Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Swain.
Hi Amy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I went to the University of Minnesota without knowing what I wanted to be. I changed my major several times until I worked in a research lab that was doing a study on hearing loss in chinchillas. The chinchilla has an ear that is very similar to humans so that is why we used them. The hearing of the animals was first tested, and then they were exposed to noise for varying periods of time and tested again. It was very interesting to see what kind of damage the loud sounds could do to their hearing.
After 6 years of college and writing a Master’s Thesis, I graduated with my Master’s Degree in Audiology. My first job was at Bud Freeman Hearing Aids as an Audiologist who dispensed hearing aids. It was a bit unusual for Audiologists to dispense aids back in the 80’s but that is what I wanted to do. After that, I worked at Mayo Medical Ventures dispensing hearing aids for about 5 years.
Later, I worked for Doug Freeman’s Audiology and Better Hearing Care until I started my own practice in 2006. Originally, I only wanted to work part time and I had my children helping me stuff envelopes for a quarterly newsletter that I sent out. In fact, my children would come into my office to help out as needed. Soon my business really took off. I was working full time and needing more consistent help. I started with hiring front desk staff and eventually hired an audiologist.
In 2008, I started working towards my Doctorate Degree in Audiologist. I was able to do the two year program online. I graduated with my Doctorate in March of 2010.
My business has continued to grow and I now have 3 Audiologists working for me and 5 patient care coordinators.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My business continues to be successful and with the improvements in hearing aid technology, it has actually become easier. Hearing aids are better than they were when I started back in 1989. They have so much better sound and much better capabilites of controling background noise. In the last 5 years, hearing aids are now paired with cell phones to offer apps that work like a remote control on a patient’s phone which allows them to change the volume of the hearing aids as well as to put in settings for many different situations such noisy places, reverberant rooms or for wind noise. Hearing aids also stream phone calls, music, pod casts and whatever else a patient wants to stream from their phone.
My biggest struggle is that insurance companies do not always pay what they say they will pay, and often do not explain their benefits as well as they should. For example, insurance companies will not pay for an advanced or premium level hearing aid, they will only pay for a standard unit. So if a patient comes in saying they have 100% coverage for hearing aids, I need to explain to them that it only covers basic tech levels. They are not happy about that because the advanced and premium level aids have a better sound quality and better noise reduction. Background noise is the number one complaint when it comes to hearing aids which makes the advanced and premium level hearing aids more desireable.
Insurance companies have also started using third parties to administer so called “benefits” which basically are just discount programs to obtain hearing aids but the programs do not include all the follow up care that is necessary for people that use hearing aids. Adjustments can be necessary if the patient’s hearing changes, or tweaks in the programs, as well as general maintenance. Hearing aids need to be professionally cleaned to keep them working well. The discount programs don’t cover the cost of these services. They only provide a less expensive way of obtaining the hearing aid, so in the long run, the patient ends up having to pay out of pocket for the services and that can really add up.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Amy Swain Hearing Centers, LLC?
We offer free hearing aid consultations that include a hearing test, for the purpose of providing hearing aids, and helping patients choose the best brand of hearing aid for them. Most offices that dispense hearing aids will dispense only one brand, and many of these offices are owned by the manufacturers of hearing aids. I don’t agree with this because not one brand is best nor does one brand fit all patients. Patients deserve choices. The buttons are different, the shape of the hearing aids are different, the domes that go into the ears are different, and the prescriptive formulas are different in every brand as well. This means that the hearing aids will fit differently and even sound different from one brand to the next. Sometimes I choose one brand over another because a patient uses a cell phone that will not work well with another brand of hearing aid.
There are so many things to think of when buying hearing aids and we are here to help you pick the best hearing aids for you. I really do not advise trying to research hearing aids on your own via the internet. There are too many variables and it can be very confusing. Most of the time the information on the internet is backed by a company that is marketing their product and you will read how they feel their hearing aid is the best. We can help you sort through that.
How do you define success?
When I get a smile from someone when they get hearing aids for the first time. That is success. I have helped someone hear better and that is a wonderful feeling!
Pricing:
- A lot of people say they don’t need an expensive hearing aid that is capable of Bluetooth capabilites. Good news is that even the less expensive units have bluetooth capabilities.
Contact Info:
