Impressions October 2015
The Two Most Important Things This has been a very exciting year and a lot has changed in the last 12 months. Last October we re-entered the Canadian market, started rolling out a new Shop-Within-a-Shop concept, Siemens Audiology was sold to a private investment company and re-branded Sivantos, Telehealth was created, tested, implemented, and we started construction of another shopwithin-a-shop concept rolling out this month. While implementing all of these new programs, we continued to acquire Scott Klein practices in the U.S. and Canada, opened around 15 “Greenfield” locations, added many new managed care contracts, and continued to provide great quality care and outstanding customer service to thousands of our existing and new patients. We will share the final numbers later but I believe we will grow our same condition sales (year-over-year, same stores open in both years) at almost double the industry, which tells you that people are choosing HearUSA over others. While we may not have achieved every single goal we set for ourselves at the start of the year, we accomplished most of them. Plus we added new accomplishments every month that were not planned at the beginning of the year. I would say we had a very, very good year. As you read this, the start of our new year is upon us. What challenges and opportunities does it bring us? There are many of both, but aren’t they really the same thing? First, how do we continue to provide better care and service than we have in the past? People expect more and know more about what other companies are providing every day. How do we lead and offer services and care better than anyone in our industry? Inside this issue...
Telehealth is one project that allows us to give better care and service, and lead the industry by offering this unique service. Patients will be able to have technological questions answered quickly and accurately without having to see the provider. The online technology in our centers is there to not only provide this service but to do it well. And we will be better than the competition and exceed the patients’ expectations for care and service.
Scott Klein
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Jill Botkin
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Canada
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Promotions
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Happenings
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In the Field
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Creative Ideas
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Our plans are to continue acquiring practices in Canada and the U.S. The challenge will be to integrate them into our existing regions faster and better and make sure the patients only experience additional care and services during the transition.
Kid at Work Day
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Good Job!
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New Employees
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Spring 2015 HIS Class
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(CONTINUED on page 2)
Authors
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(Continued from Page 1) We are going to open at least 15 “Greenfield” locations in the U.S. and Canada this year. The hard part is finding the perfect location in the perfect market that helps us become the best known and dominant hearing care company in that market. We will open new locations in both of our new Shop-Within-a-Shop concepts and by the end of the year we expect to have 25 or more of these locations open, tested, and ready for an aggressive roll out in the following years. These concepts have been proven successful in the U.S. and throughout Europe. We believe that the consumer is telling us that they want different venues to receive their hearing care, and we will be there to meet those preferences. We are also looking for additional opportunities to partner with large hospital systems throughout the country where we may be able to add value to their audiology departments. This could be a huge opportunity for the company to become better known in the medical community. All of the things we do, whether it is improving a process, or how we interact with patients, partners and each other help move our company forward. It is not “one big thing” but a continuous march forward. When you look back, you realize how far you have come, and we have come a long way in the past four years. While reading all of the things that we have accomplished and our goals for next year, you probably ask “But what does this mean for me?” Improvements and growth bring opportunities. It may not seem like those changes have taken place as we have grown, but think about the people we have in our company, and how many are in different positions today than a year ago? I think you will find that there are many people who have moved forward in their careers as this company has grown. No matter what the number is, I can assure you that I am not satisfied with that number. I want us to build a company that continues to create new opportunities for those with us today, for those that will join us tomorrow, and for this industry. After all this is said, the 2 things that we should focus on are taking great care of every patient, and creating opportunities for our colleagues. Thank you for a great 2015! I am excited with where we are today, and how we are poised to have an even better 2016! Best wishes,
Scott
EDITOR’S NOTE: In order to feature more field news, we need your help! Please send contributions via email to Impressions@hearusa.com. If you send photos, be sure to identify those shown. Thanks! 2
Being the Best As a company ,we constantly address our desire to provide a TotalCare patient experience that begins and ends with the utmost in customer service. We have provided training via FDA, company calls, regional and division meetings, and webinars on Audiology Online created by our own expert on customer service, Dr. Suzanne Younker. We have provided additional guidelines, tools and support to allow problems, complaints and concerns to be resolved at the center level. We continuously monitor what our patients are saying about the level of service we provide through the customer hotline, our website, and NPS patient surveys. With all of our combined efforts, we have seen a slight decrease in complaints that make there way to the Support Center.
