HIA elects new leaders at annual meeting

The Hearing Industries Association (HIA) elected Paul Erickson as its new chair during its 2002 annual meeting, held February 28–March 1 in Miami Beach, FL. Erickson, president and CEO of Siemens Hearing Solutions, succeeded Michael Jones, president of Phonak, Inc. HIA also elected or re-elected seven members to 2-year terms on the board: Jones, Carsten Trads of GN ReSound, John Zei of Knowles Electronics, Jeffrey Bilas of Miracle-Ear, Randall Raymond of Rayovac Corp. (who was also re-elected secretary/treasurer), Mark Gorder of Resistance Technology, and Jerome Ruzicka of Starkey Laboratories (who was elected vice-chair). In his state-of-the-association report, Jones discussed the restructuring that HIA is undergoing in response to changes in the industry, including increased globalization and consolidation of the manufacturing sector. Following the recommendations of a task force on restructuring chaired by James Mulford of Phonic Ear, HIA has, among other steps, revised its bylaws, streamlined its committee structure, and improved its coordination with the European Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association, HIA's trans-Atlantic counterpart.Figure: Above: As his first official act as chair of HIA, Paul Erickson, left, presented a crystal sculpture to his predecessor, Michael Jones.Figure: Right: Susan Main, left, and Lisa Thomas of the Canadian Hearing Society, gave a spirited presentation on their organization's media campaign.HIA also extended its membership to manufacturers of cochlear implants, other implantable hearing devices, and assistive devices. Product-based special interest groups will be created within HIA to enable companies in each of the product types to identify specific opportunities and challenges and to guide HIA in addressing them. Areas in which work is moving ahead, said Jones, include strengthening the association's ties with allied organizations and developing a position paper on third-party pay for hearing aids. Jones reported on several areas of progress during the preceding year. These include: ❖ promoting and improving the use of electronic data interchange to increase efficiencies within the hearing industry ❖ helping to convince the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to give up its plan to auction off the frequency band reserved for assistive listening devices ❖ working with the FCC and the cell phone industry to resolve the problem of cell phone interference with hearing aids. A MOVING REMINDER After being formally installed as chair of HIA for 2002–2003, Paul Erickson delineated some the many challenges currently facing the association. In summary, he said, “We have our work cut out for us.” Erickson then turned his focus from specific, immediate issues to the ultimate and unchanging mission of the hearing industry—improving the lives of hearing-impaired people. He recalled how gratified he was to receive a letter recently from a mother in Des Moines, IA. The woman wrote that her son had a serious hearing loss and was also physically disabled. She had been advised that the boy would have to attend a special school, which, she feared, would cut him off from other children. However, her son was fitted with hearing aids and now, she wrote, “Thanks to your hearing aids, he is able to live a normal life.” Erickson concluded with a reminder: “There are a lot of people like that boy from Des Moines.” OTHER REPORTS Carole Rogin, the appointed president of HIA, told members that the association is in “a very excellent position.” Among areas of progress during the past year, she said, were converting HIA to an e-association. As a result, all correspondence to members is sent by e-mail. She also noted increased collaboration between HIA and other organizations, including the advocacy groups for hearing-impaired persons. HIA goals for 2002, Rogin said, include increasing the membership and member involvement and intensifying government relations efforts. David Woodbury, director of government relations, gave a status report on several major issues facing the industry, including: ❖ the Food and Drug Administration's proposed revision of the hearing aid rule, which is currently at a standstill ❖ FCC rulemaking related to making cell phones compatible with hearing aids ❖ federal and state initiatives in support of third-party reimbursement for hearing aids and hearing care. PROFESSIONAL LEADERS SPEAK As part of its commitment to building closer ties with allied organizations in hearing health care, HIA invited representatives of the four largest professional groups to address its members. Between them, the members of these organizations—the Academy of Dispensing Audiologists (ADA), the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and the International Hearing Society—represent the great majority of the customers of HIA