Healthy Hearing conversation with Susan Boggia

When new patients walk through the front door of the Center for Better Hearing in picturesque Glens Falls, New York, they are often surprised. The waiting room in the historic house with the stone fireplace looks more like someone’s living room — and it’s just what the doctor ordered.

“When patients walk in, it is very different from what they expect,” Susan Boggia, Au.D. and owner of the hearing center, said. “They feel a comfort and calmness, which helps when you’re doing any of these services.”

Make yourself at home

Dr. Boggia believes the home-like atmosphere is only one aspect that sets the Center for Better Hearing apart from its competitors. As a privately-owned practice, the service differs from the clinical setting at the local hospital or the corporate-owned hearing aid dispenser chains in the area. Here, Glens Falls residents of all ages receive patient-centered care.

The Center’s primary focus is to help patients hear their best — even those who resist her gentle urging to treat their hearing loss. “I remember one woman I would see year after year after year who needed help but wouldn’t get it. Just before her son’s wedding, she decided to get hearing aids. She didn’t want to but she couldn’t hear anything. She later told me how much it changed her life. ‘I don’t know why I put this off so long,’ she told me later. It really was a life-changer for her — and that was nice.”

Challenges and rewards

Perhaps Dr. Boggia’s biggest challenge is managing patient and family expectations.

“People are looking to us to get their hearing back to normal,” she said. “Families look at hearing aids like eyeglasses and think they should be able to hear 20-20. That’s not the case. If people are on a limited income, they have to deal with limited technology. They may still have trouble hearing. Counseling people about that is challenging.”

“Hearing aids help you be part of the conversation again.” – Dr. Boggia

Yet even on her most difficult days, Dr. Boggia loves her job. Some days she works with physicians to determine the best way to address a patient’s particular hearing issues. On others, she works directly with her patients, fitting them with hearing aids. And of course, the business aspect of running a practice takes up time, too. “It’s different every day,” she said. “I think that’s what I like about it. It’s varied. You’re always learning something and I like continual learning. It’s nice not doing the same thing every day.”

Hear what you’ve been missing

In addition to the full range of hearing care services they provide children and adults, the Center for Better Hearing provides space in its reception area for a Lion’s Club Loan Closet where residents can borrow select assistive listening equipment, such as amplified telephones and television listening devices. They service and repair hearing instruments and offer free clean and check services. Hearing aid batteries are also available onsite. It’s all part of the staff’s commitment to provide Glens Falls residents with the quality of hearing healthcare they deserve.

“Hearing loss is so gradual you don’t realize how much you’re missing,” Dr. Boggia said. “Hearing aids are very comfortable, easy to use and make you part of life again. You’re more engaged. It’s easy to sit back and just smile if you can’t hear well, but you’re really not part of the conversation. Hearing aids help you be part of the conversation again.”

If you’re ready to be part of the conversation again and are looking for patient-centered hearing healthcare like the kind Dr. Boggia provides, search for a qualified professional in Healthy Hearing’s Find a Clinic directory. There you’ll find verified patient reviews of hearing centers in your own community, with staff who are committed to helping you hear your best.