David Kirkwood

A longtime observer of the hearing healthcare scene, David Kirkwood was editor-in-chief of The Hearing Journal from 1990 through 2010. Among the honors he received was a 2006 President’s Award from the American Academy of Audiology. Previously, he spent 15 years as editor and publisher of a weekly community newspaper in Scarsdale, NY. Before finding his way into journalism, he earned degrees in history from Cornell University (where he was an outstanding pinball player) and the University of California at Berkeley. When he isn’t blogging at Hearing Health & Technology Matters, David enjoys spending time with his wife, Annie, going to plays and movies in New York, traveling, and relaxing in their vacation place in Mid-Coast Maine. His other avocations include rooting for the Yankees and throwing tennis balls for his puli, Isaac.
Featured image for “Hearing aid dispenser returns home safely after a harrowing mission to Venezuela”
Mar. 25, 2015

Hearing aid dispenser returns home safely after a harrowing mission to Venezuela

David Kirkwood
By David H. Kirkwood For the first few days of their mission to Venezuela everything was going smoothly for Arlynn Hefta, a hearing aid specialist from North Dakota, and the three other volunteers from Bethel Evangelical Free Church in Devils’s Lake, ND. This was the 62-year-old Hefta’s eighth mission to Venezuela, so when he and his fellow volunteers—Russ Petty, MD,
Featured image for “Frank Musiek, a trailblazer in electrophysiology, to chair Academy Research Conference”
Mar. 23, 2015

Frank Musiek, a trailblazer in electrophysiology, to chair Academy Research Conference

David Kirkwood
  Frank E. Musiek, PhD, a renowned expert in electrophysiology and central auditory processing disorders (CAPD) who oversees the Pathways section of the blog Hearing Health & Technology (HHTM), has been selected by the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) to chair the 2016 Academy Research Conference (ARC) to be held in Phoenix on April 12, just prior to the opening of
Featured image for “NYPD settles suit by lifting ban on cops using hearing aids”
Mar. 18, 2015

NYPD settles suit by lifting ban on cops using hearing aids

David Kirkwood
By David H. Kirkwood Two veteran New York Police Department (NYPD) officers’ 5-year legal battle to return to active duty wearing their hearing aids ended in victory on March 9 when they agreed to a settlement of the suit they had filed against the City of New York in 2010. It was a victory not only for Dan Carione and Sgt.
Featured image for “Drug store chain agrees to improve access for people with hearing loss”
Mar. 16, 2015

Drug store chain agrees to improve access for people with hearing loss

David Kirkwood
    NEW YORK—Customers with hearing loss will soon be able to communicate better with pharmacists at the 101 Kinney Drugs stores in New York State.   Under an agreement announced March 12 by NYS Attorney-General Eric Schneiderman, each Kinney Drugs store will provide assistive listening systems and qualified sign-language interpreters, as required by law. In addition, KPH Healthcare Services,
Mar. 15, 2015

Scott Davis of Sivantos is new HIA chairman

David Kirkwood
      WASHINGTON, DC—The announcement of the first Unison Hearing Health Global Summit was the biggest story to emerge from the 2015 annual meeting of the Hearing Industries Association (HIA) on March 6, but not the only news. The national trade association of manufacturers of hearing aids and related products elected Scott Davis as chairman of the Board. Davis,
Featured image for “ADA and IHS to end separate annual meetings in favor of a Hearing Health Global Summit”
Mar. 10, 2015

ADA and IHS to end separate annual meetings in favor of a Hearing Health Global Summit

David Kirkwood
    By David H. Kirkwood WASHINGTON, DC—The International Hearing Society (IHS) and the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) will join forces, under the umbrella of the Hearing Healthcare Education Coalition (HHEC), to hold the inaugural Unison Hearing Health Global Summit September 8-11, 2016, in Chicago. Unison, which starting next year will take the place of the two professional
Featured image for “Hearing Industries Association leads an all-out effort for hearing aid tax credit”
Mar. 04, 2015

Hearing Industries Association leads an all-out effort for hearing aid tax credit

David Kirkwood
WASHINGTON, DC—When the Hearing Industries Association (HIA) holds both its biennial Hearing on the Hill and its annual meeting here this week, the trade association will be focused on passage of the Hearing Aid Tax Credit bill (S. 315). Although similar legislation introduced in the past several sessions of Congress has never been enacted despite broad support from hearing health
Featured image for “Sonova to buy Hansaton, and two hearing aid retailers; also plans cost-cutting steps”
Mar. 02, 2015

Sonova to buy Hansaton, and two hearing aid retailers; also plans cost-cutting steps

David Kirkwood
      STÄFA, SWITZERLAND—Sonova Holding AG, the world’s largest hearing aid manufacturer, announced today (March 2) that it will acquire three German hearing aid companies: Hansaton Akustik GmBH, which is a family-run hearing aid wholesaler, and two retail chains, Vitakustik GmbH and Fiebing Hörtechnik GmbH. The purchase prices were not disclosed.     Sonova, which owns Phonak, Unitron, and
Featured image for “Ian Windmill is voted AAA president-elect; three new directors elected”
Feb. 25, 2015

Ian Windmill is voted AAA president-elect; three new directors elected

David Kirkwood
RESTON, VA—American Academy of Audiology (AAA) members have elected a future president and three new members of the board of directors, all four of whom practice audiology in medical centers. In month-long voting that concluded on February 17, Ian M. Windmill, PhD, who is clinical director in the Division of Audiology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, was chosen to
Featured image for “NIOSH awards recognize efforts to make workplaces more hearing-healthy”
Feb. 23, 2015

NIOSH awards recognize efforts to make workplaces more hearing-healthy

David Kirkwood
      NEW ORLEANS–When noise in the workplace makes the news, it’s usually either because OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) has charged an employer with violating its noise regulations or workers are suing an employer for causing damage to their hearing. Last week, though, two companies were cited for doing the right thing for their workers’ hearing