companies. The speakers briefly described their particular organization's mission, activities, and plans. Robert Manning, AuD, the president of ADA, and Cynthia Ellison, AuD, the president-elect, spoke for their academy. Representing AAA were David Fabry, PhD, president; Angela Loavenbruck, EdD, who succeeded Fabry on April 1; and Laura Fleming Doyle, executive director. Describing ASHA's activities were Vic Gladstone, PhD, chief staff officer for audiology, and Susan Brannen, vice-president for professional practices in audiology. President-elect W.F.S. “Sam” Hopmeier, BC-HIS, and executive director Robin Clowers, BC-HIS, spoke for IHS. Lucille Beck, PhD, chief of speech pathology and audiology services for the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), reported that the number of hearing aids fitted by the VA has continued to increase, in part because many veterans of World War II have reached 80, the age at which the incidence of hearing loss is 50%. In 2001, the VA dispensed over 200,000 hearing aids, more than 10% of the entire U.S. market. However, Beck urged that hearing loss not be attributed to old age per se. After all, she noted, about half of those 80 and over have good hearing. Among her department's goals, said Beck, is to add audiologic status to the comprehensive electronic medical record that the VA is developing for all its patients. She said that the VA also hopes in the future to be able to take electronic or digital ear impressions of its patients. The biggest problem now facing the VA, she said, is delays in audiologic service to veterans, resulting from reduced staff and increased demand. MARKETING PROGRAMS MARKETED Leaders of three marketing and/or educational programs presented highly positive reports about their programs. John Olive, executive director of the Better Hearing Institute (BHI), updated HIA members on the revised program launched this year to encourage primary-care physicians (PCPs) to refer patients to hearing professionals. The BHI program, which is funded by HIA, provides participating audiologists and hearing aid specialists with a CD-ROM and other educational material to give to PCPs and their staff. The CD-ROM (which PCPs, nurses, and physician's assistants can get continuing education credit for viewing) contains information on the importance of identifying and treating hearing loss. It encourages PCPs to screen for hearing loss and refer patients with possible hearing loss to hearing professionals. Most importantly, said Olive, the program gives dispensers an opportunity to approach PCPs in their area in order to establish referral relationships with them. (For more on the program, see the December 2001 Hearing Journal, page 12, or go to www.betterhearing.org.) Olive said that his goal for 2002 is to enroll 2000 hearing professionals in the program and reach 20,000 PCP offices. Hear-It USA? Kim Ruberg, secretary-general of Hear-It AISBL in Brussels, Belgium, described the array of web sites (www.hear-it.org et al.) that his organization has created to raise awareness of hearing loss and hearing care among consumers, the press, hearing-impaired children and their parents, and government officials. Ruberg, who called Hear-It the world's largest non-commercial provider of information regarding hearing care, said that Hear-It and BHI are perfectly matched, because both seek to make people aware of the quality-of-life benefits of hearing aids. Therefore, he proposed that HIA help Hear-It establish a U.S.-oriented web site that would help BHI achieve its objectives. Changing attitudes Finally, Lisa Thomas, CEO of the Canadian Hearing Society (CHS), and Susan Main, CHC's director of communications, described and showed videotapes of their organization's new media campaign designed to change the attitudes of Canadians toward hearing loss and hearing care. (For more on the campaign, see the March 2002 Hearing Journal, page 9.) To illustrate how people with hearing loss are widely misrepresented and misperceived, Thomas and Main began their presentation attired in frumpy print dresses and assuming a comically exaggerated air of senility. Their point became clear when they told the assembled hearing aid manufacturers, “Your ads tell us that anyone who needs hearing aids is a doddering old biddy.” In fact, they said, after discarding their dowdy costumes to reveal youthful and sporty togs underneath, “We are not who you think we are. If you want to appeal to us, you need to change your attitude about us. Don't treat hearing loss as a geriatric condition.” That is part of the message that CHS is sending via its paid advertising campaign in Ontario. The initiative, said Main, “has been a huge success.” She and Thomas then encouraged HIA to consider licensing the program from CHS and using it to reach the consumer market in the U.S.

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