Dr. Hosford-Dunn began blogging in her audiology private practice in Tucson, AZ. Back in 2009, blogging was a new and interesting way to quickly share and improve information with colleagues, consumers, and patients. As blogging gained attention, she had the opportunity to serve as chief editor of a multi-author blog for an hearing industry publication. The format was fun and successful. It rapidly evolved into Hearing Health & Technology Matters! (HHTM), an independent blogsite that she founded in partnership with other colleagues in 2011. Since its inception, Dr. Hosford-Dunn has served as HHTM’s first Editor-in-Chief, then Managing Editor, and now is CFO of the organization. After graduating with a BA and MA in Communication Disorders from New Mexico State, she completed a PhD in Hearing Sciences at Stanford and did post-docs at Max Planck Institute (Germany) and Eaton-Peabody Auditory Physiology Lab (Boston). Post-education, she directed the Stanford University Audiology Clinic; developed multi-office private practices in Arizona; authored/edited numerous text books, chapters, journals, and articles; and taught Marketing, Practice Management, Hearing Science, Auditory Electrophysiology, and Amplification in a variety of academic settings. Dr. Hosford-Dunn participates in life long learning by writing weekly posts and by embracing sequential learning endeavors. She spent a year training with the Gemological Institute of America, gaining certification as a Graduate Gemologist (GIA). She graduated with a B.A. in Economics and Psychology from the University of Arizona in 2013. Currently — and probably forever — she studies the Spanish language.
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Sep. 23, 2014

Coffee Enhanced Audiology: Drink to Your Wealth

Holly Hosford-Dunn
International Coffee Day, September 29, is when Economists and entrepreneurs give it up to openly worship Productivity by coffee proxy.  Services are open to all Audiologists. Hearing Economics’ annual coffee celebration commences today by ferreting out caffeine/coffee connections to our pursuit of Audiology success and prosperity, saving health and happiness for next week. Success and Prosperity   Success means a
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Sep. 16, 2014

Today’s Hearing Aid Buyers, Part 2

Holly Hosford-Dunn
  Jerry Northern continues his analysis of the New Hearing Aid Consumer, a newcomer with more expectations and sophistication than buyers of the past.  Today, Dr. Northern covers the dizzying array of technological features confronting those consumers as they attempt their due diligence. As usual, Northern’s writing is user-friendly.  His examples and use of Audiologists’ language touch on classical economic
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Sep. 09, 2014

Today’s Hearing Aid Buyers

Holly Hosford-Dunn
  This week’s post, the 184th post published at Hearing Economics, is written by Dr. Jerry Northern, who returns for another round in the guest contributor ring.  As usual, his timing is perfect.  Hearing Health Matters! is celebrating two milestones today — our millionth page read and our 500,000th unique reader.  What better way to celebrate than with an icon
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Sep. 02, 2014

US Hearing Device Patent Approvals for July and August 2014

Holly Hosford-Dunn
Patents are a growing concern in importance the hearing industry, both in number and lawsuits.  MIMs technology is big, especially now that Knowles won a patent ruling allowing it to “develop and improve [MIMs] for the HA industry.”  For those of us unfamiliar with the acronym or its impact on our industry and its company’s stock, Knowles subsequently spelled it
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Aug. 26, 2014

Econ 202: Selling a Practice as a Function of Interest Rates

Holly Hosford-Dunn
Astute readers may have noticed Hearing Economics’ attempts to slip in Economics education on the sly. Today’s post fits right into the Economics 202 series, initiating a discussion of how interest rates affect the economy (a macro concept) and our very own practices (a micro concept).  Craig Castelli (bio below) describes the situation for practice sellers and buyers in times
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Aug. 19, 2014

With a Tale, Forsooth, Northey Cameth Unto Us

Holly Hosford-Dunn
The Tom Northey series concludes today, wrapping up his 2000 treatise forecasting the future of our profession.1 He foresaw systematic changes headed straight at us and anticipated questions and issues that would rain down upon us.   Northey predicted a world of Audiology survivors and losers,  advised Audiologists to look beyond hearing aids for survival strategies, and gave Audiologists common-sense recommendations which we have yet to heed en
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Aug. 12, 2014

Audiologists Get That Strange, Queasy Feeling

Holly Hosford-Dunn
Tom Northey’s  14-year-old discussion of the future of Audiology continues today with a look at his Recommendations for Audiologists. In 2000, he predicted a world of Audiology survivors and losers and advised Audiologists to start thinking beyond hearing aids as a primary survival strategy.  Easy to say not so easy to do. Last post finished on a cliff hanger: “Most present-day Audiologists
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Aug. 05, 2014

Survival of the Fittest Audiologists

Holly Hosford-Dunn
  Last post introduced readers to Tom Northey and his 2000 forecast of Audiology in the future, which predicted that today’s audiologists would fall into camps of survivors or  scatter to the wind as competitive forces eased out the losers.  Today’s post is for those of us interested in operating in survivor mode. Northey contrasted our profession to optometry in the
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Jul. 29, 2014

That Vision Thing

Holly Hosford-Dunn
How many readers remember Tom J. Northey, The One That Got Away?  Mr. Northey is a ghost guest contributor this week, not because he’s deceased but because he came to Audiology, he saw the future, and he left for greener pastures. In 2000, he wrote a monumental forecast of our profession, published in audiologyonline.  It probably informed his decision to leave
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Jul. 22, 2014

Gaming the (Auditory) System

Holly Hosford-Dunn
Today’s post is from Guest Contributor Extraordinaire Harvey Abrams, PhD.  Last time, he treated us to a masterful discussion of Price in the hearing aid industry.  Today he switches gears to talk about brain fitness, health apps, and auditory training in the Internet age.   The Starkey Hearing Blogs ran Dr Abram’s post on July 15, 2014, and graciously gave him permission