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 “As promised, Marion Downs’s legacy in pediatric audiology lives on”

As promised, Marion Downs’s legacy in pediatric audiology lives on

SOUTHAMPTON, UK–When Marion Downs died on November 13 at the age of 100, her long-time colleague, friend, and co-author, Jerry Northern, wrote, “She leaves a legacy that will forever be remembered for her many, many contributions to the field of audiology.” The truth of that statement, which was echoed by many other audiologists in obituaries on this blog and

Featured image for “Agreement paves way to full access to movies for people with hearing loss”

Agreement paves way to full access to movies for people with hearing loss

WASHINGTON, DC—The future is looking a lot brighter for deaf and hard-of-hearing movie enthusiasts, thanks to an agreement announced on November 21 by four national advocacy groups for people with hearing loss and the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO). If the Department of Justice (DoJ) accepts the recommendations from the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), the Alexander Graham

AuD students from Northwestern win prize ADA’s student business plan contest

LAS VEGAS–Rachel Otto and Efoe Femi Nyatepe-Coo, doctor of audiology students at Northwestern University, were named the winning team here earlier this month in the second annual ADA Student Business Plan Competition, sponsored by EarQ. The two fourth-year students were honored during the 2014 Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) Convention. They received a $5000 cash grant to be used toward developing

Featured image for “Boston Marathon bombings are still taking a heavy toll on victims’ hearing”

Boston Marathon bombings are still taking a heavy toll on victims’ hearing

BOSTON—More than a year after the Boston Marathon bombings of April 15, 2013, scores of victims of the terrorist action are still suffering from hearing loss, tinnitus, and other conditions resulting from exposure to the two explosions. So report 15 physicians and audiologists writing in the December 2014 issue of Otology & Neurotology. In the aftermath of the shocking attack

Featured image for “Marion Downs, acclaimed as “mother of pediatric audiology,” dies at 100”

Marion Downs, acclaimed as “mother of pediatric audiology,” dies at 100

By David H. Kirkwood Marion Downs, the beloved and revered audiologist who largely invented the field of pediatric audiology, died on November 13 in Dana Point, California, 10 months after her 100th birthday. Dr. Downs’s trailblazing work, begun in the early 1960s at the University of Colorado School of Medicine (UC School of Medicine), showed the world that babies with hearing

Featured image for “Siemens to sell hearing aid division; $2.67 billion deal is industry’s biggest ever”

Siemens to sell hearing aid division; $2.67 billion deal is industry’s biggest ever

This updated version of the post published on November 7 includes additional comments about the sale of Siemens from an informed source whom I interviewed this week. My informant asked not to be named because he was not authorized by his company to speak for publication. David H. Kirkwood, Editor, Hearing News Watch MUNICH, GERMANY—In the largest transaction in

Featured image for “CMS backs down; will preserve Medicare coverage of bone-anchored hearing systems”

CMS backs down; will preserve Medicare coverage of bone-anchored hearing systems

By David H. Kirkwood WASHINGTON, DC—Responding to a broad-based national campaign by manufacturers, hearing care providers, and consumer advocates, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on October 31 that it had reversed its position and would not end Medicare coverage of auditory osseointegrated implants (AOIs). As previously reported on this blog, CMS issued a proposed rule in

Featured image for “Congenital cytomegalovirus is a common, yet often undetected, cause of kids’ hearing loss”

Congenital cytomegalovirus is a common, yet often undetected, cause of kids’ hearing loss

GHENT, BELGIUM–Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common non-hereditary cause of hearing loss in children, according to a study by a group of medical researchers at University Hospital in Ghent. Writing in the November 1 issue of the journal Pediatrics, Julie Goderis, MD, and five colleagues said they reached that conclusion after analyzing the findings of 37 articles on

Featured image for “Youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner is also the first with a cochlear implant”

Youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner is also the first with a cochlear implant

OSLO–When Malala Yousafzay receives the Nobel Peace Prize in December, the 17-year-old Pakistani girl will be the youngest person ever to receive that high honor or, in fact, a Nobel Prize of any kind. Malala, as she become widely known throughout the world, was selected on October 10 by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, along with Kailash Satyarthi of India, for

Featured image for “Dispenser gives $15,000 to support Fit to Serve initiative”

Dispenser gives $15,000 to support Fit to Serve initiative

LIVONIA, MI–The Fit to Serve bill, discussed last week in this blog’s update on pending federal legislation related to hearing health, got a big boost recently when Julia Beall-McKelvey, a Pennsylvania hearing aid specialist, donated $15,000 to the International Hearing Society (IHS) advocacy fund for the veteran-oriented initiative. Her contribution, along with others made at IHS’s annual meeting, provided $100,000