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!

IOS 12 and MFi Hearing Aids

Please do not update your iPhone to IOS 12 until we have confirmation that hearing aids will be compatible with this operating system. Hearing aid manufacturers are currently testing to assure compatibility. Please contact our office if you have any additional questions.

We thank Dr. Judie Sandler for her 32 years of dedicated service!

We all would like to thank Dr. Judie Sandler for her 32 years of service at the hearing center. She spent countless hours assisting her patients to diagnose and treat their hearing loss. She is an original founder of The Hearing Center back in 1986! Through hard work and dedication, she has helped build The Hearing Center into the premier full service audiology private practice that it is today. While she will be stepping back, an no longer seeing patients on a daily basis, you will still see her around the office. Please reach out to us if you have any additional questions. We look forward to continuing to provide you the highest quality hearing health care. Appointments can be scheduled with audiologists, Dr. Perle, Dr. Elias, and Dr. Conte.

CONGRATULATIONS NJ FAVORITE KIDS DOCS!

We would like to congratulate Dr. Eric Sandler, Dr. Stefanie Perle, Dr. Alexis Conte, and Dr. Judie Sandler on being selected to NJ Family's Favorite kids docs list! This is the 3rd year in a row for both Dr. E Sandler and Dr. Perle! Please reach out to us to schedule an appointment with any of our highly qualified Audiologists!

Resources for Teachers of Kids with hearing loss

Here are some useful resources for teachers of children with hearing loss.

Teachers Guide Brochure

Tips for Teachers of Teens with Hearing Loss

Please reach out to our office with any additional questions!

Cochlear implant device restores hearing after years of hearing aid use

When it became clear that hearing aids weren't enough to help 9-year-old Emma Kriegstein, her parents and the audiologists at The Hearing Center knew it was time to turn to different technology to improve her hearing.

Emma, of Matawan, was born with progressive sensorineural hearing loss, permanent hearing loss caused by an abnormal or damaged inner ear. According to Dr. Eric Sandler, director of audiology at The Hearing Center, Emma's possibility to hear would likely improve with a cochlear implant, which utilizes an implanted electrode array to bypass the damaged portion of the ear and stimulate the auditory nerve.

"Patients need to meet audiological and medical criteria to receive the implant, and Emma was a perfect candidate," Sandler said.

Emma's hearing loss was confirmed when she was four-and-a-half, although she had expressed difficulties from a younger age. A neighbor referred them to The Hearing Center, which immediately recommended hearing aids. While the devices worked well for around three years, Emma's parents Elizabeth Feudale and Neil Kriegstein noticed diminished hearing in her left ear, a decline which continually worsened.

"We were shocked – even though there was a family history [of hearing loss] on both sides, nobody had trouble as a child," said Kriegstein. "We tried coming up with 1,000 excuses as to why it could be wrong, but there was no question that Emma needed help."

"We've been working with Emma and her family for several years, and we were constantly changing the settings on her hearing aids," added Dr. Stefanie Perle, The Hearing Center's lead audiologist on cochlear implant cases, and one of three audiologists working with Emma. "The hearing aid was no longer providing sufficient benefit. Her best option… was to consider a cochlear implant."

Emma received her implant this past July, and the device was activated by Drs. Sandler and Perle in August. Since activation, Feudale said that there has been a "drastic, positive" change in Emma's hearing.

"There have been major improvements large and small alike," Feudale said. "I can call for her from downstairs while she's upstairs and she can hear me. I can talk to her with my back turned and she will be able to answer me. These life improvements have made a huge difference."

"The implant has changed her life by leaps and bounds," Kriegstein added. "She has picked up on sounds we take for granted, such as a piano playing in a song, and she lights up with joy when she can hear them."

According to Feudale, The Hearing Center fought "tooth and nail" for Emma to receive the care and equipment she needed.

"The staff at The Hearing Center exhibits genuine care and concern for Emma's well-being," Feudale said. "We've been through a bunch of audiologists, and we haven't had the confidence and trust in others like we have for The Hearing Center."

"The Hearing Center has put Emma's quality of life at the front and center of her care," Perle added. "We are beyond thrilled about the progress she's made in such a short time."

Additional Services now offered at 2 of (((The Hearing Center))) Locations

We are very pleased to announce that we are offering the following additional services at the Clark Location:Auditory Processing Evaluations Cochlear Implant Evaluation

The following additional services will now be offered at our Highland Park Location Auditory Processing Evaluations Cochlear Implant Evaluations BAHA Demonstrations Tinnitus Evaluations

Please contact our offices to schedule your appointment today!

Congrats To Our Top Docs!

The Hearing Center is home again to some of New Jersey’s Top Docs for Kids!

After the voting tallies came in, we were so excited to find out that Dr. Sandler and Dr. Perle were again recognized among New Jersey’s top doctors for kids.

Not to be outdone, new member of the team, Dr. Sarah Elias was selected for the first time as well! We are so thrilled for our amazing staff. Most of all, we are SO appreciative of our amazing patients who voted for us and helped us achieve this recognition.

THANK YOU!

Evening Hours added in Manalapan Office!

We are very pleased to announce that the Manalapan office will be adding evening hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays going forward. If you would like to set up an appointment, please contact the office at 732-462-8412.

NJ FAVORITE KIDS DOCS!

