NEW YORK, December 13, 2022 — Tuned, a hearing health company focused on providing hearing care for all, announced the appointment of Dr. Barbara Weinstein, Professor and Founding Executive Officer of the Health Sciences Doctoral Program at the CUNY Graduate Center, to its Advisory Board. Dr. Weinstein has been a luminary in the field of audiology for five decades.

Dr. Weinstein is best known for her role in the development of the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE), a tool designed to assess the impact of hearing loss in the emotional and social-situational adjustments of elderly patients. She has been published frequently over the years and speaks around the world on the effects of hearing loss on social isolation and senile dementia, hearing aids, and the importance of screening for hearing health. She received the 2022 Distinguished Alumnus Award from Teacher’s College, Columbia University; the New York State Speech Language Hearing Association’s Distinguished Achievement Award for her work, and served as a panelist on the National Institute of Health’s first consensus panel on cochlear implants.

“I’m highly impressed by the work Tuned is doing, particularly in how they have managed to break through the status quo that’s stagnated the hearing market for decades, while also unlocking the true potential of audiologists, who for too long have been restricted in the care they give by a system focused on profiteering instead of hearing health,” said Dr. Weinstein. “I’ve spent my career focused on improving the standard of hearing care and inspiring others to do the same. I’m looking forward to continuing to do so by helping Tuned continue to provide hearing care throughout patient lifespans, across the U.S.”

The expansion of Tuned’s advisory board comes after a year of achievements, including the announcements of partnerships with MusiCares and Soundly, as well as award wins for the 4th Annual UCSF Health Hub Digital Health Rising Star Award in the Employer Prevention & Wellness category and the Employer Health Innovation Roundtable (EHIR) Pitch Competition, as well as recognition by the Hearing Technology Innovator Awards™ for outstanding telehealth service delivery.

“It’s humbling to be able to bring such a force in the world of audiology to Tuned’s advisory board,” said Kate McGinley, Chief Growth Officer, and co-founder, of Tuned. “We saw our vision become recognized by so many this year, and 2023 promises to be even more impactful with Dr. Weinstein sharing her wisdom and insights with our team.”

Tuned expands the current employer-sponsored benefit landscape by offering hearing care as a specialty benefit, making it as accessible as medical, dental, vision, and mental healthcare. Employers that use Tuned take a preventative, holistic approach to hearing care complete with transparent pricing models and enrollment support.

Tuned’s platform boasts more than 180 Doctors of Audiology (AuD) who provide unbiased online consultations that help consumers understand the severity of their hearing loss and what steps can be made to mitigate any issues. These audiologists provide recommendations that include fixes like earplugs, specialty apps to be used in conjunction with earbuds, and hearing aids or surgery for those with moderate to severe hearing loss.

‍