News and Events

This page was created to assist our patients, their families, and friends on the news and events pertaining to The Listening Center, our staff and the latest information about cochlear implantation. Keep coming back frequently for updates and important notices.

In the News: Hearing Loss is Associated with the Risk of Developing Dementia

February 15, 2011: CNN.com- Frank Lin, M.D., Ph.D, discusses the results of new study he led, which suggests that gradual hearing loss is a common symptom of aging, but in some people it may also be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia. The risk of dementia appears to rise as hearing declines. Older people with mild hearing impairment -- those who have difficulty following a conversation in a crowded restaurant, say -- were nearly twice as likely as those with normal hearing to develop dementia, the study found. Severe hearing loss nearly quintupled the risk of dementia.

In the News: Fourth Grader and Family Raise Money for Children with Hearing Loss

July 30, 2010, WHHG-TV (NBC) Hagerstown, MD - The Fotta Golf Tournament, held by family of boy who received a cochlear implant at the Johns Hopkins Listening Center, raised $14,000 to help other children and families who need cochlear impants. Watch the story.

In the News: Eyeing smaller, faster, smarter ear implants

August 18, 2009

USA Today  - A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that helps children and adults with little or no hearing pick up sounds — including human voices, music and environmental noises, says Johns Hopkins cochlear implant surgeon John Niparko. Read the entire article here.

In the News:  Johns Hopkins Restores Hearing with Cochlear Implants

April 1, 2009 - A remarkable story with a happy ending!

WMAR-TV (ABC) reports...For Barry Block, this is no ordinary trip to the Listening Center at Johns Hopkins. His audiologist, Ryan Carpenter, is turning on his cochlear implant or the bionic ear he had surgically put in a month ago. To view the full story, click here.

Cochlear implant reintroduces woman to the joys of hearing

FREDERICK -- A row of plush red Elmos sit atop the piano in Denise Portis's living room. They are a reminder of a significant moment in her life.
Walking through a toy store around Christmas, she heard a laugh. It was a sound she recognized from childhood, and it was a sound she heard and recognized without any help. It was the Sesame Street character Elmo! To read more, click here

Living with hearing loss

About 28 million Americans live with hearing loss. As baby boomers continue to age, that number is expected to nearly double by 2030.
Trauma, infection, heredity, aging and exposure to loud sounds can cause hearing loss. It can be sudden or come with aging. According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, most hearing losses develop over a period of 25 to 30 years. - To read more, click here

Former Miss America Gets Miracle Ear Implant?

(WJZ) It's the moment Heather Whitestone McCallum has waited a lifetime for, and it's something most of us take for granted - hearing with both ears.

Former Miss America Gets Hearing Help - Click here to view the video

To download a pdf file of "The Road to Getting a Cochlear Implant - Cochlear Implant candidacy Process", by Jennifer Yeagle please click here