Inspire, Ignite, Achieve! – guest post by Women Unite

Posted on November 5, 2014 by AU Bankaitis

women UniteWomen Unite is a Facebook Community established on June 24, 2014 to provide women a forum for discussing and exchanging information about balancing life and work. Created by four female audiologists, the goal of Women Unite is to INSPIRE other women to do something they never imagined they could, IGNITE each other to start somewhere, and help each other ACHIEVE their goals! Women Unite is a platform where women from different walks of life can assist in empowering each other to reach for what they want and to share experiences or advice along the way. If you are looking for a positive environment of encouragement and leadership, be sure to check out the Women Unite community on Facebook.

Women Unite will be showcased live for the first in the form of a special four-hour course on Sunday, November 9th from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in conjunction with the 2014 Academy of Doctors of Audiology Convention at Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Natalie Phillips, D’Anne Rudden, Gyl Kasewurm, and A.U. Bankaitis, the four founding “sisters” of Women Unite, will discuss the challenges women face throughout the audiology profession while sharing critical information to help attendees gain a comprehensive understanding of current trends in compensation and practice management. In addition to strategies for negotiating, maintaining a professional image, and interviewing, participants will also learn how to network with other like-minded women to balance the environments between life and work. Join these remarkable women and discover how to enhance your practice operations, patient satisfaction, and generate an atmosphere conducive to better performance, efficiency, and profitability.  Women Unite is included with ADA convention registration. We look forward to seeing you in Vegas! #inspire #ignite #achieve.

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Fall Back for some real Daylight Savings!

Posted on October 30, 2014 by AU Bankaitis

clockDaylight saving time will end this upcoming Sunday whereby clocks will “fall back” officially at 2:00 am local time for those areas observing this practice. It was originally adopted by many countries as a means to conserve fuel during World War I.  The main motivation for adopting daylight savings was to essentially save money. With this time change just around the corner, it seems appropriate to remind my fellow #audpeeps of how they can “fall back” into some sweet deals on popular hearing healthcare products for some real savings. Looking for an electronic impression gun? Need a good headlamp with magnification? Don’t want to pay full price? Keep reading.

The Oaktree Outlet Store offers slightly used products at pretty super-duper mark-down prices.  While the products are not technically new, every product offered through the Oaktree Outlet Store has been tested and confirmed fully functional with the condition of the merchandise and packaging fully disclosed in the product description. As items are otp-outlet-store5sold, they are replaced quickly with other items reserved for the Oaktree Outlet Store; you may want to consider checking out these goodies on a pretty consistent basis (i.e. every Friday) as offerings change pretty quickly. To check out the latest deals with pricing information, log into your account at the Oaktree Products login page, and the select OUTLET STORE from the blue menu bar on the left hand side of the page. You can also ask customer service about current deals when calling in to place your regular orders. Happy Oaktree Outlet Store shopping!

Posted in Audiology, Cerumen Management, Hearing Assistance Technology, Impression Material, Otoscopes, Headlamps & Earlights, Tools & Accessories | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Fall Back for some real Daylight Savings!

Product of the Moment for #AudPeeps: Mirror-Go-Round

Posted on October 23, 2014 by AU Bankaitis

mirrorDon’t you wish you could show your patients how their new hearing instruments look in their ears without having to break out that huge mirror and positioning it just so in order for it to reflect to the other main mirror your patient is using to try to see their ear? Half the time they end up seeing the back of their head anyway. So annoying and yet so unnecessary! Just last week I attended a regional meeting where I had the opportunity to interact with about 400 audiologists and hearing instrument specialists. Hands-down, the undeniable product of the moment during last week’s meeting was the  Mirror-Go-Round.  If you dispense hearing instruments and/or program cochlear implants, this is a must-have-product for your clinic.

MGR94The Mirror-Go-Round is a four-panel expandable mirror specifically designed to enable visualization of your own ears, ear canals, sides and back of the head. Use the Mirror-Go-Round when teaching patients proper insertion of hearing instruments and/or to show how undetectable their thin tube has become after treated with Vanish. Better yet, offer it as an optional resale accessory for patients to take home with them! Let kids see how cool their Ear Gear  looks when they wear their hearing instruments. The Mirror-Go-Round folds up so it is both compact and portable. For about $10, this is one of those no-brainer things all #audpeeps should have on hand.

