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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Oct. 15, 2013

Present Situation Be Damned, Full Speed Ahead

Holly Hosford-Dunn
The Affordable Care Act’s Healthcare was reviewed, state-by-state, last week.  This week brings another table (below) of dubious data collected with sincere effort to try to estimate the ACA’s impact on Audiologists. Requests for updates and corrections last week went unheeded.  Logical explanations, in order of probability, are 1) nobody reads this column except Harvey Abrams, 2) few readers understand
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Oct. 08, 2013

Audiology Landscaping Under Way by the Affordable Care Act

Holly Hosford-Dunn
George Lyons (ASHA VP for Audiology) recently anticipated a “changing landscape” for Audiologists as components of  the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) are implemented.  His well written post was well received and frequently read.  It was also rare —  few articles in the public domain are written specifically about Audiology and the ACA;  fewer still are written by
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Oct. 02, 2013

Coffee and Health Table for 2013: Drink to Your Health and Longevity

Holly Hosford-Dunn
Hearing Economics concludes the 2013 expanded version of International Coffee Day with a new, improved table linking coffee/caffeine intake to health effects.  The original table appeared in April 2012 and was updated in September 2012. The studies of varying scientific rigor continue to pour in, most in support of a daily coffee habit. Coffee effects on hearing and balance remain scant but at
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Sep. 24, 2013

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

Holly Hosford-Dunn
It’s that time of year again: sit down with a cup of coffee and contemplate the universe.  Hearing Economics once again enjoins readers to enthusiastically participate in International Coffee Day on September 29.  Previously this space celebrated the virtues of coffee vis-a-vis health, productivity, technological advancements, and complementary goods, among other economically important aspects of this “awesome psychostimulant.” Coffee consumes
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Sep. 17, 2013

Troll Thoughts,Troll Tallies

Holly Hosford-Dunn
Regular readers of Hearing Economics are familiar with the ever-lengthening list of hearing aid patents that appears here bi-monthly.  The lists are boring to read and boring to compile but they get space because they’re important.   They reflect a battle between innovation and corporate control that is growing not only in size but in intensity, with effects radiating deep behind
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Sep. 10, 2013

Accounting 101: More Guts than Money

Holly Hosford-Dunn
Numbers aren’t my love and I’m no accountant,  but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once. That, plus owning a variety of Audiology practices, forced me to learn basic accounting.  All of us in private practice must clear the accounting hurdle. We can’t really know if our businesses are succeeding or failing without a working knowledge of basic accounting.
Sep. 03, 2013

Hearing Aid Device Patent Activity for July and August 2013

Holly Hosford-Dunn
The list of hearing device patents approved in the last two months is longer than the last list, which was longer than the one before that, etc.  There seem to be more players and the time from application to approval may be getting shorter, though I’m not tracking either metric methodically. Kudos to GNResound for pushing a patent through in
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Aug. 27, 2013

Got MOOC?

Holly Hosford-Dunn
Audiologists’ educations are way too expensive according to many consumers, all of whom are students. Their view is expressed and examined in a post series that dares to question the value of an AuD degree.  That question requires exploration of many factors:  economic preferences, attitudes, post-graduate salaries, 4th year internships, faculty expertise, gender politics…. and on and on.   The AuD
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Aug. 20, 2013

One Word: Elasticity

Holly Hosford-Dunn
I really like your article and it certainly points out a key problem.  The only leverage the big 6 have is what we gave them. We need to all work together. The internet and baby boomers create an amazing opportunity but business as usual won’t cut it.  –  Private comment from a previous post And I really like comments from people
Aug. 13, 2013

Dark Knights of Monopoly

Holly Hosford-Dunn
“None shall pass.”    …   “I’ve had worse.”  Monty Python’s Black Knight The Black Knight’s utterances joust with each other, which makes for a very funny video. His stance–and lack thereof–conjure up images in my mind of the hearing aid industry and Audiologists.  Our Big 6 set formidable entry barriers, determined that none shall pass.  Independent Audiologists give up