AHAA (Consult YHN) is born!
Consult YHN is founded as American Hearing Aid Associates (AHAA) to help hearing professionals drive business growth at private practices, ENTs, hospitals, universities, and not-for-profits across the country.
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And the winner is…
Heather Whitestone is the first and only deaf woman crowned Miss America. Heather lost her hearing at 18 months old due to a serious ear infection.
First MBA workshop
Consult YHN’s Managing Business Activities (MBA) program is established to help members plan and execute Consult’s comprehensive business solutions.
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Hearing aids go digital
Oticon, Signia, and Widex launch the first commercially successful digital hearing aids.
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WebMD launches
WebMD is online, shaking up the way people self-diagnose. Remember: seeing an actual doctor is still advised.
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Consult goes online!
Consult launches its first website, www.AHAAnet.com, to reach a wider market and provide better support to its members.
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First PMS software launches
HearForm releases the first Practice Management Software (PMS) for the audiology industry.
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First Annual Convention
Consult YHN (formerly AHAA) brings together hearing healthcare professionals and industry leaders for its first Convention, which goes on to be the can’t-miss industry event for more than 20 years.
First multi-channel BTE processor introduced
Cochlear™ introduces the ESPrit, a multi-channel speech processor worn entirely behind the ear (BTE), freeing early cochlear implant recipients from long cables and extra components.
Teleaudiology makes its debut
Dr. Gregg Givens coins this term in reference to a system he is developing to provide clinicians the ability to remotely assess, diagnose, and remedy hearing loss, prescribe methods of treatment, and assist rural clinics with identifying hearing impairments in real-time.
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Consult introduces internet services
Consult YHN is the first in our industry to provide a full range of B2B internet services with BizLink.com, a website that offers Associates real-time access to their account information, manufacturer price lists, and more. BizLink is replaced by AccountLink in 2019.
First transatlantic teleaudiology test
Dr. James Hall tests a patient in South Africa from Dallas, Texas at the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) conference. This historic event significantly increased interest in teleaudiology.
Hello, Healthy Hearing!
HealthyHearing.com launches to help people find information about hearing loss and devices online.
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First cloud-based PMS system launches
Sycle is founded as the first cloud-based Practice Management Software (PMS) for audiology practices.
iTunes & iPod hit the market
Apple releases iTunes and the first-generation iPod, forever changing how we listen to music and inevitably making CDs a thing of the past.
Consult Upgrade debuts
Consult YHN’s Upgrade Program launches and is the most effective way to reach current patients and increase sales! Today, the average event yields an additional $52,000 in revenue.
The first RIC hearing aid
SeboTek introduces the first receiver-in-the-ear (RIC) hearing aid, the Post Auricular Canal (PAC) system.
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Blueprint Solutions is founded
Blueprint Solutions first launches as Simba OMS in Toronto, Canada. The company is later rebranded and introduced in the U.S. in 2009.
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Social media gets a new face
“TheFacebook” launches on Feb. 4. to Harvard University students and becomes available to all in Sept. 2006.
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Digital hearing aids become standard
Digital signal processing (DSP) technology replaces analog technology in approximately 90 percent of hearing aid fittings.
Closed captioning is mandatory
All new English language video programming officially requires closed captions – 10 years after the Telecommunications Act of 1996 established closed captioning requirements.
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Consult YHN – new leadership
Tina Soika is promoted to president of Consult YHN having joined the organization in 2000 as Chief Operating Officer.
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Lyric introduced
InSound introduces Lyric, the first invisible deep-canal hearing aid. Lyric can be worn 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for months at a time.
New location. New logo. New portal.
Consult YHN relocates to its current office in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, unveils a new logo, and launches its members-only online portal, Navigator.
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Consult gets social and strategic
Consult YHN joins Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect and engage with the hearing healthcare network. And, Wake Up Call launches, a proprietary online dashboard that integrates with Practice Management Software to provide real-time results, including units sold, close rate, return rate, and more.
Your Hearing Network is born!
Your Hearing Network (YHN) is established to provide Associates access to a national network of leads and services.
Amazon releases Echo and Alexa
Amazon introduces the world to Alexa, a virtual assistant AI technology that does it all—from real-time weather and news updates to online ordering and music streaming, making speech and listening even more integral to how we consume information.
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Consult YHN turns 20!
The company celebrates its 20th Anniversary and hosts its 20th Annual Convention in Orlando.
OTC Act signed
Over-the-Counter (OTC) Hearing Aid Act is signed, allowing adults with hearing loss to purchase OTC hearing aids without the help of a hearing care professional.
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AHAA becomes Consult YHN
The company aligns with Your Hearing Network and changes its name to Consult YHN. Bill Urwin, one of Consult’s first employees, is appointed president and brings with him 20+ years of industry experience.
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YHN assembles its Tele Care team
Your Tele Care provides members access to the resources to create a virtual audiology center anywhere in the country.
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Hollywood shines a spotlight on tinnitus
The film A Star Is Born hits theaters, starring Bradley Cooper who plays Jackson Maine, a famous musician with noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and tinnitus.
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New programs, meetings, and more!
To drive and convert more quality leads for its members, Consult launches its Consult Database and Digital Programs. It also debuts its Power Group meetings and monthly Associate Spotlight to strengthen its network and encourage members to learn from one another and grow together.
YHN hosts Empower 2019
Your Hearing Network holds its inaugural Empower Conference, bringing together hundreds of hearing health professionals, manufacturers, and industry leaders for three days of learning, networking, and fun.
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Consult YHN’s 25th Anniversary
Consult YHN celebrates 25 years of partnering with hearing healthcare professionals dedicated to business growth and helping more people hear well. Today, the nation’s leading network includes over 4,800 members across the country and employs over 70 people.
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First disabled American Girl doll
American Girl debuts its 2020 Girl of the Year™ — Joss Kendrick, a surfer and competitive cheerleader who has congenital hearing loss and wears a hearing aid.
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Dear Associates,
As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, I want to take a moment to reflect on our company’s beginnings and how far we’ve come.
I first joined Consult YHN (American Hearing Aid Associates) in 1995 as an Account Manager. I remember sitting across the street from Consult’s original headquarters, a rundown Victorian home, and thinking, “I must be crazy to consider this offer.” Joining a brand-new company with no name recognition and only four other employees was certainly a risk. And yet that’s also what sold me: the risk was an opportunity to help a business grow from the ground up. Ever since I’ve dedicated my career to helping others do the same.
From the start, we were confident that our comprehensive business services would help practices grow more profitable businesses. It was challenging to convince owners to take a chance on a new company, but they did. Now, 25 years later, we’ve created the nation’s leading network of hearing care professionals, and I could not be more proud.
We know our 25 years of success is attributed to you—our Associates, our valued industry partners, and our employees and their families. We want to express our gratitude and share the celebration of this milestone with all of you.
It’s been a difficult year, but I encourage all of you to remain receptive to new ideas. As I learned 25 years ago, often the biggest rewards come from taking on the biggest challenges.
I am optimistic about what the future holds and honored to embark on the next phase of our journey together. We thank you and look forward to our continued partnership.
Warmest regards,
Bill Urwin, President