Waukon resident Brandi Neuzil achieves a goal years in the making for her with the opening of Driftless Audiology

by Jennifer Bissell

Providing a small-town feel for hearing health is something Waukon resident Brandi Neuzil is passionate about.

Neuzil recently opened Driftless Audiology, located at 27 1st Avenue NW in Waukon. It’s a goal years in the making for Neuzil, who hopes her local services will be able to fulfill a need for those in northeast Iowa.

FINDING HER PLACE
A native of Elkader, Neuzil originally intended to major in elementary education at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). Growing up, she babysat for a boy who had cochlear implants, but she said she never knew what an audiologist did. After taking a course in communication science and disorders, she fell in love with the field, choosing to focus on audiology.

Following graduation from UNI, she attended graduate school at Southwest Missouri State, now known as Missouri State University, in Springfield, MO. She earned her doctorate in clinical audiology. As a part of the program, she completed an externship at the Mayo Clinic in La Crosse, WI as a fourth-year resident in audiology. She then spent one year at Medical Associates of Dubuque before finding her home at Keystone Area Education Agency (AEA).

“I loved working with the families and the teachers in the school districts, getting to know the families and getting a better idea of their thoughts on what they knew about their child’s hearing loss. I got to know them better than what I would probably have in a medical clinic setting,” she said.

A CALLING
For about two years, Neuzil said she’s had a little voice in the back of her head encouraging her to open her own private practice.

“When I was in graduate school, I thought I’d open one in Elkader, knowing that audiology services aren’t very abundant in northeast Iowa, especially private practices,” she said. “To get into one for a routine hearing evaluation can be quite a wait.”

While Neuzil enjoyed her work at Keystone, she began to grow frustrated with certain aspects, such as how families would often need to wait to see an audiologist.

“I wanted to provide a wider range of services than I could at Keystone in a setting where I could give my patients time,” she explained. “I needed to see patients without the medical time constraints.

“I think it’s really important for patients to have a grasp of what their hearing levels are and how it can impact them. Sometimes in a medical setting I think we forget that not everyone else knows the medical terminology. For me, it’s important to have that understanding because then that will help them try to figure out how their hearing can really impact them in their daily lives. That’s my goal.”

HER INSPIRATION
At the heart of what Neuzil does are her memories of her mother. Her mother passed away at the age 45, while Neuzil was still in graduate school. She has memories of care providers not giving her mother or the family the care and attention needed.

When a friend from audiology school passed away nearly two years ago, she said it pushed her to take action on her dream.

“I got to thinking, is this what I really want to be as an audiologist? Am I really fulfilling the need that I can do in the current setting where I’m at?” she said. “When people who are important to you pass, it causes you to re-evaluate your situation.”

OPENING HER OWN PRACTICE
Neuzil took the steps to opening her own clinic this summer when she purchased the former Serendipity building on 1st Avenue NW in Waukon in July. She and her husband, Mike, began demolition work the Fourth of July weekend, with the help of her brother and sister-in-law. She said they took out at least four-and-a-half tons of construction demolition material, like doors, trim and paneling. Utilizing Christensen Electric and Kurth Plumbing & Heating of Waukon, as well as the support of family and friends, Neuzil said it’s been exciting to see all the pieces come together for a place that has a non-clinical, non-medical office.

Neuzil said she’ll be able to run hearing capability tests on patients newborn through adulthood using a variety of methods. For infants, Neuzil said she can utilize a tympanogram that tests the middle ear system. She has a system for visual reinforcement audiology, conditioned play audiometry, as well as traditional testing and speech testing.

In addition to testing, she’ll provide hearing aid consultations, fittings, cleanings and check-ups.

Neuzil explained that her clinic offers an “unbundled model,” which means patients pay for the devices and services as they go, rather than paying one price for everything associated with a hearing aid.

“I’m a huge proponent of it never hurts to have a baseline because you never know what might happen,” said Neuzil. “This is giving people a local option so they don’t have to travel an hour away. If their hearing device breaks or they need a new ear mold, they won’t have to wait six weeks to get in to get checked. A lot of clinics are good at dropping off and picking up devices but having a more local option is helpful for people because if someone’s hearing aid breaks, most of the time they really rely on the device and they need to get it back as quickly as possible.

“Just keeping that small-town feel for your hearing health care is important because for some people, when exploring the option of a hearing aid or knowing they aren’t hearing as well, it can be really scary. I think it can be really important to have an environment that you’re comfortable with because it really is a teamwork and partnership.”

Driftless Audiology will be open Mondays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday 1-7 p.m., Thursdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Neuzil also plans to offer appointments on certain Saturdays.

For more information on Driftless Audiology, visit the new facility’s Facebook page, call the office at 563-284-2008 or email information@driftlessaudiology.com.