Hear ye, hear ye: Audiologist hangs shingle in the Orchards

May 22--A woman who thinks her only hearing issue is not being able to decipher what's said on television probably has experienced other auditory losses.

That's something that Anne Simon has learned in 20 years as an audiologist. She recently moved from La Grande, Ore., to Lewiston to open her own practice, Simon Audiology and Tinnitus in the Lewiston Orchards.

Talking with patients provides important clues about how dramatic their hearing loss is and what solution might be best, Simon said.

"First I like to listen intently to everything they say, and then I do testing," Simon said. "I put that information together and come up with a plan."

People's lifestyles are critical in selecting treatment. A professional with a young family often will need more sophisticated technology than a senior citizen in a nursing home, Simon said.

The professional likely needs to be able to hear in a number of settings, such as teleconferences, sports games, on cellphones and face to face. In contrast, the senior's interactions are more likely to involve other nursing home residents, health care professionals and visiting family members.

Generally the devices are becoming smaller. One of the most common ones she prescribes is less than an inch long and has a clear wire that goes into the ear, making it barely detectable.

At the same time, with the popularity of Bluetooth devices, it's becoming more common for people to have apparatuses by their ears.

"There's not the same social stigma there used to be," she said.

Simon tries to give her patients what they need, while also working to ensure that prices are reasonable. Typically the cost of hearing aids starts around $2,000 and goes up from there, Simon said. "If you want all the bells and whistles, you're going to pay three times that much."

For those on Medicare, it pays for hearing aids when patients have been referred by a physician because of symptoms such as hearing loss, ringing in their ears or pain.

What private insurance covers varies by the plan. The practice also works with patients on payment plans.

Simon has been an audiologist for two decades, but this is the first time she has had her own practice. Her experience includes working for the University of California Medical Center Davis, in Sacramento for 16 years and about one year at Eastern Oregon Audiology in La Grande.

Before entering the field, she earned bachelor's and master's degrees in audiology. Later, she picked up a doctoral degree in audiology from Salus University in Elkins Park, Penn.

She and her husband chose Lewiston because the area is underserved, is a great place to raise their 10-year-old daughter and has outstanding places for them to pursue their pastimes of hiking and camping.

Simon Audiology & Tinnitus is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays at 1022 Bryden Ave., behind Rosauers Supermarket. The telephone number is (208) 746-7022.

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Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.

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