Jill Botkin Sometimes I am disheartened by the number of complaints that still come in despite all of our Vice President efforts. I also realize we are in a service industry and the consumer can have unrealistic expectations at times. Having said that, close to 100% of the complaints we receive come across my desk and I read them. Often, I speak to the patient myself. And here is what I have learned - some of them we have truly done everything possible and it is just out of our hands. But at least half of them are a result of one of two reasons that we could have and can prevent. The most common complaint I see every week is hearing aid performance. It may be repeated repairs or a dissatisfaction with the hearing aid experience. Sometimes it is a simple issue of physical comfort. How does a patient reach the point of finding an 800 number or website to log these complaints? Are we being proactive when we know a patient is struggling? Are we paying attention and noticing when a patient is returning for a 3rd or 4th HA check? Have we reached out for support, a second opinion, or feedback? We have so many resources available to us that there really is no excuse to not have done everything possible to insure that every HearUSA and HearCanada patient is a successful and satisfied hearing aid user. The second most common complaint seen that we have total control over is the most embarrassing. "The staff was cold and uncaring"; "I was treated rudely"; "They were not friendly or helpful". Ouch! I am so proud of all that we have accomplished, who we are and what we stand for — the best hearing healthcare company in North America — so when I hear patients say these types of things I really get upset. Is it really hard to be friendly, warm and welcoming? When I speak to our center employees about these types of comments, they are either dismissed (he's a difficult patient/impossible to please) or denied (I never said that). Patients can be difficult. And they can be rude. But understand this — that does not make it ok for us to be rude back. Better to make it a fun game and challenge for yourself - I'm going to kill this guy with kindness! The only tactic I have ever seen work with these patients is total kindness and respect. And that is what I expect: That every patient, regardless of their demeanor or personality, is treated with total kindness and the utmost respect...yes, even when they may not deserve it. Denial of an interaction with a patient who complains that you were rude or unfriendly or uncaring is more a lack of realizing the patient may have a different perspective than you. Imagine that! How to avoid this? The simplest way is to pay attention to their demeanor and reaction. Do they seem uncomfortable or are they voicing dissatisfaction? Then acknowledge that and ask them how you can make the situation better: "I get the feeling you are unhappy. Can you tell me what I can do to make this better for you?" If you do not ask, they will not tell and you will be left thinking everything was fine while the patient leaves feeling like you did not care. I am committed to continuously improving the level of service we provide to our patients. I am committed to being known both inside and outside our industry as the company that provides the best patient customer service and experience in hearing healthcare. I believe each one of you desires this as much as I do. Together, we can make this a reality. One excellent patient experience at a time. 3
I have had the opportunity to visit both of our recent acquisitions in Canada. I am so excited to have Judy Keith in Peterborough, Ontario, and the Crystal Hearing group in British Columbia, join our HearCanada team. I was so impressed with all of the clinics I visited, but mostly by the people. How lucky HearCanada is to have such a strong, knowledgeable, and passionate group of hearing care professionals! It was clearly evident to me that each provider in every clinic delivers exceptional patient care with a true heart for helping more people hear better every day. It is wonderful that our first international expansion is with our neighboring country of Canada. Our expansion plans over the next two years will insure that HearCanada will become the industry leader. Leading our team in HearCanada are previous owners AndrĂŠ Marcoux in Ontario and Steve Wiens in British Columbia. We are also fortunate to have previous owner George Wiens as our Sales Trainer, Julie Stelmack, as Marketing Coordinator in British Columbia and Judy Keith continuing on in her role as Audiologist.
Jill
Welcome to our entire HearCanada Team!
Jill Botkin Vice President of Operations Ontario 80001 The Sound Room
Ottawa
80002 The Sound Room
Nepean
80003 Cornwall Audiology
Cornwall
80004 Hearing Unlimited by Chemong Audiology Bridgenorth 80005 Hearing Unlimited by Chemong Audiology Petersborough British Columbia – Crystal Hearing Centres 80006 Maple Ridge 80011 Abbotsford 80007 Chilliwack
80012 Crystal U (Head Office)
80008 White Rock
80013 North Vancouver
80009 Denman
80014 Broadway
80010 Langley
80015 West Vancouver
Center in British Columbia
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Congratulations on Your Promotions! Nuemy “Amy” Brown was promoted to the position of Insurance Contracts Administrator (East Coast) and will now work in the Contracting Department reporting to Paula England. Amy has worked in the Insurance Billing area where she contributed greatly on reducing the overall insurance AR as well as helped many employees in the field. Her previous position was in the Network Department as the Network Operations Coordinator.
