About Us
 Laura F. Brodsky, Au.D, FAAA, is a certified clinical audiologist, licensed in both New York and Massachusetts. As the mother of four grown children, two of whom are hearing impaired, Dr. Brodsky brings to her practice a unique perspective on the diagnosis and management of hearing loss in both children and adults. She has been practicing in the Capital Area since 1988.
What is an Audiologist:
An audiologist is a professional who diagnoses, treats, and manages individuals with hearing loss or balance problems. Audiologists have received a Master’s or Doctoral degree from an accredited university graduate program. Their academic and clinical training provides the foundation for patient management from birth through adulthood. Audiologists determine appropriate patient treatment of hearing and balance problems by combining a complete history with a variety of specialized auditory and vestibular assessments. Based upon the diagnosis, the audiologist presents a variety oftreatment options to patients with hearing impairment or balance problems. Audiologists dispense and fit hearing aids as part of a comprehensive habilitation program. As a primary hearing health provider, audiologists refer patients to physicians when the hearing or balance problem requires medical or surgical evaluation or treatment.
What Do Audiologists Do?
Hearing testing. Audiologists use specialized equipment to obtain accurate results about hearing loss. These tests are typically conducted in sound-treated rooms with calibrated equipment. The audiologist is trained to inspect the eardrum with an otoscope, perform limited ear wax removal, conduct diagnostic audiologic tests, and check for medically-related hearing problems.
Hearing loss is caused by medical problems about 10% of the time. Audiologists are educated to recognize these medical problems and refer patients to their primary care physician or ear, nose and throat physicians (known as otolaryngologists). Most persons with hearing impairment can benefit from the use of hearing aids, and audiologists are knowledgeable about the latest applications of hearing aid technology.
Hearing Services and Counseling:
Audiologists are vitally concerned that every person, regardless of age, benefit from good hearing. Audiologists provide individual counseling to help those with hearing loss function more effectively in social, educational, and occupational environments. It is a fact of life that we lose hearing acuity as we grow older, and that hearing problems are commonly associated with the elderly. Audiologists are committed to helping senior citizens to hear better.
Hearing Aids and Assistive Listening Devices:
Audiologists provide complete hearing aid services to patients with hearing problems. Audiologists are also experts with assistive listening equipment and personal alerting devices. Audiologists provide education and training so that persons with hearing impairment can benefit from amplification and communication devices.
Audiologists dispense the majority of hearing aids in the United States, and use the most advanced computerized procedures to individualize the fitting of hearing aids. Hearing aid options are thoroughly discussed with each potential user based on the results of a complete hearing aid test battery and the individual needs of each patient. Follow-up care and hearing aid accessories are routinely available from dispensing audiologists.
Hearing Conservation Programs:
Prolonged exposure to loud noise causes permanent hearing loss. Because audiologists are concerned with the prevention of hearing loss, they are often involved in implementing programs to protect the hearing of individuals who are exposed to noisy industrial and recreational situations.
More than 28 million Americans have some type of hearing problem. Hearing difficulties are often unrecognized by the person involved. Children and teenagers seldom complain about the symptoms of hearing loss, and adults may lose their hearing so gradually they do not realize it is happening. The first step in treatment of a hearing problem is a hearing evaluation by an audiologist.
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Services
The Audiology Center offers complete hearing healthcare services including state of the art diagnostic evaluation and fitting of advanced technology fully digital hearing instruments. We specialize in dispensing and fitting of state of the art digital hearing instruments. In addition we:
- Are experts with assistive listening and personal alerting devices;
- Provide education and training so that persons with hearing impairment can benefit from their amplification and communication devices;
- Provide individual counseling to help those with hearing loss function more effectively in social, educational, and occupational environments;
- Provide counseling and custom ear protection for musicians and others seeking to protect against hearing loss caused by exposure to loud music or prolonged noise.
Insurance
We accept most major insurances including Medicare. Please visit the Community Care insurance link for a list of insurers with whom we currently participate.
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Office Hours
Latham Office Hours
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday
8:15 AM - 6:45 PM
Wednesday
1:00 PM - 6:45 PM
Friday
8:15 AM - 11:30 AM
Delmar Office Hours
Wednesday
8:15 AM - 12:15 PM
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Appointments
Making an Appointment:
To make an appointment, simply call our office during normal business hours.
Coming Prepared:
A little preparation will help us to serve you better. Please bring to each appointment your health insurance identification card and a form of picture identification, such as a drivers license.
If you are an existing patient, or if this is your first visit to our office, please arrive to the office about 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment to allow time to update your personal information or to complete the New Patient History Form.
Please be sure to check-in at the reception desk as soon as you arrive.
Cancellation:
If you must cancel an appointment, we ask that you do so within 24 hours of the appointment. We will be happy to reschedule your appointment at that time.
Co-Pay:
Payment is expected at the time of service. If your insurance requires that you pay a co-payment, they require us to collect it. For your convenience we accept cash, checks, and most major credit cards.
If your co-pay is not paid at the time of service, there will be a $20.00 service charge added to your account.
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Confidentiality
Your personal health information is strictly confidential and will not be divulged to ANYONE without your written permission except to other physicians involved in your care, to your insurer for billing and quality assurance, or by court order.
When you arrive for your appointment, you will be provided with a copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices. You will be asked to sign an acknowledgment that you received it for our records.
If you would like to see a copy of our full Privacy Policy, click this link:
Community Care Physicians, P.C. official Notice of Privacy Practices
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