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Cody Progress Edition - Thursday, March 19, 2015 - D-5
TY
NELSON
PAMELA
CLEGG, M.D.
ADAIR
BOWLBY, M.D.
PEGGY
ROHRBACH
LENOX
BAKER, M.D.
JEFF
PARSONS
MELISSA
FRASER, R.N.
BOARD
Members
Internal Medicine
Specialty Clinic
Rachael Bracke, M.D.
Internal Medicine
Andrew Rashkow, M.D.
Cardiology
Rebecca Danforth, M.D.
Rheumatology
Richard Anderson, M.D.
Internal Medicine
424 Yellowstone Avenue, Suite 230 •
307.578.2975
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Information
D
r. Brandi R. Shepard,
Au.D, audiologist, has
been offering the com-
munity comprehensive audio-
logical care since last fall.
Dr. Shepard has been
working diligently on devel-
oping an Audiology program
from scratch for West Park
Hospital. With more than
14 years of experience in her
field, she also is proficient in
diagnostics and amplifica-
tion.
Audiological services cur-
rently being offered include
hearing tests, speech under-
standing, middle ear func-
tion, inner ear function,
auditory nerve function and
brain-stem response testing.
Dr. Shepard also pre-
scribes custom hearing
instruments, assistive listen-
ing devices and Bluetooth
connectivity devices. She is
able to counsel and make rec-
ommendations based on indi-
vidual hearing loss and life-
style for appropriate selec-
tion of hearing aids, fitting,
programming and all follow-
up care.
“About 30 million Ameri-
can’s 12 years old and up
are affected by hearing loss.
There are another 5 million
children who are currently
diagnosed with hearing loss,”
Dr. Shepard says. “People
should be getting annual
hearing tests, the same as
getting eyes checked and
going to the dentist. Hearing
loss can be so gradual that
people might not realize it’s
happening until years have
gone by. The average wait
time for someone when they
realize they have hearing
loss to when they are fit with
hearing aids is 15 years.”
West Park Hospital and
Dr. Shepard share the goal
of providing the best pos-
sible care. One of the larg-
er developments has been
to purchase and install a
soundproof audiology testing
booth. The booth will pre-
vent unwanted noise from
entering the test environ-
ment and affecting the integ-
rity of the test procedures.
New equipment also pur-
chased includes Otoacoustic
emissions (OAEs), Auditory
brainstem response (ABRs),
and a Verifit 2 (verification of
correct hearing aid fit). The
purchase of this equipment
opens up the population that
can be tested and the service
that can be provided.
“Before I was limited to
adults for hearing aids and 5
and up for diagnostics,” Dr.
Shepard says. “Getting the
new booth and equipment is
awesome, it is a game chang-
er. I’ll be able to provide more
services for Cody and the out-
lying areas. I am excited to be
able to serve a broader popu-
lation. With the booth I will
be able to offer diagnostics
and amplification on all ages,
babies and up,” she adds.
Otoacoustic emissions
(OAEs) are sounds given off
by the inner ear when the
cochlea is stimulated by a
s o u n d .
W h e n
s o u n d
s t i m u -
lates the
c o c h l e a ,
the outer
hair cells
v i b r a t e .
The vibra-
tion pro-
d u c e s a
n e a r l y
inaudible
s o u n d
t h a t
echoes back into the middle
ear. The sound can be mea-
sured with a small probe in
the ear canal.
The OAE test often is part
of a newborn hearing screen-
ing program. This test can
detect blockage in the outer
ear canal, as well as the pres-
ence of middle ear fluid and
damage to the outer hair cells
in the cochlea.
Another test is the audi-
tory brainstem response
(ABR) test, which gives infor-
mation about the inner ear
and brain pathways for hear-
ing. The ABR is performed
by placing electrodes on the
head – similar to electrodes
placed around the heart
when an electrocardiogram
is run – and recording brain
wave activity in response
to sound. The person being
tested rests quietly or sleeps
while the test is performed.
No response is necessary.
Dr. Shepard also works
closely with the Wyoming
Early Hearing Detection and
Intervention (EDHI) Pro-
gram. The goal of the pro-
gram is to provide for bet-
ter outcomes for Wyoming
children with hearing loss
and their families through
early screening, appropriate
diagnosis and intervention,
monitoring, personnel devel-
opment and increasing public
awareness.
“We monitor them and
provide appropriate follow-up
so children can develop prop-
erly,” she says. “This system
also keeps kids from falling
through the cracks which is
extremely important.”
Reasons for a hearing test
include:
•Muf f l ed , bl ocked or
diminished hearing.
•Difficulty understand-
ing what people are saying,
especially when there’s com-
peting voices or background
noise.
•Listening to the televi-
sion or radio at a higher vol-
ume than in the past.
•Avoiding conversation
and social interaction.
•Ringing, roaring, hissing
or buzzing in the ear (tinni-
tus).
•Ear pain, itching or irri-
tation.
•Pus or fluid leaking from
the ear. This may result from
an injury or infection that is
causing hearing loss.
•Vertigo.
•A change in hearing.
•And of course, if it is time
for an annual hearing test.
“Wes t Park Hosp i t a l
accepts insurance for audio-
logical services, which is a
huge advantage for the pub-
lic,” Dr. Shepard says. “Work-
ing here has been amazing.
There are so many things
that WPH does for their
employees. This year cover-
age for audiology services and
hearing aids has been added
to the hospital insurance
(EBMS) which is an exciting
benefit.”
Dr. Shepard was born and
raised Cody. She graduated
from Cody High School in
1996 and earned an associ-
ate’s degree from Northwest
College. She then received
her bachelor’s at Idaho State
University and master’s from
the University of Wyoming
in 2003. She interned at the
Cheyenne VA, worked a year
in Jonesboro, Ark., complet-
ing her clinical fellowship
year and earned her doctor-
ate at Salus University in
Pennsylvania in 2009.
She went to work in Pueb-
lo, Colo., beginning in 2005,
owning her own clinic for
the last seven years before
returning to Cody.
She and her husband,
Todd, are happy to be raising
their four young children in
Cody.
“Being back is better than
I ever could have imagined,”
she says. “I love this famil-
iar small town feel and all of
my husband’s and my family
are here. Cody is our home, it
always has been.”
Dr. Shepa rd ’ s o f f i c e
is located in the Cath-
cart Health Center, 424
Yellowstone Ave., Suite 310,
and is open Monday, Tues-
day and Thursday from 9
a.m.-3:30 p.m. To schedule an
appointment call 578-2976.
The new sound booth used by audiologist Dr. Brandi Shepard, Au.D, allows her to provide more services to Cody and the surrounding areas.
Audiologist using lastest testing technology
BRANDI
SHEPARD
West Park
audiologist