Sandra Newby was promoted to the position of Network Operations Supervisor reporting to Michelle Wolf effective August 31. Sandra has worked in the Network Department for the past 3 years where she has verified insurance, provided customer service for the members and providers and other operational duties. Her previous positions were in the Call Center for 8 years as an Agent and then as a Team Lead.
Lisa Goodman was promoted to the position of Senior Marketing Coordinator (Acquisitions) and will continue to report to Lisa de Marinis.
John LeJeune was promoted to the position of Network Provider Representative reporting to Michelle Wolf effective September 8. John has worked in the Network Department for the past 15 months as a Network Sales Representative for AARP. His previous positions were as a PCC for 3½ years and in the Call Center for 2½ years on the management team.
Lisa has been in the marketing department for 2 1/2 years and has done an outstanding job managing the marketing plans and budgets for the Northeast and Southeast Divisions. She has excellent communications skills and an extensive marketing background. 5
On April 30th, our Akron/Parma provider Dr. Angie Damron had the opportunity to take part in the local Humana resource center’s 5 year anniversary. She spent the day presenting and providing hearing screenings. Great turnout!
On June 6th, the California region attended the Hearing Loss Association of America’s Walk4Hearing. The HearUSA team raised $1,245 to help this fantastic cause. They had a great showing of more than 30 employees, families and friends and a great time was had by all!
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Congratulations to the Camarillo and Ventura Staff for another fun and successful, annual expo! Even with the inclement weather, the staff made the best of it and captured 51 leads! The Chip Drop game was a hit as well. Laurie J. and Laurie Lee made up some small gift bags that correlated to the winning numbers on the game. Staff reports that the seniors loved it! Thank you to Barett St. Germain and Angel Ziesk for providing VO services. Thank you to Laurie Jabbour, Laurie Lee DeRemer for setting up the booth and staffing the event for the duration. Thank you to Kristina Holm for staffing the morning shift with Laurie J. and Laurie D. Each of your contributions made this another successful event! Laurie J. faxed the lead list to the respective centers earlier this morning to begin making calls. Thank you, again!
Shown in photos starting at top left and moving clockwise: Kristina H. and Laurie Lee D.; Angel Z. checking ears; attendee playing Chip Drop Game; Laurie J. and Kristina H., and Laurie J.; Kristina H. and Laurie Lee D. getting leads.
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Street Fairs in Suffern, NY as reported by Tom Biondi, HAD, BC-HIS and Sr. PCC Michele Ianuzzi. This was a tremendous success! We had 22 serious interests with 11 booked HAE's and the others are currently being called to schedule as well. The learning curve has been steep but throughout the day we changed our approach from time to time. The approximate number of attendees was about 6,000.
Out and About in the Field
Also from Tom Biondi in Suffern, NY (Center 42024): I would like to introduce you to our new patient Yolanda Seraci, 104 years old! Her life spanned 19 presidents going back to President Roosevelt and president Taft. She is absolutely an amazing woman full of energy and amazing stories.
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Congratulations to Megan Currie, Audiologist in the Heath, Ohio center on the arrival of her baby girl at 5:06 a.m. on September 27th. Mackenzie Reagan decided to come into the world a month early, weighing in at 4 lbs., 11ozs. and measuring 17 inches long. Mom and baby are doing great!
On Saturday June 20th, Colleen Evans PCC [Left] and Rupa Rao, Audiologist [Right] from the Dublin, Ohio center (#29412) participated in the "Be Well, Hilliard" 2015 Health and Wellness Fair. In addition to educating people who stopped at their table about hearing loss, they also performed video otoscopy!