Posted in Audiology, Hearing Instrument Technology, Tools & Accessories | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hey #Audpeeps! “Gogh” for it & make some “Monet”

Posted on October 15, 2014 by AU Bankaitis

OTP coverChannel your inner Picasso, your Milton Glaser, or your Ansel Adams for a chance to have your art work showcased on the cover of the 2015 Oaktree Products Catalog! No need to be a starving artist either as the winner will receive a $250 cash prize!  Submissions may be composed of any print medium (i.e. original photograph, stock photo with proof-of-purchase, original artwork, etc.) and ideally include a representation of an oak tree and/or some other applicable representation of Oaktree Products.  Submission requirements are as follows:

  1. oaktree covermagentasolidback#3.epsEach original submission must be emailed to Oaktree Products at otp@oaktreeproducts.com in PDF form or by mail to Oaktree Products Catalog Cover Contest, 610 Spirit Valley East Drive, Chesterfield, MO 63005 and postmarked no later than November 17, 2014.
  2. Submission should allow for standard Oaktree Products Catalog text on the front cover, back cover, and spine.
  3. Cover size must be 11” x 17” with ¼” center gutter/binding area that also allows for 1/8” bleed
  4. 300 dpi
  5. CMYK full size color

NOTE: PDF file will be used for judging purposes; selected winner will be responsible for submitting standard file necessary for print publication at later date.

There is absolutely no fee for participation.  Individuals can submit more than one entry. Submissions MUST be postmarked no later than November 17, 2014.  The winner will be chosen by the Oaktree Products Catalog committee and notified within 28 days of the closing date. Click full list of contest rules to read up on details.

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The Connection of Ebola Virus to Audiology

Posted on October 9, 2014 by AU Bankaitis

ebolaMainly reported in the countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, the arrival of Ebola haemorrhagic fever to the United States is making people feel a little uneasy and a bit scared. While this disease may be perceived as new, the Ebola virus has been around for some 30-40 years. According to infectious disease experts, the virus is not spreading any differently today than it has in previous outbreaks with the average American considered to remain to at low risk for infection (see The Most Destructive Myths About Ebola Virus, Debunked by Anna Almendrala of the Huffington Post).

cdc logoAs outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Ebola is spread through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes in, for example, the eyes, nose, or mouth) with blood or body fluids (including but not limited to urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk, and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola. The World Health Organization (WHO) concurs that Ebola is not an airborne virus and cannot be spread like the common cold or flu. Humans are not considered infectious until symptoms develop which typically manifest 2 to 21 days after infection. Initial symptoms include sudden onset of fever (>38.6°C or 101.5°F), muscle pain, severe headache and sore throat.  This is followed by vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and, in some cases, both internal and external bleeding (e.g. oozing from the gums, blood in the stools).

icbookSo, what is the connection of Ebola to Audiology? As healthcare workers, audiologists must control the potential spread of disease in patient-care environments by adhering to standard precautions when caring for patients, regardless of their presumed diagnosis. This includes basic hand hygiene procedures and the use of appropriate personal barriers (i.e. gloves, masks, gowns) when performing procedures that may potentially expose the clinician directly or indirectly to blood, ear drainage, mucous, cerumen, saliva, or any other potentially infectious substance, take necessary precautions. For a quick refresher on infection control basics, check out my previous blog posts Five Key Points of Infection Control, Wash Your Hands!, and Get Your Audiology Practice Under Control.

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What is the #OaktreeGoldenTicket? – guest post by Oaktree Products, Inc.

Posted on October 2, 2014 by AU Bankaitis

ticketOAKtober is the official month of Oaktree Products and represents not only a time to appreciate our employees, but to reaffirm our commitment to the highest level of service to our customers.  This year, in honor of OAKtober, we want to THANK YOU for your business over the 20 plus years. During OAKtober of 2014, 25 lucky customers will receive a GOLDEN TICKET in their shipment from OAKTREE PRODUCTS!! All you need to do is place an order in OAKtober for a chance to win redeem some great prizes from us including things like free shipping for the remainder of the year or perhaps a o$50 or $100 credit on a future order with Oaktree Products!  Be sure to share you winning moment on various social media outlets using the hashtag #OAKTREEGOLDENTICKET.  Let the fun begin #audpeeps and a very happy OAKtober to all of you!!!!

