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We have expanded the services we are offering!
We are proud to announce that we will be offering additional testing in our electrophysiology lab in our Somerset office! Auditory Brainstem Response Testing (ABR) and Videonystamography testing (VNG) are now being offered at The Hearing Center. Offering of these services was paused during the pandemic, and we are now able to offer them again!
Auditory Brainstem Response testing is an objective measure to evaluate an individual’s hearing ability. It requires no participation from the patient and serves multiple purposes:-ABR testing is one method of performing newborn hearing screenings-Individuals who are unable to participate in traditional behavioral testing can have their hearing tested via ABR-ABR testing may be conducted if there is an asymmetry, or difference in hearing, between the two ears
Videonystagmography is a test battery that assesses the vestibular, or balance, system. Our eyes, ears and brain all work together to contribute to our balance. Certain balance disorders have the potential to be related to the inner-ear. VNG testing consists of a series of measures that evaluate the individual's ability to respond to incoming information to the inner ear and vestibular system. In order to record the patient's eye movements, he or she wears goggles that utilize infrared cameras. VNG testing can also be used to determine the functionality of each ear's vestibular system in isolation.
If you are interested or in need of ABR or VNG testing, please contact us to schedule an appointment!
Welcome Dr. Do
We are very excited to have Dr. Tran Do join our team as our newest Audiologist. Many of our patients have gotten to know her as she spent her 4th year clinical externship at The Hearing Center with Dr. Sandler. She looks forward to bringing her experience with Cochlear implants and hearing aids to our practice. She is skilled in working with both adult and pediatric patients. Please contact our office to set up your appointment with Dr. Do in Manalapan or Somerset.
The Hearing Center Is Re-Opening!
At The Hearing Center, we are gearing up to reopen our offices to our patients. We have taken this time as an opportunity to adapt our practice to the current environment. While we look forward to seeing everyone’s faces in person, we are going to ask all of our patients to join our doctors and staff in wearing masks for our in-person encounters. We thank you for your trust and look forward to exceeding your expectations!
Here is some of what we have been up to!
We have been in local media educating the public on the challenges people with hearing loss will face in this new normal of a mask-wearing society.
We have been sourcing PPE which will allow us to provide the safe environment that our patients, doctors, and staff will expect.
We have continued to service our patients and other facilities patients’ hearing aids. What this has meant is drop-off clean and check services, drop-off repair service, and cloud-based hearing aid adjustments. These are services that we will continue to offer and expand even as our offices open again.
We have taken the opportunity to offer our patients video chats and tele-health appointments. This will also be a part of our practice going forward. We will be able to set up consultation appointments via video chat.
We have continued to be responsive to our patients needs via email and phone.
We have reinforced our infection control protocols to assure a save environment for our patients and staff.
We have converted all of our offices to fully electronic medical records.
We have been working on designing a see-through mask solution to assist with lip reading and visual cues.
At The Hearing Center, our goal is to provide the very best in hearing healthcare in a safe and comfortable environment. We look forward to welcoming you back to our practices soon!
Covid-19 Guidelines for The Hearing Center
Our practice takes the health of our patients and staff very seriously. For this reason, we have implemented changes to allow for a safe reopening of our offices. We have been able to procure enough PPE and have created procedures that we believe will allow for a safe reopening. We have added additional infection control procedures in between each appointment. If you are experiencing any symptoms of Covid-19, please contact your primary contact physician. The Hearing Center does NOT offer Covid-19 testing.
Here is Guidance from the CDC on Staying Healthy:
Wash your hands thoroughly and use alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
Stay home when you’re sick and encourage family to do the same.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, throw the tissue in the trash and immediately wash your hands. No tissue? Cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
Patient Appointments:
We will be offering our first appointments of the day to those in vulnerable populations
All patients will be asked Covid-19 screening questions
Patients will be required to respond to specific survey questions prior to their appointment
All patients and guests will be required to wear masks and sanitize their hands while in our offices. If you do not have a mask, we will have new, reusable fabric masks available for purchase.
All patients will be asked to wait in their cars and call our office when they arrive. We will advise you when to come into the office. The goal is to responsibly social distance. ***Please advise us ahead of time if you do not have a cellphone for further instruction***
All patient forms will be available on line at our website. We ask patients to complete these forms ahead of their appointments and email them to us
We ask that only the patient enters the office suite. 1 parent or care-taker will be allowed into the office during the appointment.
The Hearing Center Manalapan Is Partnering With Apple!
The Hearing Center in Manalapan, NJ is very excited to announce that we will be partnering with Apple!
On Wednesday December 18, 9:00 am, at the Apple store in the Freehold mall, the Creative Pro team will be working with us, and offering a special class. This class is directed toward our patients with ‘Made for iPhone’ (Mfi) hearing aids.
At The Hearing Center we always strive to provide our patients with the best possible outcomes in their hearing healthcare.
We lead such connected lives these days, and we want to make sure our patients make the most of the ‘Made for iPhone’ features of their hearing aids. At the same time, iPhones have features specifically designed for those with hearing impairment.
We want to make sure our patients are maximizing the benefits of these advanced features.
We look forward to seeing you at this very special event!
The Hearing Center Is Partnering With Cochlear To Help People Hear For The First Time
The Hearing Center has been a pioneering private practice, offering Cochlear Implants in our New Jersey offices. These implants can have dramatic improvements in hearing, and are often used to help people hear for the very first time!
Dr. Eric Sandler is a panelist at the American Academy of Audiology
Dr. Eric Sandler was recently a panelist at the American Academy of Audiology’s national convention in Columbus, Ohio. The panel discussion topic was the integration of cochlear implant services in a private practice setting. The Hearing Center is very proud of the work they have done as part of the Cochlear Provider Network.
Widex and IOS 12 compatibility update
Widex has confirmed that Evoke hearing aids are compatible with ios 12. It is now advised to move forward with the update for your apple devices. Please contact us if you have any questions.
The Hearing Center Advocates For Audiology Patient Choice
[envira-gallery id="844"] The staff at The Hearing Center has been actively advocating for the Audiology Patient Choice act on behalf of our patients. Currently there is legislation in committee in both the House of Representatives and the Senate that will increase Medicare beneficiaries access to audiologists, with what is called ‘direct access’. Those bills HR 2276 and S.2575 will allow our patients with traditional Medicare to directly access our services.
Our staff met with the Newark, NJ staff of Senator Cory Booker in the summer. Just this past week we met with Congressman Leonard Lance of the 7th District of NJ at his Westfield office. Representative Lance voiced his support for the legislation.
It is of note that the APCA does not increase services currently offered by Medicare, and will NOT increase costs to the plan, it likely will reduce costs incurred by Medicare. Medicare advantage plans currently offer direct access to audiologists, unlike traditional Medicare. The act allows audiologists to practice within their scope of practice and to be reimbursed by Medicare for those services. Other Federal health benefit plans allow for direct access to audiologists. Reach out to your Senators and Representatives and ask them to support the APCA today!