WELCOME GREENFIELDS! SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA N. HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA SUN CITY, ARIZONA CUTLER BAY, FLORIDA
AND OPENING IN OCTOBER: FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK SIMI VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
CrystalClear Editorial Request In the next 3 weeks, you will be receiving the Fall issue of CrystalClear Magazine. If you need additional copies, please contact your Marketing Coordinator. Also, we are in search of interesting articles that your patients would like to read. Please send motivational stories that would help a Need-No-Sale come back in for a purchase! Let us hear your suggestions at Impressions@hearusa.com. Thank you! 9
Kate Kribbs, Sr. PCC for Boynton Beach Center #19008 is constantly thinking of new ways to engage her patients during Marketing Events. Here’s what she cooked up for her recent Test Event: If you test drive a binax, you receive a box of Rice Krispies...if you buy a binax, you receive a BIG BOX!
Making a good impression on physician’s visits was what Iris wanted to accomplish. At left is a great “goodie bag” for doctors to use and refer to when caring for patients with hearing loss. Great job Iris!
Iris Antonucci, BA, HAS, BC-HIS Area Manager Region 3
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Below: Sahil with mom Priti Bhandary, Insurance Systems Analyst. Above and to right: Sahil Bhandary (Mom Priti Bhandary), Jack Goodman (Mom Lisa Goodman) and Connor Osmond (Dad Darrin Osmond) learn about hearing screens and video otoscope.
Bring Your Child to Work Day At the Support Center
Above: Corey Brown, Jr. (Mom Amy Brown) enjoys exploring the Support Center.
On May 26th, Support Center staff participated in “Bring Your Child to Work Day.� Kids shadowed their parents, took a quiz about the HearUSA support center by asking different departments questions, and designed hearing aids. Of course, they were offered video otoscope screens from Suzanne Younker and Kerryn Lehman. At right, kids loaded into the booth...willingly! Some of the highlights were a pizza lunch, trips to the vending machines, and making copies.
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Congratulations on a Job Well-Done!
Beverly D’Cunha, Au.D. Doctor of Audiology Center 70501 Reseda, CA
Carl Chiasson , our Audiologist in the Kingston, NY office was published in the August 2015 edition of the Hearing Review. This interesting and wellwritten article may be read when you visit this link: http:// www.hearingreview.com/2015/07/traumatic-brain-injury-tbi-primer-hearinghealthcare-practitioner/ Carl has published several articles throughout his career, but this is the first time his article has appeared on the cover. Congratulations Dr. Chiasson! Well done! Carl Chiasson, Au.D. Doctor of Audiology Center 42207 Kingston, NY
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For years I have had hearing problems. Over the years, every audiologist I had seen, stressed that it was imperative that I get a hearing aid immediately. Vanity had kept me from purchasing one. Eventually, a call to my insurance company led me to HearUSA. As I entered HearUSA, I was cheerfully greeted by Kelly, the receptionist. A short time later after the hearing test, Dr. Danielle told me that my hearing was just "borderline." She was gracious, attentive, and an excellent teacher. She spent as much time as I needed to understand the whole picture. Her gentle manner helped me slowly change my entire thinking about wearing hearing aids. Now I am proud to wear them. I pass on to others the important information that she has taught me. Nabil Riad PS. Her office also has cookies.
Danielle Rosier, Au.D., F-AAA Center 19213 The Villages, FL
We like what we’re hearing!
Tom Biondi, HAD, BC-HIS Center 42024 Suffern, NY
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Terri Munevar joined the Support Center on May 11th as the new Procurement Specialist, reporting to Erick Evans. Terri moved to Florida in 2006 from Dallas, Texas where she grew up. For those of you not working at the Support Center two years ago, Terri was on staff as a temporary employee working in the Purchasing Department with Erick Evans for approximately 6 months. Terri knew some day she would be back at HearUSA which she feels is a company with great leadership and a place that made her feel welcome and a part of the family. Terri is excited to start this new chapter in her life at the Support Center.
Nathaniel Houston joined the Support Center on May 26th as a Customer Support Representative in the Call Center, reporting to Ron Knight. Nathaniel was born and raised in Chicago, IL where he grew to love free writing and basketball. He came to Palm Beach County, Florida after receiving a college scholarship. Nathaniel’s work history includes Sales as well as working as a Behavioral Assistant at a company assisting the developmentally disabled. He was a Mentor/Coach for a local basketball youth organization and continues to commit his spare time as needed. He considers himself a high level competitor that enjoys assisting and watching his team win while also reaching their individual goals. Nathaniel is super excited about being part of the HearUSA team.
