation of America (AFA) to promote independent practice, enhanced education, and practice development and management skills for audiologists.

Widex President Ron Meltsner states, "Widex is very interested in facilitating and supporting the transition of new Au.D. graduates into private practice audiology, and believes that the initiatives developed by the AFA will encourage and speed up that process in a way that is very positive for the profession and the industry."

Widex's gift to the AFA will support four important initiatives and programs:

• Development of a hands-on Audiology Knowledge Resource that will put audiology and business skills at the fingertips of practitioners
  
  
• 2008 Conference on Professional Education II - a twenty-year follow-up that will look at Au.D. education and propose actionable solutions for the future
  
  
• AFA's 2008 AFA Student Mentoring Program to be held at the fall ADA Convention and focus attention on private practice and business ownership
  
  
• 150 Hal-Hen otoscopes to be presented to students who complete the AFA's 2008 "Clued Into Audiology" otoscope program

"For the last year, Mr. Meltsner and I have been discussing ways to encourage Doctors of Audiology to consider private practice as their career choice," said AFA Chair Deborah Price, Au.D. "I am thrilled and excited about the opportunity to work with Widex and turn our discussions and ideas into a reality for our profession."