About Us

Hearing Evaluation Services of Buffalo, Inc. (HES) stands out as one of the few freestanding non-profit audiology practices in the United States. Since 1981, HES has been providing high-quality hearing services to people across Western New York (WNY), with locations in Orchard Park, Tonawanda, Amherst, Williamsville, and downtown Buffalo.

 

Tom White, an audiologist who previously served as the Director of Audiology for the Buffalo Otolaryngology Group (BOG), founded HES. Together with Dr. Irwin Ginsberg, a renowned otolaryngologist at BOG, they evaluated and treated thousands of people in WNY.

 

HES established a freestanding non-profit audiology group in response to the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association’s (ASHA) Code of Ethics. The Code of Ethics prevented audiologists from dispensing hearing aids before 1978. HES developed a professional model that prioritizes the patient’s best interests, even if that means counseling them instead of fitting a hearing aid. Their compensation model ensures that the audiologist’s pay is not tied to the number of hearing aids sold.

 

HES expanded its services to include a full range of audiological services, including the Hearing and Balance Center of WNY, which provides evaluations for patients with balance and dizziness disorders. HES staff and members of local Lions Clubs established the Dr. Ann Stadelmaier Hearing Aid Fund to honor Dr. Stadelmaier’s legacy and provide financial assistance to individuals in need of hearing aids.

 

The company is dedicated to the growth and development of its staff and the field of audiology. The organization has been actively involved in training university students to ensure the future success of the profession. It became the largest organization in WNY to be fully staffed with Doctors of Audiology, transitioning from masters-level to doctoral-level audiologists.

 

Under the leadership of Dr. Anne Orsene, HES expanded its services to include the Dent Dizziness and Balance Center, providing high-level balance testing within a neurological practice. HES also opened a pediatric test center at the Williamsville Pediatric Center of Excellence, performing Early Intervention (EI) and Committee on Preschool Education (CPSE) evaluations to provide the highest level of audiological pediatric services in the WNY community.

 

In 2012, HES established a Tinnitus Program to provide assessment, treatment, and counseling to individuals affected by this debilitating condition. HES audiologists expanded the program in 2013, providing even more support to those living with bothersome tinnitus.