Florida-Based Audiologist Gifts Free Hearing Aids to Patient with Otosclerosis on Widex Community Giveback Day

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Aug 26, 2024, 08:42 ET

Dr. Teresa Parsons' strong appreciation for Widex and desire to give back to her community drove her participation in the Widex Community Giveback Day Program, which donates Widex hearing aids to those who otherwise couldn't afford them.

CLERMONT, Fla., Aug. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- It's safe to say that the team at Citrus Hearing Clinic in Clermont, Florida are fans of Widex hearing aids. In fact, most of the staff are Widex wearers – and, according to audiologist Dr. Teresa Parsons, her personal and professional experiences have fueled a deep appreciation for the company.

"I've been working with Widex going back to my residency at the University of South Florida and it's been wonderful to watch the evolution of the technology, particularly in the areas of natural sound and tinnitus management," Dr. Parsons said. "I also live with a mild hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus myself, which gives me a special appreciation for how life-changing Widex hearing aids can be and helps me relate on a deeper level to the patients I see every day."

Given this strong connection with Widex, the team at Citrus Hearing Clinic always looked forward to days when their Widex sales representative would visit the office to explain the latest in Widex technology and solutions. On one such occasion, the representative asked if Citrus Hearing Clinic would be interested in participating in the first-ever Widex Community Giveback Day, a component of the Partners in Excellence for You program, that empowers hearing care professionals (HCPs) to gift a free pair of Widex hearing aids to a member of their local community who would otherwise not be able to afford them.

"Knowing our close relationship with Widex, our sales representative took time to detail the program and we're so glad she did," Dr. Parsons explained. "Just by fitting Widex hearing aids, something we do every day, we're now able to give back to our community and that's something we really hold true to our hearts here at Citrus Hearing Clinic. We change lives by equipping patients with the best possible hearing aid technology."

Changing lives with natural sound

The chosen recipient was existing patient Sierra Janae. While still in her 20s, Janae is a long-time hearing aid wearer due to otosclerosis, a form of abnormal bone growth within the middle ear that causes progressive hearing loss. She was already wearing Widex, but the devices were nearly four years old and passed down from a family member who had worn them previously. She wanted to upgrade but lacked the funds as a young professional still building her career.

Once informed of the donation via a phone call, Janae was extremely grateful for the opportunity to upgrade her Widex hearing aids. "When I received notification that I was the recipient of the donation, I had just started my career and was graduating from college. I was almost in tears out of pure gratefulness," she said.

"Sierra is already a fan of the sound quality that Widex is known for, but she is at a point in her life where she wasn't able to make a new purchase. While her older Widex hearing aids continued to be serviceable, we knew she would massively benefit from the technology upgrade," Dr. Parsons continued.

Providing a custom fitting experience

Dr. Parsons leveraged a Sensogram to measure Janae's hearing thresholds at different frequencies, ensuring a more precise fit and minimizing the need for fine-tuning. That was coupled with Real Ear Measurements (REM) that measure the sound pressure level that develops when a hearing aid is worn in the ear and verifies that the device has the right amount of amplification. Once complete, she also went over the education and resources available for Janae to get the most out of her Widex hearing aids.

"A lot of people think it's just putting the devices on your ears, and you walk out the door," Dr. Parsons emphasized. "That's actually less than the bare minimum of what you can do to have a patient be successful with hearing aids. So, for Sierra, like we do all our patients, we emphasized education, all the amazing features of the Widex app, the various cleaning requirements and so much more. We knew how life-changing this would be for Sierra, so we wanted to make sure she was equipped to have the best experience possible."

Citrus Hearing Clinic provided Janae with the full hearing test and fitting experience, as well as 45 days of follow-up appointments free of charge. She immediately noticed an improvement with the Widex Moment™ hearing aids and Dr. Parsons considers herself lucky to have participated in such a gratifying opportunity.

"Sierra could tell a clear difference right away and she had dinner at a busy restaurant right after our appointment. It was amazing for us to see how excited she was to enter what could be a really challenging environment for people with hearing loss," Dr. Parsons continued.

Janae now wears her Widex Moment hearing aids every day, both at home and in the office. "They allow me to communicate effectively at work and at home without the frequent 'huh?', 'can you repeat that?', and 'I'm sorry, say that again?' that I was constantly asking of those around me," Janae emphasized. "Not to mention I love using the Zen mode when I am at work and need to focus without the constant ringing of tinnitus!"

"At the end of the day, you go into audiology to help people – and participating in the Widex Community Giveback Day truly allows us to help those in need," continued Dr. Parsons. "Being able to make a difference and give back to the community is one of the pillars on which we run our practice, and it will continue to be for many more Community Giveback Days to come."

Community Giveback Day is made possible through the Widex Partners in Excellence for You program, which provides HCPs with access to a range of tools and resources that improve their efficiency, increase the impact they have in their communities, and accelerate growth for their practices. Interested HCPs can join the program to help gain the knowledge, confidence, and tools they need to thrive in the ever-evolving world of audiology, reinforcing the value of clinical expertise and outstanding care.

For more information on Widex, click here. For more information on Citrus Hearing Clinic, click here. For high-res images, click here.

About Widex
At Widex we believe in a world where there are no barriers to communication; a world where people interact freely, effortlessly, and confidently. With sixty years' experience developing state-of-the-art technology, we provide hearing solutions that are easy to use, seamlessly integrated in daily life and enable people to hear naturally. As one of the world's leading hearing aid producers, our products are sold in more than one hundred countries, and we employ 4,000 people worldwide.

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SOURCE Widex