By Scott Carlson
This past spring, Associated Hearing Care grew its geographic reach, opening an expanded office at 2550 W. University Ave. near south St. Paul Anthony Park.
We recently caught up with Dr. Rebecca Younk, owner and chief audiologist at Associated Hearing Care, which has 11 offices the Twin Cities metro area. The email interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q: What does the newly expanded office mean for Associating Hearing Care?
Younk: In January 2024, the build-out of our new location at Court International was completed. This doubled the space of our previous office, which allowed us to add services to help people with balance and dizziness issues in addition to our patients with hearing loss.
Q: How old is Associated Hearing?
Younk: Associated Hearing Care was established in 1975.
Q: How has hearing care and its technology changed over the years?
Younk: Since the founding of Associated Hearing Care in 1975, technology has changed tremendously. In 1975, hearing aids were made of simple microphones, amplifiers, and speakers that, by today’s standards, were very large.
We used small screwdrivers to adjust how hearing aids worked for people.
Through the decades, we first saw miniaturization of technology moving from body-worn devices into small devices completely housed in the ear canal of the hearing aid wearer.
Following the miniaturization of hearing aids, we saw the advent of digitization of hearing aids.
Devices were no longer analog, controlled by a screwdriver, but became wirelessly programmed via a computer, allowing hearing care professionals to easily make small changes to improve the function of hearing aids.
Now we are seeing the integration of hearing aids and other devices through Bluetooth technology. This integration allows hearing aid wearers to take phones calls and stream music through their smartphone devices directly into their hearing aids.
Q: What is the market like for hearing care?
Younk: The strongest predictor of hearing loss is age. It is estimated that 22% of adults 55–64 have hearing loss and that jumps to 55% for those who are over the age of 75.
Given the increased awareness of the negative impacts of hearing loss on brain health and the positive outcomes for people when they wear hearing aids, we are seeing an increasing demand for hearing care services.
Q: What is your background and how did you become an audiologist?
Younk: My passion for audiology started in my childhood while attending church with a number of people who were deaf. My minister was fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) and actively taught us all how to sign.
During my undergraduate and graduate studies, I worked in audiology clinics to gain as much experience as I could in my chosen profession.
Once I graduated, I worked in clinics and with large corporations to get as much experience as I could in the field of audiology and the business practices I needed to become a successful private practice owner.
Q: What do you like best about your job and business?
Younk: Hands down, what I like best is helping people reconnect to their friends and family with hearing technology and educating people on methods for improving communication with their loved ones with hearing loss.
Scott Carlson is managing editor of the Bugle. Scott’s journalism career spans more than 50 years, with his longest stint as a business reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Photo credit: Dr. Rebecca Younk is the owner and president of Associated Hearing Care. She holds a doctor’s degree from the University of Florida and is a past president of the Minnesota Academy of Audiology. Submitted photo.