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Camille Mayo joined the Support Center June 1st as Insurance Claims Specialist in the Finance Department, reporting to Vanessa Camacho. Camille is originally from Birmingham, Alabama. Her background is in Accounting and Process Management. She worked for FPL/NextEra for the last five years and Office Depot prior to that. Camille volunteers for Habitat for Humanity and has done PR and fundraising for some local non -profits. She loves all water activities, cooking, and entertaining.
Travis Cralle joined the Support Center on August 11th as the Lease Administrator reporting to Thomas Strauch. Travis has over 20 years of real estate experience assisting landlords, tenants and large corporate clients with national real estate portfolios. Travis' background in commercial real estate has been focused on financial analysis, acquisitions, dispositions, leasing and property management. Travis has handled complex transactions for clients on a national basis and has fostered strong contacts within the industry. In his spare time, Travis enjoys offshore fishing and participating in community events as well as helping his father's charitable organization which helps our wounded veterans. Ebony Henry began temping in the Finance Department and officially joined the Support Center on August 18th as Insurance Claims Representative, reporting to Denise Pottlitzer. Ebony has an extensive background working in Insurance Billing and Collections as well as Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivables for Orthopedic Practices and Nursing Facilities. She enjoys cooking, reading, sewing and jazz music.
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David Arnold joined the company on July 20th as the new National Accounts Manager reporting to Cindy Beyer. David grew up in Boca Raton and spent his summers in New Jersey. He graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Social Sciences. While there, he sat on the bench for the FSU football team and was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. David has about twenty years of experience in the Pharmaceutical and hospital field sales industries and has moved around a bit with his various roles and responsibilities. He has lived in the Virginia, West Virginia, Florida and Georgia. He is currently residing in Lawrenceville, GA, a suburb of Atlanta. Prior to that, he worked as a paramedic and in ER’s and OR’s. David is extremely excited to be a part of the HearUSA family. Everyone has made him feel very welcomed and has been very helpful in getting him up and running. He looks forward to what the future holds.
Welcome to all of our new staff! Kristen Marie Whitley joined the company on August 11th as the new Cash Management Specialist to Cuong Tran. Kristen recently obtained her Accounting degree at Palm Beach State College. While it has been challenging, she is now on track to achieving her goal. For the past 3 years, she worked at Publix as a Customer Service Office Staff Member. While the opportunity at Publix was great, she realized she needed a more steady work environment in line with her career goal. Prior to that, she put herself through school in between server jobs as well as office positions within the restaurant industry. Kristen enjoys spending time with family and friends, fishing as well as going out on the boat. Everything thus far has lead her to the moment to where she can finally be in a position on her career path and become part of a company that she will enjoy working for. Kristen is thankful for this opportunity. 16
Morgan Gelatt joined the company on August 17th as a Insurance Contracts Administrator reporting to Paula England. Morgan is originally from upstate New York and graduated from the University at Albany before relocating to South Florida where she attained her Master’s degree in Healthcare Management. Morgan was previously a medical practice manager, where she was responsible for insurance contract negotiations as well as the financial analysis of accounts receivable. In her spare time, Morgan enjoys painting classes and playing in an adult kickball league. Vanessa Camacho was temping in the Finance Department and officially joined the Support Center on August 24th as the New Insurance Team Lead, reporting to Debra Nielsen. Vanessa has over 20 years of experience in Insurance Billing and Collections in various roles with leading National Healthcare Providers, specializing in DME, Pain Management, and Pediatrics. In her spare time, Vanessa enjoys reading, writing, dancing, singing Karaoke, playing Scrabble and traveling.
Karen Allen joined the company on September 8th as the Human Resources Coordinator reporting to Steven Palin. Karen has over 15 years of payroll and HR experience. She has worked in law firms, the healthcare field and payroll services. Karen has lived in Florida most of her life and enjoys reading and traveling.
