Hearing Health & Technology Matters

Nick Fitzgerald has served as HHTM’s Chief Marketing Officer for the past 3 years. He is the President and Owner of AuDSEO, a full service digital marketing agency. With over 15 years of digital marketing experience, Nick is a highly data-driven marketer, with expertise in search engine optimization, digital analytics and forensics, social media, digital advertising, and web development. He has been involved in the construction and optimization of nearly 1,000 web presences, including some of the largest Fortune 500 companies.

The evolving consumer-professional partnership is something to celebrate

Hearing Health & Technology Matters

By Gael Hannan What a dream job–being asked by the Canadian Hearing Report to produce a consumer column in a journal for hearing professionals. I admit my first thought was something like, whoo-hoo, payback time! An opportunity to stuff all those years of torturous hearing tests, frustrating discussions, and expensive hearing aids into the cannon and blast it! But on

Be Flexible to Make Your Future Strong

Hearing Health & Technology Matters

There is a book by Jim Collins: “How the Mighty Fall” published in 2009. Amazon has a 4 star rating from 109 reviews. What makes this book interesting to me is he looks at how really good companies become complacent and loose their edge. He points out 5 stages of decline, depending on where a company detects the decline it

Regulation of Hearing Aids in the US, part 7 (the end!)

Hearing Health & Technology Matters

Back to the Future: Current Thinking at the FDA and in the Marketplace The burden of regulation continues to haunt the hearing aid industry and cost consumers. Notwithstanding the entrenched regulatory mentality described in Parts 5 and 6 of this series, there were two interesting Citizen’s Petitions that were filed with the FDA in 2003. Their purposes were to

Wireless: The New Frontier?

Hearing Health & Technology Matters

Most of us are using hearing devices that have wireless capabilities, yes? Well, of course we are because it is built right in the aids now. But what about the accessories? Do you utilize the rooms you have to demonstrate? I happen to have a “Technology” Room in my office, pictured here. I changed the name from ALD to Technology

Regulation of Hearing Aids in the US, Part 6 (it’s a long story)

Hearing Health & Technology Matters

The 1977 Final Rule Revisited… Revisited… Revisited …and Kept Technological progress and market needs moved the industry forward, but the Final Rule remained as stated in 1977. For example, in 1985, the FDA approved the Nuclear 22 Channel Cochlear Implant system for general use in adult patients with profound hearing loss after the device had spent 10 years in

Holly’s House of Audiology Feng Shui: Open After Remodeling

Hearing Health & Technology Matters

My feng sui is restored, thanks to the most unlikely of sources…. My state government! At the end of 2010, I wrote about extreme discomfort brought about by the continuing education process in my State for dispensing audiologists, which required the craft skills of a kindergarten aide and not much else. The worst part, however, was the discovery that my

Ways to Brand Your Business With Evolving Targets

Hearing Health & Technology Matters

Ed Roach wrote 12 Steps to Building A Brand Arsenal. In his blog he gives good basic tools to help your business. From simply jazzing up your business cards to consistency across the board in the message you want to get across to your target audience. We have several target audiences; the Silents, or as Tom Brokaw stated, The Greatest

Regulation of Hearing Aids in the US, Part 5

Hearing Health & Technology Matters

The FDA Regulation: 1977 Final Rule By 1977, the momentum driving hearing aids into the medical device arena was unstoppable. On Feb. 15, 1977, the FDA published its Final Rule, which made hearing aids restricted devices, promulgated regulations governing professional and patient labeling, and set forth conditions for the sale of hearing aids.1 The detail and scope of the Final

Core Values; Need an Update?

Hearing Health & Technology Matters

Those who know me may describe me as a talker. I do a lot of that I have to admit, but sometimes it is better just to sit back and listen to those around you. This morning during my Network meeting we had table discussions on what makes us “fit” to be the best managers possible. Several topics were brought

Taking Hearing Aids Mainstream: Ear-Level Gadgets to Boost Prosperity and Health

Hearing Health & Technology Matters

“Dress up and put on diamonds even to answer the phone, as it changes the way you are.” Mae West Let’s take a break from the hearing aid history series and go check out the future of hearing aids. It’s probably safe to say that all economists agree that technology drives production and prosperity. In most cases, prosperity translates into improvements