HISTORY

In February of 1983, I opened the door of Hearing Professional Center with only a card table, two chairs, concrete floors and a 400-square foot office.  Many of you might remember our first office across the street from our present location.  It increased to 600-square feet before we built our present clinic in 1994.  Our office has expanded from a waiting room reception area, sound room and my office, to all of that plus three more offices, three exam rooms and a full kitchen (from 400 to 2200-square feet).

In the early years, I ran the office alone or with a part-time helper.  In the early 90’s, when a patient was in need of an ear cleaning, I would go all the way down the hall with a gallon jug and bring warm water back to our suite.  A few of you may remember us commandeering the Ladies Room for this activity. 

From 1986 – 1991, I had a project in Mexico and have since had one in Brazil. On one of my mission trips, my office called to report we had had our one and only burglary over a weekend.  When asked what was stolen, I was informed we no longer had our VCR.  It was BETA; was I thrilled! 

Technology was simple then and we did not have many accessories for the hearing impaired.  Today, hearing aids are very sophisticated and we have an entire area of the office devoted to assistive listening devices.  In addition, we are able to provide an amplified telephone free of charge every five years for residents of the State of Texas with hearing loss. Come by our Center and have Lisa show you these. 

You’re probably aware of the frequent seminars held in our office.  Our first seminars were titled “What is a Hearing Loss?”  These were three week events held at Dealey Center on Royal and Skyline Recreation Center on Skyline.  Now we offer free ongoing seminars on a weekly basis.  Our annual tune up began the summer of 1983.  The tune up then was cleaning your aid and checking the electronic function.  Today, we call it your annual Program Check and it includes a hearing test, cleaning aids, electronic function test, as well as reprogramming the aid to meet your current hearing requirements.

On November 20, 1983, I did my first radio interview on KRLD (1080 AM) with Tony DeHaro.  That was the first of many, with not only Tony, but other radio stations and numerous TV stations.  I now routinely appear on KAAM 770.  We keep you posted of what is going on at the Center through frequent updates of our website www.hearing-center.com and of course our quarterly Newsletter Happy Ears.

Fall of 1984 saw our first lending library and support group – The Rap Session. Most often, people now borrow our lip reading videos.  In the winter of 1986, Eva Beth Kozlovsky, speech pathologist, joined our practice.  Eva Beth was with the center for seven years.  Melanie Medanich acquired her practice after Eva Beth gave birth to twin boys.  Melanie and I still work together at several area private schools.  

One year in the middle 80’s, the city decided to widen our street at a time when our parking lot was being enlarged.  For 18 months we endured mud, potholes, no sidewalks, etc.  I know only God’s grace enabled my practice to survive the ever constant “swamp” outside our door.

Remember our billboard on Greenville Avenue? It was located above a gentlemen’s club!  That certainly got people’s attention.  

Our first Hearing Technology Luncheon at Royal Oaks Country Club began in 1996 and continues to be   successful in our office Lunch & Learn Seminars or when we take it on the road to various locations.

In October 1998, HPC received the “Recognition for Excellence in Audiological Practice” REAP award at the annual ADA convention in Monterey, California. The Center was one of only two private practices in the United States to receive the award.  In August 2000, I graduated from the Arizona School of Health Sciences with my Doctor of Audiology degree.

My precious sons have grown into fine young men.  Remember when they would draw cartoons for Happy Ears, our quarterly newsletter?  In fact, Hal made up the title.  Many of you have known my boys and watched them grow up, and I am thrilled to share with you the following news.  Hal graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and from Valparaiso University with his law degree in May 2006.  Hal is practicing law in the Dallas area.  My son Jeff  married a lovely young lady from Virginia Beach and they reside in Frisco where Jeff opened an office for Chicago Title.  I am so very richly blessed.

I have been the Vice Chair of the Audiology Foundation of America (AFA) since 2002 and as of January 1, 2007 I became the Chair of this prestigious organization whose mission is to transition the profession to a doctoral degree. To date the AFA has awarded over $1.2 Million in scholarships.