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Daria Doubek-Thompson joined the Support Center on August 31st in the Call Center as a Customer Support Representative reporting to Ron Knight. Daria grew up in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. After graduating high school, she moved to Florida to study business and hotel management at the College of Boca Raton which is now known as Lynn University. Upon completion of the course, she returned to Canada and began working in the Montreal area for the Holiday Inn chain of hotels where she remained for several years and then decided to try her hand at the hotel industry in the resort area of Banff Alberta. She made a decision to return to school and returned to the Toronto Area and attended York University to study Business Administration. Daria then worked for a major corporation in the accounting field working her way up from junior bookkeeper all the way to senior bookkeeper for the Montreal restaurants of McDonald's restaurants of Canada. After having done that for several years she decided that a change of pace would be good and therefore she decided to return to school and pursue healthcare attending the Toronto School of Business with training in medical secretarial where she graduated with honors and commenced working at a large hospital on the medical surgical unit. Daria, now with HearUSA, is looking for permanency and a place to belong. Nasser Alvarado joined the Support Center on September 8th as the New Network Sales Representative reporting to Michelle Wolf. Nasser is originally from Massachusetts and moved to Florida in 2001. He has been in sales for many years and eventually decided to go into the medical field. He worked in an urgent care center for the past three years gaining knowledge of the industry and business. Nasser feels that joining HearUSA is a great opportunity for him to advance his career.
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Tina Higdon joined the Support Center on September 8th as the New Network Sales Representative reporting to Michelle Wolf. Tina worked as an Inside Pharmaceutical Sales Representative for 6 1/2 years for one of the major pharmaceutical companies representing various medications. This involved in-depth clinical discussions with Physicians and Pharmacists to identify opportunities to support and educate them so they could better support their patient population. Tina’s duties included: Video Detailing for annual conferences, One-on-One Video Presentations with physicians, moderating Peer-to-Peer Physicians Educational Seminars on new product launches, and Pharmacy Phone Detailing with pharmacy directors. She also worked on a Business Development program to regain restricted or lost access to the large healthcare delivery networks on behalf of their client. Tina also enjoyed 18 years as a Flight Attendant for USAIR Airways, of which she flew the domestic and international routes. She has about 5 years experience in sales for various major retail Jewelry Companies including Littman, Mayors, and Gordon Jewelers. Her favorite hobbies are reading, baking, and assisting friends in redecorating their homes. She is an avid animal lover and has two wonderful rescued cats.
Ruben Acevedo joined the Support Center on September 8th in the Call Center as a Customer Support Representative reporting to Ron Knight. Ruben grew up in the Central New Jersey area (Perth Amboy). After graduation, he moved to Orlando to study at Valencia/UCF majoring in Communications. While in Orlando for 13 years, Ruben worked for Fortune 500 companies like AT&T Wireless, Suntrust Bank, Embarq Communications, and Sprint PCS. Finally in 2012, he moved to Houston, Texas and worked as an Assistant Office Manager for B&E Reprographics. After being isolated in the great state of Texas for 3 years Ruben and his wife returned to Florida but this time West Palm Beach to be around family. After a short time of moving homes, they found out the fantastic news that their first child (a boy) is due in February!
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Spring 2015 Hearing Instru Meet Our Newest Class of HIS Trainees These individuals join our current apprentices, totaling 21 individuals, within our company who are striving towards career growth. This is a rigorous process, requiring a lot of their personal time and energy, but the intrinsic reward of improving someone’s life is immense, not to mention the additional financial compensation opportunities. We are all aware of the increasing difficulty in finding qualified providers, and HearUSA strongly believes that our best source is our own resources! If you have ever sat at your desk and contemplated if hearing care might be an appealing career path for you, we encourage you to explore it. Your provider, Area Manager, or I can certainly provide you with information. A brand new world may just be waiting for you! To all our trainees – good luck and we are supporting you all the way!
Vi cki
Vicki Hamill Director of Quality Management Ashlee Pritchard
Torrance, CA #70511
Ashlee Pritchard has been working for HearUSA for the last three years. Her current position is as a Hearing aid Tech in our Torrance office in California. “I love what I do and wanted to take this opportunity to advance in my career. I would like to wish my fellow co-workers who are also in the program, the best of luck!”
