Transforming lives through hearing care

Heather Graves

Staff

September 2, 2024

MARSHFIELD – Maria Seefeld said her journey into the hearing care industry began more than a decade ago – sparked by an experience she had with a dementia patient while working as a CNA.

“He was being treated as nonverbal almost because (his) hearing loss was so profound and he didn’t have hearing aids when he was brought into the facility,” she said. “While he was there, his wife brought in an old pair of hearing aids and said, ‘I don’t know if you can get him to wear them, but here you go.’”

Seefeld said she was able to connect with the hearing aid company and get them reprogrammed for the patient’s needs.

“By the end of that appointment, my patient, who was being treated as non-verbal, was able to tell me what he wanted for supper,” she said. “His moods were completely different, he was less combative – all of his care was much easier to do because you could have that communication with him and he understood what was going on. He still had dementia, but there was a huge shift in his overall mood and interaction with staff and family.”

It was during that time, Seefeld said, that she recognized the impact hearing has on an individual’s overall well-being.

“I looked at that situation and said, ‘how can I do that? How do I be preventive?’” she said.

Seefeld said that led to a two-year internship with Miracle-Ear – learning the trade and everything she needed to do to become a hearing aid specialist.

“It was an eye opener for me because I didn’t realize that this role even existed within health care,” she said. “I thought in order to do what I do, you have to be a doctor, you have to be an audiologist. To have this opportunity to work within my same skill set – working with the aging and disabled population – it was that ‘aha’ moment for me.”

Though hearing aids specialists have to take the same state boards as an audiologist – both written and practical – Seefeld said the path was more straightforward.

“Being a mom and being in my mid-30s, going back to school and getting a doctorate was off the table,” she said. “I’m still able to work with the people that I ultimately wanted to work with by having the certification.”

The COVID-19 pandemic, Seefeld said, put a temporary wrench in her journey.

“We couldn’t see anyone in person – even follow-up care was drop off only,” she said. “So people had to describe to me what was going on with their hearing aids, and I had to make adjustments without them in the office. It was difficult to do.”

After taking a brief break, Seefeld said she began working as a hearing aid specialist for another corporate company – which for her, further highlighted the need for hearing care options in the Marshfield area.

“We had the Hearing House, Miracle-Ear and (Marshfield) Clinic – and that’s it,” she said. “And Miracle-Ear and the Hearing House do not accept insurance.”

Enter All Ears Hearing Care – which opened its doors in July at 106 W. McMillan St. in Marshfield.

Loud and clear

Leaving her corporate job May 31 and signing the lease for the space that now houses All Ears Hearing Care June 1, Seefeld said the last few months have been nothing short of a whirlwind.

“As far as having a business degree or anything like that – I don’t have those things,” she said. “I’m doing this completely grassroots and really looking at the need for my community.”

Having worked for larger corporations, Seefeld said she was able to recognize opportunities within the industry – particularly with insurance.

“I understand there is a lower profit margin when working with insurance, but at the same time that is a community that is completely underserved,” she said.

Seefeld said she personally reached out to the insurance companies she needed to to make that happen.

At All Ears Hearing Care, Seefeld said she offers a variety of hearing care services, including:

• Hearing screenings and comprehensive hearing evaluations
• Comprehensive explanation of hearing evaluations and screenings
• Assistive listening device recommendations
• Custom fitting for hearing aids
• Custom hearing protection
• Custom molds and earmold modifications
• Hearing aid fit adjustments
• Hearing aid cleaning
• Diagnostic evaluation of hearing aids
• Patient and family hearing counsel

“I think a lot of patients have been told they have a hearing loss, but they don’t get an explanation,” she said. “They are told they have a hearing loss, you need hearing aids, here is my recommendation – and that’s the end of it.”

Seefeld said what she’s found is people want more.

“They want somebody to sit down and explain things to them,” she said. “Counsel them through that process and counsel with their family members – because typically, by the time somebody comes in for their hearing loss, they have a hearing loss for seven years. Their family and their friends have had to deal with that inability to communicate clearly for a long time.”

Seefeld said it’s also important to communicate with patients and their families and friends on hearing aid expectations and outcomes.

“It’s a hearing aid, not a hearing fix,” she said. “You can never go from 50% hearing all the way back to 100% hearing. So, it’s important to counsel families on how to communicate better with their loved one.”

A common misconception of communicating with someone who has a hearing loss, Seefeld said, is simply speaking louder.

“Louder isn’t always better,” she said. “For example, when someone is speaking to a crowd through a megaphone, half the time you can’t understand them because louder doesn’t bring clarity.”

Seefeld said there is also some confusion between over-the-counter hearing aids and hearing aids prescribed by a professional.

“We’re testing your hearing and prescribing hearing aids specific to your individual hearing loss,” she said. 

A perfect fit

Though she was born in La Crosse and spent much of her life living in a variety of places across the country, Seefeld said Marshfield – where she spent some of her time as a kid – has always felt like home.

So when deciding where to open All Ears Hearing Care, she said the McMillan Street location in Marshfield made sense.

“I am located on the corner of West McMillan Street and Central Avenue – two of the busiest roads within Marshfield,” she said. “They’re the most traveled – whether you’re going to the Marshfield Health System, Walmart or Target – you’re passing by this location. When I look out my front door, I have a senior community across the street. I am handicapped accessible. I have ample parking. I live in North Stratford, my mom still lives in Marshfield, my kids go to Marshfield schools – it’s a community I’m actively a part of.”

Seefeld said she is currently working with St. Vincent De Paul to participate in their monthly free clinic.

“I’m looking at partnering with them to provide hearing screenings during that free clinic, because part of what I want to do is work with Medicaid (at All Ears Hearing Care in the future),” she said.

Seefeld said she is currently working with the State of Wisconsin to become an in-network provider through Forward Health.

“I am currently credentialed with United Healthcare’s Dual Complete, which is offered through a Medicaid program, as well as a Medicaid program through Humana,” she said. “I want to be able to help people in the community that are in need, and I’m starting to be able to do that.”

Potential growth

Though All Ears Hearing Care is still getting established in Marshfield, Seefeld said she already has ideas for future growth.

“I want to get fully established in Marshfield – maybe even bringing on another hearing aid specialist – and then potentially grow into other communities that I know are in need of care,” she said. “A couple communities that come to mind, specifically, are those north of Highway 29. They don’t have a lot for health care – so all of those people have to drive to Marshfield or Eau Claire for care. So, we’ll see what the future holds.”

For more on All Ears Hearing Care, visit allearshearingcare.com.