We are very excited to announce that Dr. Eric Sandler was chosen by readers as a New Jersey's Favorite Kids' Docs by njfamily.com ! Patient's parents took the time to honor Dr. Sandler with a nomination for his work with their children! We were told many parents composed beautiful testimonials about the exceptional care Dr. Sandler had provided to them. This December, the full list of NJ family Kids favorite Docs will be featured in print and on line. We are very excited about this honor and look forward to the December 2016 issue of NJ Family to see the write up about Dr. Sandler!

Are your hearing aids locked and you do not even know it?

Did you know that many places that sell hearing aids offer 'locked' hearing aids, and never tell their patients this fact? "What is a locked hearing aid?" you may be asking yourself. Well, let us explain. Some chain stores like Sam's Club, Costco, Audigy, Miracle Ear, as well as branded private practices sell private label hearing aids. With private label hearing aids, it is likely that only the chain store that SELLS the hearing aids can also ADJUST the hearing aids.
For example, let's say a provider that offers private label hearing aid sells their practice or goes out of business, then a patient may be VERY limited as to where they can get their hearing aids adjusted. A patient cannot just go to any office to have their hearing aids adjusted. They must go somewhere that has access to the software required to adjust the hearing aids. Places that offer private label hearing aids often use this as a selling point. They advise their patients they can go to any of their stores and have their hearing aids serviced. Often those stores are very regionalized and many in the past have gone out of business.
When you come to The Hearing Center, we only offer hearing aids from major manufacturers. We do not try to obscure who makes the hearing aids we offer or what specific technology level those hearing aids utilize. If you purchase hearing aids from us and move away, whether it is around the country, or around the world, we will work to find you a provider that will service those hearing aids for you.
Any provider that works with the major manufacturers such as Resound, Oticon, Siemens (Sivantos), Phonak, Widex, Starkey can adjust the hearing aids we offer. This allows our patients to receive the best possible hearing health care!
For 30 years, that has always been our goal as we continue to provide Central New Jersey with the best and most comprehensive hearing healthcare there is. For more information and assistance with a locked hearing aid or anything concerning your hearing healthcare, book an appointment at one of our conveniently located facilities today!

Renovation is complete!

We are excited to announce that the renovation of our Manalapan office is complete! After completing the update of our equipment to computer based diagnostics, we decided to update the look of our office as well.

But don't just take our word for it, make an appointment and check out all of our latest advances in person!

Questions answered Cont...

6. What is the trial period or return period associated with the hearing aid purchase?Any Reliable location that offers hearing aids will offer a trial period of at least 30 days, with a limited non-refundable portion of the hearing aid purchase. 7. How long should my hearing aid last? Hearing aids should be usable for a good 5 years. Perhaps a wearer will want to replace them sooner than every 5 years, and some patients will wear their hearing aids longer than 5 years. We advise patients to expect 5 years out of their hearing aids. Places that recommend you replace them every 3 years should be looked at with a healthy degree of skepticism.

8. For how many years will this hearing aid be repairable if something were to go wrong? Hearing aids can almost always be repaired. Some places that sell hearing aids will not repair hearing aids once the device is over 5 years old. They will tell patients the hearing aids can no longer be repaired. That is not true. Some manufacturers may no longer support a hearing aid for repairs, however, there are outside labs and 'all-make' repair options.

9. Can the hearing aid being recommended integrate with other technology that I use in my day to day life? Most of the hearing aids that we recommend offer connectivity options. Some connect directly with devices such as iPhones and iPads. Some require intermediary devices to connect to other technology devices. However, virtually all of the hearing aids we offer have connectivity options.

10. Are more than 1 manufacturer of hearing aids offered here? Yes, we work with many of the major manufacturers. We work mostly with GN Resound and Oticon, but we also work with Phonak, Widex, Unitron, and others when necessary.

11. Are you an independent practice or are you owned by another entity? We are fully independent. Our owners are all audiologist in the practice.

12. How long have you been in practice? The Hearing Center was opened in 1986 by Dr. Judith Sandler and Dr. Meredith Rothenberg. In 2010 Dr. Eric Sandler became a parter.

13. How can I communicate with my provider if I have a problem. We offer communication via phone and email. Patients are welcome to contact us on off hours via email so that questions can be answer and problems can be addressed when office hours are not in session. We strive to offer access for our patients so that we may provide service unparalleled at any other practice.

14. Why is there such a price range when it comes to hearing aids? There is a wide variation in hearing aid technology as well as features and bells and whistles. Not every patient requires the most advanced hearing aids, and not every patient is well served with less expensive hearing aids. A decision as to what hearing aids are most appropriate for you is determined via a needs-based assessment.

Answers to the most important Questions!

These are the answers to these questions that you would receive in our Clinics: 1. What is the cost of the device and what is included with this cost?

A. It depends upon the technology level. We look to match the technology to the patient's lifestyle. The more active the person, the more likely they are to see increased value in more expensive technology. We Currently offer 5 price tiers of hearing aid technology.

2. How many years of service, how many office visits are included with the hearing aid purchase?

A. We offer cleaning and hearing aid checks for the life of the hearing aid at no charge and we do not limit office visits.

3. Are there costs for replacement parts (domes, receivers, filters, etc)?

We do not charge for domes. In warranty, filters and receivers are covered as well.

4. Will I be able to see the same provider at each visit or the same team of providers, or is staff constantly shuffled?

Patients are welcome to request the same provider for each visit.

5. Are hearing aid fittings verified with Real Ear Measurements?

Yes, we do offer real ear measurements at all of our offices for all of our hearing aid fittings

Keep an eye out for the answers to the rest of the questions you should be asking of your Hearing Health care provider.