OPERATIONS

Phonak Hosts Hearing Care for Adults 2009 Conference

Phonak, Stafa, Switzerland, with US headquarters in Warrenville, Ill, recently presented the second edition of the Hearing Care for Adults Conference, focusing on the special needs of the older population.

Presenters at the Phonak Hearing Care for Adults Conference included some of the world’s experts on hearing loss, psychoacoustics, and rehabilitation for older adults. For more information, listen to the podcast with conference moderator Louise Hickson at www.hearingreview.com/sciencetech.

The conference convened worldwide experts in aging and audiology and more than 250 clinicians who work with older people with hearing loss, to share experiences and discuss the latest research and trends in hearing care for older people.

In two and a half days of interactive sessions in Chicago, numerous presentations, a clinician’s forum, a poster session, and podium discussions addressed aspects of hearing care for the elderly. The speaker panel included experts from around the globe, presenting the latest research results and clinical insights on topics such as communication and aging, amplification for older adults, the impact of hearing on dementia, effects of aging on speech perception, and the special needs of the elderly.

Key sessions of the conference centered around the questions of screening adults for hearing loss, whether the current audiological approaches meet the needs of older people, how services and products might be adapted to ideally fit the needs of the elderly, and what role early intervention and prevention play.

Among the presenters were Robert W. Sweetow, PhD, from the University of California, San Francisco; Andi Vonlanthen, VP, group product development, and Stefan Launer, PhD, VP, advanced concepts and technologies, from Phonak AG, Switzerland; and Patricia B. Kricos, PhD, professor of audiology and director of the Center for Gerontological Studies at the University of Florida, and president-elect of the American Academy of Audiology.

Sonic Innovations President Paul Wennerholm and staff members present check to Jim Pugh, executive director of the Utah Food Bank.

Sonic Innovations Donates $10,000 to Feeding America Network

Sonic Innovations Inc, Salt Lake City, donated $10,000 to its local Feeding America network member food bank. Paul Wennerholm, the company’s president, gave the check to the Utah Food Bank at the nonprofit’s Salt Lake City location. Sonic employees also participated in an office food drive and volunteered time working in the food bank warehouse.

“Sonic has an international presence and provides hearing care services and solutions in more than 25 countries, but as an American company we can’t overlook the need of so many in our own country this holiday season,” said Sam Westover, the company’s CEO. “That is why we decided to do things differently this year by donating $10,000 to Feeding America through our local food bank in the name of our employees, associates, and partners, in lieu of buying holiday gifts.

“Feeding America is the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, and we felt their mission to feed America’s hungry and engage our country in the fight to end hunger was a great cause for us to support,” he added.

More than 100 Oticon associates and their families participated in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, the American Cancer Society’s largest fundraiser walk.

Dual Positively Pink Campaign Delivers $20,000 for Cancer Research

Oticon Inc, Somerset, NJ, donated $20,000 to the National Breast Cancer Coalition to support breast cancer research. During National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the company agreed to donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the special edition Dual Think Pink and all Dual hearing devices to support breast cancer research.

The donation is a result of the Positively Pink campaign that introduced Think Pink, the newest addition to the Dual portfolio of colorful, modern design, high-performance hearing solutions, says the company.

“We are pleased that the success of the Dual Positively Pink campaign has enabled us to communicate the benefits of our Dual product line and, at the same time, contribute to the fight against breast cancer,” said Peer Lauritsen, the company’s president. “This is obviously a campaign and a cause that resonates with our partners and their clients.”

Linda Ellerbee, award-winning journalist and the keynote speaker at Oticon’s 2009 Women in Audiology Conference, helped Oticon identify the National Breast Cancer Coalition. “I congratulate Oticon on the success of the Dual Positively Pink campaign,” said Ellerbee. “The campaign not only raises much-needed funding but also helps to build awareness for this important cause.”

Oticon employees also participated in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in New York City. Despite heavy rain and temperatures well below the seasonal average, more than 100 employees and their families traveled from the company’s New Jersey headquarters to New York City’s Central Park to participate in the American Cancer Society’s largest fundraiser walk.