OTPEstablished in 1992, Oaktree Products, Inc. serves as a resource for audiologists and other hearing health care professionals with a commitment to providing the highest level of customer service. As a mutli-line distributor of hearing health care products, the company offers over 4200 different products intended for use in the clinical environment or for resale to patients. In addition, Oaktree Products is a resource to the hearing industry and hearing health care professionals, offering information, product solutions, and technical training/education in various areas of clinical practice including hearing assistance technology, cerumen management, and infection control.

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Quick Reference on Amplified Stethoscopes for Hearing Aid Wearers

Posted on September 24, 2014 by AU Bankaitis

helpEvery week I receive at least one phone call from a fellow audiologist asking for an amplified stethoscope solution for a patient who is a medical professional and current hearing instrument wearer.  I can’t tell you how often I get a phone call from the actual medical professional who is looking for an amplified stethoscope solution that would work with his or her hearing aids. Unfortunately, unless the user is willing to remove their hearing instruments and use an amplified stethoscope in the traditional way, there isn’t one end-all, be-all magic solution. Here is a summary of a post from 2013 that lists  potential solutions for consideration, keeping in mind that it is best to have at least a couple potential solutions available to see if something works:

FOR RIC or OPEN-FIT BTE WEARERS:

1. Try a traditional amplified stethoscope (i.e. 3M Littmann, E-Scope II with traditional earpieces, Adscope, or Thinklabs DS32A) with the user leaving hearing instruments in the ears.

2. Try the modified E-Scope II with standard (model #718-7710) and/or oversized headphones (model #718-7715).

3.  In the presence of a streamer, another option is the E-Scope II with headphones (model #718-7710) with an E-Scope patch cord (item #711-7129) to hardwire it to the streamer.

FOR CUSTOM HEARING INSTRUMENT WEARERS:

1. Replace traditional stethoscope earpieces with special adapters called stethomate tips; success rate is very low but may work.

2. Have special earmolds designed to serve as an interface between the custom hearing instrument and the stethoscope earpieces.

3. Invest in the modified version of the E-Scope II amplified stethoscope with headphones (model #718-7710).

Couple of key things to keep in mind:

NOTE: in either situation, re-programming of the hearing instrument by the audiologist will be necessary.

NOTE: if none of the above suggestions work, the only other option is to remove hearing instruments and to use a stand-alone amplified stethoscope during auscultation procedures.

NOTE: The Audiologist’s Choice Bluetooth Amplified Stethoscope (AC-Scope) has been removed from the market due to signal transmission issues

For more in-depth information on the above recommendations, see the original post Amplified Stethoscopes & Hearing Instruments – Current Solutions from July 2013.

Posted in Amplified Stethoscopes, Audiology | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Shed Some Light on New Ear Light

Posted on September 10, 2014 by AU Bankaitis

12AAAPEN-BEvery audiologist needs an ear light, right? I just came across a new energy efficient LED light that is worth a shout out.  The Econ LED Ear Light with Probe Tip (item# 12AAAPen-B) is available for about seven dollars but don’t let the price fool you; despite the low price point, this ear light feels substantial when held in the hand.  The LED is designed to last 100,000 hours.  Let me do the math for you.  Should you choose to leave the Econ LED Ear Light with Probe Tip continuously in the ON position 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, other than needing to change out the batteries (two AAA required), the bulb would last almost 11.5 years. Unless you are Larry Mazzeo of Rolla, Missouri, I know of no other audiologist working 24/7.  So, for about seven bucks, you have a product whose LED bulb is designed to last close to 50 years.

Oaktree Logo - CircleWhat is the catch? There really isn’t one other than the actual LED light has Rayovac etched on its anodized aluminum body. The product comes pre-packaged with two AAA batteries.  Oaktree Products also includes a straight probe tip, making it the perfect ear light for ear dam insertion. The even better news is that the Econ LED Ear Light will accommodate the Led Lenser straight probe tip (item# 24141) as well as the stainless steel (item# 24144) and nylon wax loops (item# 24145). So, even if you have a propensity to lose things, seven dollars for an awesome ear light is a worthy investment.  To order your new, awesome ear light, contact Oaktree Products at 800.347.1960 or order online at www.oaktreeproducts.com.

Posted in Audiology, Otoscopes, Headlamps & Earlights | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments