AuDacity 2025 - Agenda

Hosted by the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) since 2016, the AuDacity Conference is the premier annual event designed for audiologists seeking to lead, innovate, and connect. Held each fall, AuDacity draws practitioners, thought leaders, educators, and industry partners together for several days of dynamic programming, hands-on learning, and meaningful collaboration.
Keynote Speaker
Susannah Fox
Former Chief Technology Officer for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Susannah Fox is a renowned health strategist, former Chief Technology Officer for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and author of Rebel Health: A Field Guide to the Patient-Led Revolution in Medical Care. Fox’s work documents the transformative power of patient-led innovation in healthcare. Drawing on two decades of research and interviews, she highlights how patients, survivors, and caregivers have pioneered solutions and built communities-often outside the mainstream system-to address unmet health needs. Her “rebel health” framework identifies four archetypes-seekers, networkers, solvers, and champions-who collectively drive change and improve care for all.
Featured Speaker
Lucy Orr-Ewing
Chief of Staff and Head of Policy, Coalition for Health AI
Lucy Orr-Ewing leads Policy efforts for CHAI and joins from Stanford Medicine as a Harkness Fellow in the Clinical Excellence Research Center. At Stanford, her research focused on the current landscape for testing and evaluation of Generative AI in healthcare, on best practice LLM deployment, and on patient perceptions of AI in healthcare.
Prior, she was Chief of Staff for Technology Policy for the National Health Service (NHS) in England, during which she convened more than 200 portfolios of work into one strategy, the Digital Health and Care Plan, and delivered the NHS’ first HealthTech Summit. She was also Head of Strategy for the Federated Data Platform Programme, the UK’s largest investment into its data infrastructure to connect all operational health data for the UK.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2025 |
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05:00 PM - 08:00 PM |
Lobby Day Packet Pickup and Registration More information coming soon! |
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2025 |
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07:00 AM - 05:00 PM |
Lobby Day Packet Pickup, Issue Briefing and Day on Capitol Hill More information coming soon! |
11:00 AM - 04:00 PM |
Technology Specialist/Audiology Assistant Workshop Boost your practice’s efficiency and enhance patient experiences by enrolling your key staff members in the hands-on Technology Specialist Workshop, sponsored by Phonak at the AuDacity 2025 Conference! This practical training program is designed to upskill your team in the essential handling and troubleshooting of hearing technology and connectivity. Learning Outcomes:
By equipping essential staff with these core competencies, hearing care professionals can spend more time focused on clinical care. The long-term impact? A more efficient practice, improved patient outcomes, and measurable time savings across your team. A trained Technology Specialist streamlines workflow and reduces the time spent on technical support tasks—where it counts the most. Sponsored by: Phonak |
04:30 PM - 05:30 PM |
This session will review the committee task, process, outcome, rational, and next steps for the recent report "Meaningful Outcome Measures in Adult Hearing Health Care" from The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine that culminated in a recommended core outcome set of measures for clinical and research studies related to non-surgical or implant hearing interventions. Learning Outcomes:
By equipping essential staff with these core competencies, hearing care professionals can spend more time focused on clinical care. The long-term impact? A more efficient practice, improved patient outcomes, and measurable time savings across your team. A trained Technology Specialist streamlines workflow and reduces the time spent on technical support tasks—where it counts the most. Speaker: Nicholas Reed, Au.D., Ph.D. |
05:30 PM - 07:00 PM |
ADA Member Meeting |
07:00 PM - 09:00 PM |
Opening Reception and Dinner in the Exhibit Hall |
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2025 |
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07:00 AM - 08:00 AM |
Breakfast in the Exhibit Hall |
08:00 AM - 08:30 AM |
President's Address & Awards Speaker: Amyn Amlani, Ph.D. |
08:30 AM - 10:00 AM |
Keynote Presentation: Rebel Health: The Patient-Led Revolution in Medical Care More information coming soon! Sponsored by: WSAudiology Speaker: Susannah Fox Moderator: Sheena Burks, Au.D., MBA |
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM |
Break in the Exhibit Hall & "Rebel Health" Book Signing |
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM |
General Session: Advancing AI in Audiology: Predictive, Generative, Prescriptive, and Agentic More information coming soon! Speaker: Lucy Orr-Ewing Panelists: Josiah Dykstra, Ph.D.; Matthew Fitzgerald, Ph.D.; Prasad Panchangam |
12:00 PM - 12:15 PM |
Business Plan Competition, Team 1 |
12:15 PM - 01:45 PM |
Lunch in the Exhibit Hall/MAA Member Meeting |
01:45 PM - 03:15 PM |
General Session: A Dentist, an Optometrist, and a Veterinarian Walk into an Audiology Conference More information coming soon! Sponsored by: Care Credit Speaker: Dr. Brian Harris, DDS; Brianna Rhue, OD, FAAO; Melissa Carnes Rose, Au.D.; Kathy Wiederkehr (Wentworth), V.M.D. |
03:15 PM - 03:30 PM |
Business Plan Competition, Team 2 |
03:30 PM - 04:00 PM |
Break in the Exhibit Hall |
04:00 PM - 04:15 PM |
Business Plan Competition, Team 3 |
04:15 PM - 05:45 PM |
General Session: Medical Imaging for the Audiologist More information coming soon! Speakers: Alicia Spoor, Au.D.; Meslissa Segev, Au.D. |
05:45 PM - 06:00 PM |
Business Plan Competition Selection and Awards Presentation |
06:00 PM - 07:00 PM |
Reception in the Exhibit Hall |
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2025 |
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07:00 AM - 08:00 AM |
Breakfast in the Exhibit Hall |
08:00 AM - 09:30 AM |
Effectively Deploying Assistants and Dispensers in your Practice to Optimize Outcomes More information coming soon! Speakers: Amyn Amlani, Ph.D.; Alyssa Ricevuto, Au.D. AI and Audiology Outreach (Part 1): Enhancing Consumer Outreach with AI-Driven Strategies The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in business operations is transforming the healthcare landscape, and audiology practices stand to benefit significantly. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing marketing strategies across industries, and audiology practices can harness its power to enhance consumer outreach. This seminar will focus on how AI-driven tactics can improve patient engagement, personalize communication, and drive consumer interest in hearing healthcare services. By leveraging AI tools such as chatbots, predictive analytics, voice search optimization, automated content creation, and hyper-personalized advertising, audiologists can effectively attract and retain patients. Attendees will gain practical insights into implementing AI-powered marketing techniques to expand their reach, increase patient conversion rates, and optimize the overall patient experience. Learning Objectives:
Speaker: Michelle Carroll Speaking Their Language: How to Position Yourself as the Go-To Audiologist for Physicians Many audiologists struggle to communicate effectively with physicians, feeling intimidated by medical marketing or unsure how to position themselves as essential healthcare partners. This session equips audiologists with the tools to effectively educate physicians, address common objections, and streamline the referral process. Attendees will learn how to frame hearing loss as a medical concern linked to dementia, fall risk, and cardiovascular health, making it a priority in primary care. Through concise messaging strategies, practical referral tools, and interactive exercises, audiologists will gain confidence in building physician relationships. This hybrid lecture and workshop format provides actionable steps to increase referrals and position private practice audiologists as the preferred choice over retail chains. Learning Objectives:
Speaker: Katie Armotoski, Au.D. Recruiting Best Practices and Strategies The Bureau of Labor and Statistics states that the employment of audiologists is projected to grow 11 percent between now and 2032. Are your practice and your team ready to grow alongside the industry? Attend this course to get the tools and knowledge needed to find, attract, interview, and retain top candidates in a competitive market. Learning Objectives:
Speaker: Steve Hughbanks Marketrak25: Industry Landscape This presentation will discuss the results of MarkeTrak25, and provide a comprehensive overview of the hearing aid industry, highlighting key trends and developments shaping its future. We will include new data on hearing aid adoption, OTC usage, cochlear implant overview and key data on hearing loss by age. We will also compare the latest data from MT25 to MT22 to provide insights into changes in market dynamics. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the intersection of industry trends and consumer empowerment. This lecture will provide the following insights: 1) a look into the issues that examined in MarkeTrak 2025; 2) the delivery of hearing healthcare and how the issues discussed may influence the hearing industry; 3) A look into the evolving consumer experience. Learning Objectives:
Speaker: Bridget Dobyan, Executive Director, Hearing Industries Association; Tom Powers, Ph.D., Powers Consulting, LLC |
08:00 AM - 01:00 PM |
Student Track Sponsored by: Starkey |
09:30 AM - 10:00 AM |
Break in the Exhibit Hall |
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM |
Pharmaceutical Intervention for Cisplatin-Related Ototoxicity More information coming soon! Speaker: TBD How we market, educate, and advocate for audiology is changing—are we keeping up? This session will examine the readability and accessibility of hearing healthcare materials that prompt new engineering strategies using AI-powered tools to optimize marketing, physician referrals, and advocacy messaging.. Attendees will learn how advanced AI prompts can generate effective, engaging, and audience-specific content, ensuring audiologists’ messages reach patients, providers, and policymakers. We will highlight real-world disparities and provide actionable AI-driven solutions to improve communication in private practice. AI is the future of audiology advocacy—this session will show you how to use it effectively. Learning Objectives:
Speakers: Nora Visscher-Simon, Au.D.; Maansi Aghera, Au.D. The Social Consequences of Hearing Loss: Are Hearing Aids Enough? Research suggests that many persons with hearing loss lack effective coping skills and tend to avoid social interactions, often deepening their isolation and loneliness. This course explores the relationship between hearing loss and social connectedness, including how properly fitted hearing aids and other audiological interventions might promote better social engagement through improved communication in multi-talker, noisy situations, reduced listening-related fatigue, restored music enjoyment, increased confidence and positive social impact. Learning Objectives:
Speaker: Brian Taylor, Au.D. Crucial conversations are an inevitable part of any private practice, but they can often feel uncomfortable or lead to unproductive outcomes. Whether you’re addressing a co-worker, employee, or patient, conversations with strong emotions, high stakes and differing opinions can be challenging. In this session, you’ll learn proven techniques from Crucial Learning and cognitive behavioral methods to navigate these high-stakes moments with confidence. This course will help you create safety in conversations, allowing you to communicate openly with almost anyone about anything. You’ll learn to identify and resolve communication barriers, stay composed when emotions run high, and articulate your needs while respecting others’ viewpoints. By mastering these tools, you’ll strengthen relationships, achieve better results, and transform difficult interactions into opportunities for growth. Learning Objectives:
Speaker: Laurel Gregory, MA Hearing Aid Fittings for the Cognitively Impaired As hearing aid technology advances, so must our clinical approach, especially when working with older adults who often present with both peripheral hearing loss and central auditory or cognitive decline. This session examines how standard hearing aid fittings may fall short for these patients, and in some cases, introduce distortion that worsens speech perception and increases listening effort. Learning Objectives:
Speaker: Heidi Hill, Au.D. |
11:30 AM - 01:00 PM |
Lunch in the Exhibit Hall |
01:00 PM - 02:30 PM |
More information coming soon! Speakers: Jiovanne Hughart, Au.D.; Rita Chaiken, Au.D. Hearing loss is intricately linked to cognitive decline, mental wellness, and overall quality of life. Traditional audiometric assessments provide critical diagnostic information but fail to capture the broader physiological and psychological risk factors influencing auditory health. The SAiWELL Auditory Health Insights Platform is a novel, multi-modal risk stratification model that integrates phenotypic bio-marker based profiling, audiometry data, word recognition scores, tympanometry results, and mental wellness markers. By analyzing data from thousands of patients across distinct risk clusters, SAiWELL provides a personalized, predictive measure of auditory health, helping clinicians proactively identify at-risk individuals. This approach enables data-driven counseling, targeted interventions, and long-term monitoring. SAiWELL represents a paradigm shift in audiology, bridging the gap between hearing diagnostics and mental well-being for holistic, patient-centered care. Learning Objectives:
Speaker: Prasad Panchangam Lifestyle Medicine Marketing: Making the Audiology Connection to Connectedness More information coming soon! Speakers: Sheena Burks, Au.D., MBA; Jill Davis, Au.D. Innovations with Speech in Noise Assessment: The Present and the Future. Here we present speech recognition data in quiet and noise from thousands of patients with hearing loss. These data support using speech-in-noise testing as the default in audiologic assessment, reserving word-recognition in quiet for when performance is likely to be suoboptimal. We will also demonstrate between-session repeatability of speech tests as a function of hearing loss and baseline performance. Finally, we will show preliminary results from our AI-based tool for automatic speech recognition, which is capable of scoring audiologic tests in any language. Taken together, this research aims to modernize audiologic practice and better align testing with patient concerns. Learning Outcomes:
Speakers: Matthew Fitzgerald, Ph.D. |
02:30 PM - 03:00 PM |
Break in the Exhibit Hall |
03:00 PM - 04:30 PM |
More information coming soon! Speakers: Jiovanne Hughart, Au.D.; Rita Chaiken, Au.D. AI-Powered Aural Rehab: In Clinical Practice Aural rehabilitation has long been underutilized, despite strong evidence that it improves hearing aid adoption, reduces returns, and enhances patient outcomes. Lace AI Pro is redefining auditory training with an AI-powered, patient-led platform that makes aural rehabilitation practical and scalable for modern clinics. This session will explore how patient-led training can enhance hearing care, improve speech-in-noise comprehension, and strengthen cognitive function. Attendees will see a fun, live demonstration of key features and gain actionable strategies for integrating aural rehab into clinical workflows without adding to their workload. Attendees will also get a first look at new patient data showing that compliance with AI-powered aural rehab now surpasses that of physical therapy—the gold standard for rehabilitation in medicine. Learning Objectives:
Speakers: Rick Carlson, MBA; Miles Aron, Ph.D. More information coming soon! Speaker: Kimberly Jenkins, Au.D. State Advocacy: Scope Modernization More information coming soon! Speakers: Bryan Greenaway, Au.D.; Jana Brown; Alicia Spoor, Au.D.; Stephanie Czuhajewski, MPH |
04:30 PM |
Exhibit Hall Closes |
05:30 PM - 06:30 PM |
Closing Reception |
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2025 |
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08:00 AM - 09:45 AM |
Legal Issues in Audiology (Part 1) More information coming soon! Speaker: Brandon Pauley, ESQ. Tinnitus Workshop (Part 1) More information coming soon! Speakers: Jason Leyendecker, Au.D.; Emily McMahan, Au.D. The new CPT hearing aid service codes, that are slated to go into effect on January 1, 2026, completely alter the hearing aid billing landscape. In this presentation, we will provide a detailed discussion on each code, their probable and appropriate uses, modifiers, and documentation requirements. In light of these changes and their potential impact on practice operations and revenues, will also discuss the pros and cons of health plan network participation, including the steps to evaluating a health plan contracts and allowable rates schedules. We will provide a step-by-step guide to evaluating a specific managed care agreement and making the business decision on network participation. Learning Objectives:
Speaker: Kim Cavitt, Au.D. |
09:45 AM - 10:00 AM |
Break |
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM |
Legal Issues in Audiology (Part 2) More information coming soon! Speaker: Brandon Pauley, ESQ. Tinnitus Workshop (Part 2) More information coming soon! Speakers: Jason Leyendecker, Au.D.; Emily McMahan, Au.D. |
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM |
The new CPT hearing aid service codes, that are slated to go into effect on January 1, 2026, completely alter the hearing aid billing landscape. In this presentation, we will provide a detailed discussion on each code, their probable and appropriate uses, modifiers, and documentation requirements. In light of these changes and their potential impact on practice operations and revenues, will also discuss the pros and cons of health plan network participation, including the steps to evaluating a health plan contracts and allowable rates schedules. We will provide a step-by-step guide to evaluating a specific managed care agreement and making the business decision on network participation. Learning Objectives:
Speaker: Kim Cavitt, Au.D. |