HHTM Turns 10: Editors Reflect on 10th Anniversary

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HHTM
April 8, 2021

 

This week, Hearing Health & Technology Matters (HHTM) celebrates its 10 year anniversary. Some of HHTM’s editors and founding members have taken this opportunity to share their thoughts on the latest company milestone with our readers.

 

Gael Hannan, Editor at Better Hearing Consumer

 

Gael Hannan

Approaching the 10th anniversary of writing for HHTM, I’ve also reached a personal milestone of having written 500 weekly blogs about living with hearing loss. Most were written by me, but I was also supported by the work of many wonderful guest writers. Together we’ve shone a flashlight into every corner of the life touched by hearing loss.

When David Kirkwood brought me into HHTM family, by way of my friendship with Marshall Chasin, I didn’t know I was about to start a decade of writing. I also didn’t know that David would prod and “edit me” into become a much better and more honest writer than I could ever otherwise have been.

Offering its hearing healthcare audience a regular dose of the client/consumer perspective, is one of the many reasons that HHTM became an industry information leader. Working with the team – David, Marshall, Wayne, Holly, Robert and Jane – has been an honour for me.

Congratulations, HHTM! I’m proud of you. Keep up the great work.

 

Wayne J. Staab, Ph.D., HHTM Founder

 

Wayne Staab, PhD

Congratulations to HHTM for celebrating ten years of an online weekly Internet publication that provides information on all phases of hearing to a diversified readership. The founders (of which I was a member and editor) had determined that content was not to be directed to any specific professional group, but to anyone who had an interest in hearing.

The original founders, and subsequently section editors, were all well-recognized in their respective disciplines, and allowed for a wide range of topics related to hearing, some of which were not being covered by print publications. I wrote under the section hearing titled Wayne’s World, which allowed me to include a wide range of topics.

What made HearingHealthMatters.org unusual was the belief of the founders that there was much good information that did not get published by paper journals because they were mostly monthly publications and content was controlled by their primary audience (medical, audiological, industry, noise, hearing aids, dispensing, etc.). A limitation of print publications was the number of pages available for guest print articles, thus also limiting the number of authors. Additionally, some publications were peer-reviewed, again limiting the number of authors and disallowing good, but not peer review information.

The founders of HHTM realized that because much good information wasn’t being shared and that an online publication devoted essentially entirely to articles, with no limit to article length or the number of articles, and published weekly, could provide in excess of 400 articles a year versus perhaps 40 by print publications. Having the opportunity for essentially unlimited articles resulted in a very short time to publish, meaning that information was current, and not months or years behind in timeliness.

I retired from HHTM in 2018, not because of a lack of interest, but in the belief that some fresh ideas could be brought to HHTM, and that there was no lack of very good editors and writers that deserved to have an opportunity to contribute. I continue to read each weekly issue with a great deal of interest, and am amazed as to how far progress in the hearing disciplines has gone. Also, the range of article topics continues to expand well beyond what we initially imagined.

So, to HHTM, congratulations on a job well done, and may the future bring even more success.

 

Jane Madell, Ph.D., Editor at Hearing & Kids

Jane Madell pediatric audiologist

Jane Madell, PhD

 

I have been doing blogs for 9 years. (Hard to believe).  It has been wonderful to share information, to learn from comments and from other peoples blogs.

Here’s to 10 more years!

 

Marshall Chasin, Au.D., HHTM Founder and Editor at Hear the Music

 

Marshall Chasin, AuD

I would like to congratulate both HHTM and also its readers for their tenth anniversary. It has been a wonderful opportunity to convey current information, and sometimes controversies, in a friendly manner with occasional almost-immediate response on many complex issues. HHTM seems to have found a valuable place in the hearts of hearing health care professionals.

Of special note, the weekly blog entries of HHTM are required reading in many Communication Disorders programs around the world. It has been a pleasure being associated with so many dynamic people.

 

Amyn Amlani, Ph.D., Editor at Hearing Economics, Director of Professional Development for HHTM

 

Amyn Amlani, PhD

It is an honor and privilege to have the opportunity to serve in my capacity as an HHTM Editor for Hearing Economics. My introduction to HHTM came during the Fall of 2014 when Holly Hosford-Dunn reached out and inquired whether I would be willing to provide a guest blog on Siemens’ re-intent to divest its audiology division. I accepted the invitation with grace and humility, and with the hope that I had provided content to Holly’s standard. 

Over the next few years, Holly would ask me to guest contribute from time-to-time, and I even had the opportunity to co-author a series of blogs on hearing aid pricing with her. In 2018, I was asked to fill Holly’s role as she retired from HHTM, and it was an opportunity that I revered and feared at the same time. Looking back, this experience has allowed me to grow professionally and I hope that the information that is shared has benefited you, the reader.

I look forward to continuing to serve the readership in my capacity as we embrace the future, with a steadfast gaze on the vision that the founders intended for this platform.

 

Shari Eberts, Editor at Find Hearing

 

Shari Eberts

Congratulations to the entire HHTM team on this important milestone! HHTM is the go-to source for news and expertise valued by people in every sector of the hearing care community, including the consumer.

I am pleased to be part of this distinguished team and look forward to more successes for HHTM ahead.

 

Brian Taylor, Au.D., Editor-at-Large

 

Brian Taylor, Hearing Health Matters

Brian Taylor, AuD

I often tell AuD students and young-ish audiologists that they are likely to experience more change in the profession over the next five years of their career than I experienced over the first 30-plus of mine. HHTM and it’s stable of independent, thoughtful and creative writers has been, and will remain, an essential source for understanding how the whirligig changes in reimbursement, regulations and retail will impact the profession, the industry and consumers.

I am honored to be a small part of all that HHTM has accomplished over the past decade  – here’s to another ten!

 

 

 

 

 

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