Kelly Absher
The Villages, FL #19213
Kelly Absher joined HearUSA in July, 2014. She currently works at The Villages HearUSA as a PCC and Licensed Assistant Audiologist. She is a student-member of AAA and A.S.H.A. Kelly received a B.A. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University Central Florida and an A.A. specializing in Marketing and Public Relations from Seminole State College. She previously was contracted with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and National Institute of Health (NIH) traveling across the United States interviewing for NHANES government research project. Before starting as a researcher she owned and operated a Martial Arts & Leadership Academy and taught over 13,000 students about Stranger Danger in Seminole County, FL. She has owned several successful businesses and even traveled worldwide to play Professional Paintball for a few years. Kelly currently resides in Orlando, Florida.
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ument Specialist Trainee Class Denise Paez
Whippany, NJ
#40017
Denise Paez was born and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey and continues to live there today. She graduated from a 2 year community college with an Associate’s Degree in psychology and is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree. “I have developed an interest in audiology because of my daughter who was born with fluid in her ears and had difficulties hearing for over 2 years of her life.” As well as working as a PCC for 3 years, Denise finds great pleasure in seeing how much of a positive impact we have on our patients’ lives. “I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to work more hands-on with our patients in helping improve their lives as well as my own.” Her interests include doing new and exciting things with her family, arts and crafts, and trying new recipes and baking.
Jenika Folk
Anaheim, CA #70543
A newlywed who is enjoying life after crazy wedding planning, Jenika recently graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a B.A. in Communicative Disorders. She has worked in the hearing care field for the past 8 years and loves helping those with communication disorders. “Working for an Audiology office is what inspired me to go to school for communicative disorders.” Jenika enjoys traveling, spending time with family, and spending as much time at the lake as possible. “I also love to read and am a Jane Austen fanatic. My husband and I recently became parents to a golden retriever puppy in June.”
Roberto Guzman
Claremont, CA
#70507
Roberto Guzman is a passionate Hearing Aid Technician for the office located in Claremont, California. He has been employed by HearUSA for shortly under a year. On the weekends he enjoys playing in a Co-Ed softball league and sightseeing. Robert has years of experience in customer service and feels that working in the hearing care industry allows him to provide much more than customer service. Going forward, he is truly enthusiastic and greatly appreciative to have earned a spot in the HIS Trainee Program. “I've always dreamed of helping people, when this opportunity was presented, I felt that this fit my personality very well. Working in this industry is rewarding and I look forward to providing exceptional hearing care to current and future patients.” 21
Congratulations on Your Novels! Debra Nielsen, HearUSA Accounts Payable Manager has written and published her first book. “A few years ago I was reading a book and thought to myself, ‘I can totally do this!’ she explains. That night she sat down and started writing a book. Three years later, she has finally published it. Sideways — The Sideways Series Book 1 written under her pen name, Annie Carlisle. Olivia Prescott has everything…a beautiful home, a thriving company with her two best friends, a challenging career at the fire department, family and friends she loves, and then there’s Brownie, her beloved dog and best friend. She has everything…at least she did before the night she was attacked. Now she’s trying to pick up the pieces of her life so she can move on, but there’s someone out there determined to keep her from the happiness she deserves and a man with dark, soulful eyes that keeps trying to get involved in her life. Is she ready for something more with him, or is she not ready for the complications of a relationship? Gabriel Hughes is the CEO of his father’s security company that handles all types of dangerous situations around the world. He works long hours and he socializes only when he absolutely has to, but what he doesn’t expect are the dangers in his own life. Coming home from a long mission in Syria, Gabriel finds himself face-toface with the one person in the world that can take on his millionaire attitude and put him in his place…but does he want to get involved with a woman who keeps trying to push him away and has a whole host of problems herself? Will these two find the happiness they deserve with each other or will the dangers in their life collide and eliminate any chance they have? Visit Debra’s website at: www.AnnieCarlisle.com. Six years in the making, Holly Stalica, AP Specialist has also published her first book, First Generation, Book One, under her pen name Zoey Emerson. Always one of her goals, Holly never got around to writing and publishing her book until she finally just buckled down, focused and finished it. “If I could give one piece of advice to anyone even pondering writing a book it would be…just write the book! Write and write some more. That’s the easiest part.” First Generation is a Vampire book that includes Hailie’s great adventure taking her from a hum drum, everyday boring life to a spontaneous whirlwind of discovery. Monsters, mountains, caves, foreign countries and a little bit of romance, you can’t go wrong! Check out Holly’s website to read more details and purchase the book: www.zoeyemerson.com 22