Services
The following services are offered by the Hamot Audiology Department:
- Complete adult hearing assessments for decreased hearing, dizziness and tinnitus
- Comprehensive pediatric hearing assessments for newborns through school-aged children
- Evoked potentials – auditory, visual and somatosensory neurological assessments
- Electronystagmography (ENG) evaluations for dizziness/vestibular function
- Hearing aid selection and fitting (competitive prices and a 30-day trial period)
- Hearing aid repairs and follow-up services
- Ear protection for swimming and hearing (including hunting and firearm use)
- Custom ear pieces for cell phone and other hands-free communication devices
- Monitoring of hearing for patients on ototoxic medications that may result in permanent hearing loss (i.e. chemotherapy)
- Sedated hearing assessments for difficult to test children
- Hearing aid provider for children on medical assistance
- Real measures for hearing aids to ensure that hearing aids are providing the most appropriate gain and output (essential for fitting pediatric patients)
- Assistive listening devices
- Central Auditory Processing Evaluations (Available 10/07)
Hours and Contact Information Hamot’s Audiology Department is located on the Ground Floor of the South Complex at the Medical Center. Hours of service are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call (814) 877-2537 for appointments and (814) 877-2820 for audiology questions. A limited number of early morning appointments are available.
How do I know if I need to see an audiologist?
- You frequently need to ask people to repeat themselves or to speak more loudly.
- You have difficulty hearing in a noisy room or avoid social situations such as restaurants or parties where noise can make it difficult to hear.
- You have ringing in your ears
- You have dizziness or loss of balance.
- You have difficulty hearing on the telephone
- You have difficulty hearing alarms on watches or birds singing.
- You have a history of hearing loss in your family
- You turn up the television to a volume level that disturbs others.
How do I know if my child may need to be evaluated by an audiologist?
- Your child is not developing speech/language skills as quickly as other children his or her age (see speech/language milestones).
- Your child has frequent or persistent ear infections.
- You have concerns about your child’s hearing capabilities:
- does not respond consistently to both soft and loud sounds
- needs the television turned up very loud to hear
- often asks you to repeat what you say to him or her
- seems overly sensitive to loud sounds
- talks loudly
- has trouble localizing sound direction (telling where is sound coming from)
- Your child has a risk factor for hearing loss in children:
- family history of permanent childhood hearing loss
- history of bacterial meningitis
- history of head trauma with loss of consciousness or skull fracture
- identification of syndromes associated with hearing problems
- some cancer treatments
Frequently asked questions:
Will Medicare Cover Hearing aids?
No, but the Hamot Audiology Department offers very competitive prices on digital hearing aids including entry-level to high-end products. Hearing aids are dispensed on a 30-day trial period. The full cost of the hearing aid will be refunded if hearing aid is returned.
Do I need a physician referral for audiology services?
To bill Medicare and most other insurance plans a physician referral is necessary, please check with your individual insurance carrier for referral criteria.
