International Hearing Society and National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences Announce Affiliation Agreement

 

 

Livonia, Michigan – February 13, 2019

 

• NBC-HIS and IHS to remain separate entities, with separate boards yet one staff team, and IHS staff managing both organizations’ business operations.
• NBC-HIS and IHS affiliation brings together two highly-respected hearing healthcare entities with the common goal of elevating hearing aid dispensing professionals worldwide.
• The servicing and requirements to maintain IHS memberships and NBC-HIS certifications will remain unchanged, with no lapse of service.
• NBC-HIS is now co-located with IHS, under one roof headquartered in Livonia, Michigan.

 

The International Hearing Society (IHS) and National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences (NBC-HIS) today announced the signing of an affiliation agreement that brings together each organization’s complementary expertise under one roof. While each organization maintains itself as a separate entity with individual governance and budgetary structures, affiliation and co-location allows for greater collaboration and exploring synergies that help support hearing aid specialists in their professional journey, and ultimately positively affect those with hearing challenges.

 

With forthcoming changes in the hearing aid market, new technology and delivery modes, hearing aid specialists are seeking ways to distinguish themselves in this environment.  The new collaborative relationship allows IHS and NBC-HIS to team up to offer superior resources to assist dispensing professionals in the rapidly changing hearing healthcare landscape. Customers of both organizations benefit from new marketing programs and tools already in development to help further their professional goals, plus premier-level service, expert staff, and greater efficiencies across the board.

 

“Hearing healthcare professionals may be concerned about changes in the market, but this is also a time for opportunity for everyone who dispenses hearing aids. This new affiliation between IHS and NBC-HIS will allow both groups to direct our talents and efforts toward one goal — helping IHS members and NBC-HIS certificants achieve even greater success in their businesses and careers,” said Todd Beyer, ACA, BC-HIS, IHS President. “Together, we are the premier organizations that hearing aid dispensers can turn toward for solutions, support and advocacy.”

 

Scott Lau, ACA, BC-HIS, NBC-HIS board member, said: “It’s an exciting endeavor to join forces with IHS and still maintain our autonomy. NBC-HIS has access to the talents and skills of the IHS staff, which increases our ability to offer high-value benefits to our certificants, as well as an increased level of service. NBC-HIS customers have achieved the top tier of certification in hearing aid dispensing. We’re developing, with the IHS team, impressive programs to support board certificants in their careers and businesses.”

 

Both organizations have new programs in production to benefit their customers, as well as products that will help hearing healthcare professionals who are neither IHS members nor board certified.

 

To learn more about the affiliation agreement between IHS and NBC-HIS, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions.

 

International Hearing Society (IHS) is a membership association that represents hearing healthcare professionals worldwide. IHS members are engaged in the practice of testing human hearing and selecting, fitting and dispensing hearing instruments and counseling patients. Founded in 1951, the Society continues to recognize the need for promoting and maintaining the highest possible standards for its members in the best interests of the hearing impaired it serves.  As the membership organization for thousands of dispensing professionals, IHS conducts programs in competency accreditation, education and training and encourages specialty-level programs for its members. IHS is located in Livonia, Michigan.

 

National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences (NBC-HIS) is an independent, non-profit, credentialing organization, established to promote continuing competency assurance of hearing health professionals and to provide a standard of excellence in hearing healthcare for the consumer.  Founded in 1981, NBC-HIS was created to establish a standardized test for measuring the competency of hearing health professionals. It is the only board certification program in the hearing healthcare industry accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).  NBC-HIS is located in Livonia, Michigan.

 

Press Contact:  Sandra den Boer, sdenboer@ihsinfo.org, 734.522.7200, ext. 231