Andrew Hebert, vice president of EarQ, Rob Bennett, director of corporate strategy for EarQ, and Scott Davis, CEO of Siemens Hearing Instruments, address attendees at one of the events held June 4-6.
EarQ, Syracuse, NY, and its technology partners, Oticon, Siemens, and Starkey, recently held exclusive events for EarQ members to discuss the state of the industry and to help independent practice owners make the most of utilizing the most advanced programs and technology available today.
Held at each manufacturer’s domestic headquarters in Somerset, NJ, Piscataway, NJ, and Eden Prairie, Minn, respectively, the events provided independent hearing healthcare providers the opportunity to participate in open dialogues with EarQ and manufacturer executives. The talks centered around the recent pushes toward commoditization of hearing devices in the wholesale market and the effects on their patients. The group also learned about the patient-focused programs that EarQ provides, and received hands-on training on all the newest products.
“The move by some manufacturers toward commoditizing their medical devices and distributing through wholesale retailers could lead to the dilution of the manufacturer’s quality standards,” says Clifford Carey, communications director for EarQ. “And more importantly, the level of service required to fit those sophisticated devices,” he added. “By uniting our voices, we can stem the flow of commoditization in this healthcare field.”
During the events, the EarQ team, through its not-for-profit organization, the HearStrong Foundation, also celebrated several HearStrong Champions: figure skater Danielle Fanelle, New Jersey hearing aid legislation inspiration Grace Gleba, and educator Sara Lundquist.
Source: EarQ
