Hearing Matters Podcast: Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss and Tinnitus
Welcome to the #1 Hearing Aid & Hearing Health Podcast with Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS! We combine education, entertainment, and all things hearing aid-related in one ear-pleasing package!
In each episode, we'll unravel the mysteries of the auditory system, decode the latest advancements in hearing technology, and explore the unique challenges faced by individuals with hearing loss. But don't worry, we promise our discussions won't go in one ear and out the other!
From heartwarming personal stories to mind-blowing research breakthroughs, the Hearing Matters Podcast is your go-to destination for all things related to hearing health. Get ready to laugh, learn, and join a vibrant community that believes that hearing matters - because it truly does!
Episodes
230 episodes
Friday Audiogram: Who Counts As A Professional Degree?
Jill Desjean, Director of Policy Analyss at the NASFAA joins us as we unpack how a legacy definition of professional degrees now shapes graduate loan limits and why that affects the pipeline for licensed clinicians. We map the rulemaking timeli...
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9:36
Making Sense of the Student Loan Changes and Professional Degree Definition
Policy just moved the goalposts on graduate borrowing. We invited Jill Desjean, Director of Policy Analysis at NASFAA, to break down the new federal definition of “professional degree,” why it leans on a le...
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23:47
Friday Audiogram: The Day A Mother's Voice Turned Her Baby’s Head
A whisper can change an entire family’s future. When Ally was born with microtia and aural atresia, her parents were told she wasn’t a candidate for a cochlear implant—and they left the hospital thinking that was a good thing. In this Friday au...
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6:41
Microtia, Atresia, and Hearing Loss with Melissa Tumblin, Founder of EarCommunity
A birth surprise. A scramble for answers. And a mother who refused to accept “good enough” when her daughter’s hearing—and future—were on the line. We sit down with EarCommunity.org founder Melissa Tumbli...
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48:10
Friday Audiogram: Starkey Omega AI's DNN 360 Explained
What if your hearing tech could tell who you want to hear—even while you’re walking—and lift their voice above the crowd? We dive into Starkey Omega AI's DNN 360, a new approach that blends deep neural network noise management, intelligent dire...
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2:39
When Effortful Listening Ends, Relationships Heal
The quiet slide from “Huh?” to “I can hear” is rarely a straight line. Jerry—a veteran, entrepreneur, and university instructor—opens up about years of coping with a high-frequency hearing loss that turned restaurants into noise walls and class...
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26:14
Saturday Spotlight: A Modern Path To Better Hearing
Waiting years to get help for hearing loss isn’t a character flaw—it’s a sign the system still feels risky and confusing. Dr. Melanie Hecker set out to change that with a path that honors courage, leverages smart tech, and puts real choice in t...
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10:00
Friday Audiogram: Your Glasses Are Fun—Why Are Hearing Aids Still A Secret?
We dig into how Bluemoth reimagines the path to better hearing by pairing prescription hearing aids with a modern, direct-to-consumer experience that respects privacy, reduces stigma, and preserves clinical outcomes. Born from years of brick-an...
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9:46
How BLUEMOTH is Redesigning Access to Hearing Health
Stigma keeps more people from hearing help than price does, and we’re tackling that head on with a model that puts privacy, speed, and clinical integrity at the center. Blaise sits down with Dr. Melanie Hecker, founder of
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47:49
Friday Audiogram: Pivot, Protect Your Peace, Serve Patients Better
Stuck in a month where nothing clicks and every push feels like quicksand? We unpack a better way with Dr. Brad Stewart, who built a mobile audiology practice, scaled a high-volume vestibular clinic, and then made the hardest call of all: shut ...
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10:31
He Brought Hearing Aids To Bingo Night And Built A Practice
Imagine programming hearing aids while the TV is actually on, or fine-tuning a patient’s settings in the middle of a lively social hour—with high ceilings, echo, and live music. That’s the power of mobile audiology, and it’s where our conversat...
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24:04
How A Dentist’s Tech-Forward Practice Can Transform Hearing Healthcare Patient Care
What if your patients could watch quality take shape right in front of them? We sat down with a tech-forward dentist, Dr. Michael Walker, to map the playbook hearing clinics can use...
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38:26
Friday Audiogram: Real Ear Measurement (REM) with Dr. Steven Taddei
Ever wonder why some hearing aids feel too loud yet somehow still muddy? We dig into the exact method that fixes that mismatch: real ear measurement. By placing a tiny microphone in the ear canal, we verify whether amplification reaches prescri...
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9:08
From Recording Studio To Audiology Clinic feat. Dr. Steven Taddei
What happens when a seasoned audio engineer becomes a doctor of audiology? You get a refreshingly clear path from “that sounds tinny” to real, measurable improvements in speech clarity. We sit down with Dr. Steven Taddei to unpack how studio sk...
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34:57
Friday Audiogram: Patient First, Technology Second
Start with a person, not a feature list. That’s the thread that runs through our conversation with Brandon Sawalich and Dr. Dave Fabry about how hearing technology actually improves lives: by putting the patient first, then letting smart tools ...
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10:28
Starkey Omega AI feat. Brandon Sawalich and Dr. Dave Fabry
Want to know what “better hearing in noise” actually sounds like when AI, sensors, and human care work in sync? We bring together Starkey’s president and CEO,
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45:31
Hearing Loss and Dementia: Understanding the Link, Restoring Hope
Dementia is rising, and the toll is personal, social, and economic. From there, we move into a conversation that blends hard data with real life—how hearing loss can quietly erode connection, increase cognitive load, and, according to leading r...
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36:34
Friday Audiogram: When You Can Hear But Can't Understand
Have you ever met someone who says they can hear perfectly fine, but still struggles to understand speech, especially in noisy environments? That puzzling disconnect might be explained by Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) – a conditio...
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9:29
Central Auditory Processing Disorder with Dr. Angela Alexander
The mysterious disconnect between hearing and understanding affects millions worldwide, yet remains largely undiagnosed and untreated. Dr. Angela Alexander pulls back the curtain on auditory processing disorder (APD), revealing why so many peop...
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38:23
Friday Audiogram: Beyond Real Ear Measurement - Why Patient Perception Matters
Ray Woodworth takes us on a deep dive into the nuances of hearing aid fittings, sharing insights from his dual perspective as both a 47-year hearing aid wearer and an industry professional. He challenges the notion that real ear measurement alo...
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9:40
The Human Touch in Hearing Care with Ray Woodworth, BC - HIS
Ray Woodworth, a 25-year veteran in hearing healthcare, brings his passion for perfection in ear impressions to this compelling conversation about the art and science of customization. Having been mentored directly by Starkey founder Bill Austi...
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46:04
Friday Audiogram: From Classroom to Capitol - Why Advocacy Education Matters
Ever wonder why some hearing healthcare professionals seem so passionate about advocacy while others shy away? Our conversation dives into the heart of building an advocacy culture that transforms not just legislation, but patient care itself.<...
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10:45
What if We Managed Tinnitus Differently?
Jeffery Reagan's journey from surviving a heart transplant to pioneering tinnitus care innovation offers a masterclass in turning personal adversity into meaningful healthcare transformation. After experiencing a heart attack on Mount Kilimanja...
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38:01
Friday Audiogram: Unmasking Tinnitus with Dr. Alexandra Tarvin
Ever wonder why your ears won't stop ringing? The answer might surprise you. Welcome to our brand-new Friday Audiogram series! Every week, we'll deliver a concentrated 7-10 minute dose of hearing healthcare wisdom you can enjoy any...
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7:38