Learning Labs

Presenter: Sam Bittel, AuD

Audiologists should be well versed in cerumen removal, particularly as the entry point for vestibular/hearing health care. As autonomous practitioners, managing cerumen is a crucial skill. This two-part didactic and hands-on workshop will provide the foundation/knowledge needed to become competent in cerumen management. This lab will cover the anatomy/physiology of the ear canal, cerumen properties, technical aspects of removal, managing incidents, infection control, state regulations, and billing. The second portion includes a demonstration of removal techniques/equipment and ends with hands-on experience.

Presenter: Lindsey Jorgensen, AuD, PhD

This session will explore patient complaints beyond initial hearing evaluations and fittings. It will cover selecting advanced hearing aid features tailored to patient needs and teaching participants how to verify that these features function correctly to meet those needs.

Presenter: Nathan D Cass, MD

This session will focus on CT and MRI imaging characteristics of common audiologic / otologic disorders that face the hearing health practitioner. Participants should expect to learn which imaging studies are typically ordered for different indications, and the essential details to evaluate for on such imaging. The clinical decision-making processes for these disorders will be discussed in light of imaging findings. Attendees will be given a series of patient care scenarios and asked to select optimal imaging studies using a multiple choice format; when study results are shown, attendees will be asked to give pertinent findings, again in multiple choice format. We will then discuss the appropriate studies and findings together, and how they bear upon the patient cases presented.

Presenters: Alyssa Needleman, PhD, Tracy Murphy, AuD, and Marie Vetter, AuD

This interactive 3-hour Learning Lab is designed to give practice owners and managers the tools and confidence to use financial data as a driver for smarter decision-making and practice growth. Attendees will bring their own practice numbers and work directly with them throughout the session, leaving with practical insights and actionable next steps tailored to their business. Through guided instruction, live demonstrations, and hands-on exercises, participants will learn how to read and interpret a Profit & Loss (P&L) statement, build a realistic sales forecast, and calculate their true hourly rate. Along the way, they’ll see how small changes in revenue, expenses, or patient flow ripple through the financial picture, and how to apply these insights to everyday decisions like staffing, pricing, and service expansion. By the end, each attendee will walk away with at least three concrete action steps, plus a suite of tools, including an annotated P&L, forecasting template, and hourly rate calculator, that they can immediately use to strengthen financial decision-making and ensure long-term practice sustainability.

Presenters: Hannah Siburt, AuD, PhD; Jean Mankowski, PhD; Margaret DeRamus