About
About Dr. Gina Angley
I started my journey in audiology by earning a bachelors in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Syracuse University in 2006 (Go Orange!), followed by a Doctor of Audiology degree from Vanderbilt University in 2010.
I worked in an ear, nose, and throat office for a few years before rejoining the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center conducting clinical research and working with patients in the clinic.
For the past 5 years I served as the associate director of the adult amplification team before starting Nashville’s Hearing and Communication Center.
Values
During my 12 years in audiology, I’ve worked with patients who have received exceptional hearing care elsewhere. But for some patients, their experience with audiology has not met their needs.
Because of this, Nashville’s Hearing and Communication Center operates on the following values:
Transparency
Transparency so you understand the difference between the value in the device and the value of the provider
Exceptional
Exceptional patient-centered care should be the only care you receive
Innovative
Innovative care that is firmly rooted in the latest research and best practices
Listening
Listening to your challenges and needs rather than talking about all the things I know
Accessibility
Accessibility of expertise often sought after at major medical centers
You shouldn’t feel closed off from your life anymore.
In over 12 years of clinical experience, I’ve met with patients who felt like they couldn’t be active participants in their lives anymore because of their hearing loss.
They had a hard time understanding conversations, especially in crowded, noisy spaces. So they stopped going to events, church, or meeting friends, family, colleagues in restaurants because it was just too frustrating.
They felt embarrassed at work because they had to keep asking coworkers to repeat themselves. And sometimes they missed details that affected their performance.
They experienced tension in their relationships, sometimes arguing over the volume on the TV or radio—or their partners thought they weren’t listening.
They felt isolated, not being able to fully engage with the work, activities, and groups they always loved.
Amplify your hearing, amplify your life
See your life and relationships transformed simply by improving your hearing.
Your initial appointment will be thorough, ensuring that all testing is accurate and that you fully understand your options and costs.
Once you have the right device for your lifestyle, fitted to your exact hearing needs, you’ll find that you can engage in your life again. And there’s no better feeling in the world.
What to expect
Throughout your care at Nashville’s Hearing & Communication Center, you’ll experience the gold standard of audiology at every step.
Patient and attentive service
Because we put our value on our medical care and not on device sales, everyone will get the same level of excellent treatment regardless of where they purchase their devices. And you’ll never feel rushed or pressured into getting hearing aids or an assistive device if you’re not ready.
Thorough testing & device optimization
Whether you purchase a hearing device from NHCC or elsewhere, we’ll conduct thorough testing and real ear measurements to make sure your device is optimized to your unique ear and level of hearing loss.
Transparent, unbundled pricing
You’re not required to purchase your device from NHCC. But if you do, you’ll get your device at cost and receive an itemized invoice so you know exactly what you’re paying for. We also accept CareCredit financing for those whose insurance doesn’t cover audiology services.
FAQ
At NHCC, we’ll do in-depth questioning to understand your particular concerns and struggles and get an accurate picture of how your hearing loss affects your daily life. Expect to do most of the talking during your appointment—we’re here to listen. After your full diagnostic testing and interview, you’ll get a fully customized plan based on gold standard practices within audiology.
Most hearing clinics typically pay $400-$1300 per hearing aid. Then the costs of the provider’s time and expertise, business expenses etc. are bundled into your total price without any transparency of what you’re actually paying for.
In a bundled service model, the provider or clinic is presenting you with one set price, and you don’t see how much of the total cost is the hearing aid and how much of the total cost is related to services. This model is not transparent and has resulted in the misconception that hearing aids are overpriced.
At NHCC, you get the advantage of an unbundled service model. You’ll always know the cost of the device as it shows on your invoice—what we actually pay for the device. We itemize each service and list the billing codes.
Real ear measurement (sometimes known as hearing aid verification) is an evidence-based practice that results in much higher patient satisfaction with their hearing aids. Uncalibrated hearing aids may be better than none at all, but in order to get the full benefit of your device you will need to have them calibrated to your specific ear and hearing loss.
For example, you can pick up a pair of readers from a pharmacy or grocery store and they will improve your vision. Those glasses, however, are not taking into account the prescription difference between your eyes and any other difference like a pair of prescription glasses can. Both improve vision, but one is just more specific and exact than the other and will give better results.
Also known as real ear measurement, hearing aid verification starts with placing a small, flexible microphone in the ear canal and then placing the hearing aid in the ear. With this microphone, we can then measure how loud the hearing aid is while it is in your ear. While the microphone measures the sound, acoustics, and shape of your ear, we are able to see the data in real time and make changes to your settings.
There are three major reasons why people are dissatisfied with their hearing aids:
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- Your hearing aids aren’t verified.
To ensure patients are receiving the maximum benefit of their hearing aids, the hearing aids should be verified through real-ear measurements, also known as probe microphone measurements. Patients who have had their hearing aids verified report much higher satisfaction.
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- A hearing aid provider set unrealistic expectations.
If a provider tells you that hearing aids are going to fix and significantly improve ALL the situations you are struggling in, that may not be entirely accurate.
Hearing aids are exactly that: aids. They aren’t hearing fixes or hearing corrections. The hearing aids can only work as well as a person’s hearing system can work. Only through comprehensive diagnostic testing can show a provider how a person’s hearing system works and what kind of device is most appropriate to meet a patient’s needs.
- You may have felt rushed or pushed into getting hearing aids.If someone is not quite ready to start the hearing aid process and is pushed into it too early, patients often don’t have a positive experience and/or feel like the hearing aids aren’t working.
It may be the case that the hearing aids aren’t working. But often there isn’t enough self-perceived difficulty for the patient to see benefit or the patient is just not ready.
At Nashville’s Hearing & Communication Center, we complete an in-depth needs assessment and strive to have open conversations with our patients to determine if hearing aids are the right next step or if perhaps another solution can be recommended.
As of August 17, 2022, the FDA released regulations for a new classification of hearing aid: over-the-counter hearing aids (or OTC). These devices are meant for those with a perceived mild to moderate degree of hearing loss. This may be a better entry point for a patient, and Nashville’s Hearing and Communication Center offers OTC devices to patients.
It could also be an accessory or assistive listening device (ALD) for a particular situation. If the only situation where the hearing loss is noticed is while watching television with others, then perhaps the patient should start with a TV accessory that would allow the patient to independently control the volume from others in the room. NHCC offers these devices as well.
There is currently no independent research (research not from a hearing aid manufacturer) that shows more expensive means better understanding and performance. More expensive does not mean that you will understand speech better, that the hearing aid will last longer, or that it’s better quality.
At Nashville’s Hearing & Communication Center, we help you understand the differences in what is available to you as you make your decision. Once we have an understanding of what your full hearing system can do, we provide you with the option that is going to help you most in the situations that you want to see improvement in.