Award-winning journalist and keynote speaker Linda Ellerbee, and Peer Lauritsen, president of Oticon Inc, at conference.

Award-winning journalist Linda Ellerbee, keynote speaker for the second Women in Audiology conference, sponsored by Oticon Inc, Somerset, NJ, invited the 200 participating women hearing care professionals to “accept change, survive it, and even embrace it,” Oticon reports.

Ellerbee’s views on succeeding in a changing professional and personal landscape set the tone for the national conference held in Indian Wells, Calif, which explored topics of special relevance to women in hearing care, such as leadership, personal and professional growth, financial planning and staff, client, and office management, according to Oticon.

“The success of our first Women in Audiology conference demonstrated the need for innovative and relevant knowledge-sharing opportunities that speak directly to the needs of women professionals in hearing care,” said Peer Lauritsen, president of Oticon Inc. “Women in hearing health care represent an estimated 70% of the profession. This conference provides an opportunity for them to connect, learn, and support one another as they work toward creating meaningful change in their professional and personal lives.” 
 
Presentations by women in business and audiology included financial planning expert Marcia Bloernendaal’s “Creating an Action Plan: What Every Woman Should Know,” focusing on the factors that make the financial world of women unique. Sharon Sandridge, PhD, director, Audiology Clinical Services and co-Director, Audiology Research Lab and Tinnitus Management Center at Cleveland Clinic, explored the aging process from the perspective of practitioners and patients, and offered guidelines for aging well. Gail Whitelaw, PhD, clinic director at Ohio State University, discussed leadership theories that apply to women and outlined skill sets to grow leadership abilities.

Workshops and breakout sessions throughout the 2-day conference covered a range of topics from marketing in a challenging economic climate to understanding how personality impacts professional and person relationships, says Oticon. A workshop on ecofriendly offices provided strategies for making office environments greener and healthier.

For more information on the conference contact [email protected].

[Source: Oticon]