I could go on and on with stories.  I have over 27 years worth.  Let me thank those of you who share some of these memories and encourage those who haven’t been to the Center to come.  We do a lot more than test hearing and sell hearing aids.  We want your quality of life to be the best it can possibly be … and we will be there for you.  Create new memories with us.

God Bless You,
Dr. Deborah R. Price

HIPPA STATEMENT

Notice of Privacy Practices
Effective Date 4/14/2003

This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can gain access to this information. Please review it carefully.

This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we may use and disclose your protected health information to carry out treatment, payment or healthcare operations and for other purposes that are allowed or required by law. Under applicable law, we are required to protect the privacy of your individual health information (Protected Health Information). Only people who have both the need and the legal right may have access to your information. We are also required to provide you with this notice regarding our policies and procedures pertaining to your Protected Health Information and to abide by the terms of this notice, as it may be updated from time to time.

We are permitted to make certain types of uses and disclosures under applicable law for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations purposes. Unless we obtain authorized written consent from you, we will only disclose your information for the purposes of treatment, payment, business operations, when we are required by law to do so, or for other reasons listed below.

For treatment purposes, we may use or disclose medical information about you to provide and coordinate your hearing health care.

For payment purposes, such use and disclosure will take place to obtain reimbursement for providing hearing healthcare services such as when your case is reviewed to ensure that appropriate care was rendered. For reimbursement purposes, your Protected Health Information may be disclosed to one or several intermediaries employed by your insurance plan sponsor including but not limited to insurers, benefits managers, claims administrators and computer switching companies.

For healthcare operations purposes, such use and disclosure will take place in a number of ways, including for quality assessment and improvement, provider review and training, reviews and compliance activities, planning, development, management and administration.

In addition, we may contact you to provide hearing healthcare reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.

Unless you object in writing, we may disclose Protected Health Information to a family member, caregiver, representative, or another person responsible for care. The information disclosed will be limited to what is directly relevant to the person's involvement with or payment of your care, or to let them know your location or condition. In addition, we may disclose your location, general condition, or death to identify or locate a member of your family or to aid certain disaster relief agencies. In the event of an emergency, we will do what in our judgement is in your best interest regarding such disclosure and will disclose only the information that is directly relevant to the persons involvement with your healthcare.

We may use and disclose your Protected Health Information, without your authorization when the audiologist needs to contact a physician or physician's staff and is permitted or required to do so without individual written consent or authorization. We may also use and disclose your Protected Health Information upon receipt of an authorized consent form to transfer records that is signed by you.

As required by law and for other government functions, we will release information when we are required by law to do so or for other government functions. Examples of such releases include but are not limited to: law enforcement and national security purposes, subpoenas or other court orders, U.S. Food and Drug requirements and investigations, disaster relief, review of our activities by government agencies, upon death to Coroners or Funeral Directors as allowed by law, as required by Worker's Compensation Laws, when required by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Other uses and disclosures will be made only with your written authorization, and you may revoke your authorization any time by notifying us in writing.

Your rights regarding your Protected Health Information are as follows:

1. In most cases, to inspect your medical records and obtain a copy of your record

2. to amend/correct your records should you believe there is an inaccuracy or other necessary change. We can deny your request for certain reasons, but we must give you a written reason for denial.

3. to obtain an accounting of the disclosures of this information by us made after April 14, 2003.

4. to receive confidential communications of Protected Health Information by reasonable alternative means or reasonable alternative locations.

5. You have the right to ask for limits on how your information is used or disclosed. We are not required to agree with to such requests if ut revolves around treatment, payment, and/or our healthcare operations, but can if we believe it is reasonable to do so.

6. to receive a paper copy of this notice

All requests must be made in writing to: Hearing Professional Center, 5462 Glen Lakes Drive, Dallas, TX 75231. NOTE: A fee will be charged for copying medical records.

We reserve the right to change the terms of this notice and to make new notice provisions effective for all Protected Health Information we maintain. Any changes will be posted in our office before it takes effect and will be published on our web-site. Go to http://www.hearing-center.com.

If you feel your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint in writing to us or to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Avenue S.W., Washington, DC 20201. You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.