Summary: The IHS will recognize the 2024 IHS Award Winners, including The Hearing Review Professional Leadership Award honoree, at the upcoming IHS Conference & Expo in Louisville, Kentucky.

Takeaways:

  1. Lifetime Achievement: John Beall, ACA, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades of impactful service in hearing healthcare, including leadership roles in the Pennsylvania Hearing Aid Alliance and IHS.
  2. Advocacy Recognition: Todd Beyer, ACA, BC-HIS, will be honored with the James P. Lovell Advocacy Award for his extraordinary efforts in advocating for the hearing impaired through his work at The Hearing House, LLC.
  3. Emerging Professional: Abigayle Senff of Rochester, Minnesota, will be awarded the IHS Emerging Professional Award, recognizing her early career achievements and dedication to advancing the role of hearing aid dispensing professionals.

The International Hearing Society (IHS) has announced the 2024 IHS Award Winners, all of whom exhibited excellence in various categories in hearing healthcare, according to the organization.

The 2024 awardees will be recognized at an upcoming IHS event—dubbed A Night at the Races—on Sept 14, 2024, held during the 2024 IHS Conference & Expo in Louisville, Kentucky. 

“The 2024 IHS Award Winners exemplify dedication to and compassion for those experiencing hearing loss,” says IHS President Patrick Kochanowski, BS, ACA, BC-HIS. “On behalf of the IHS Board of Governors, I congratulate these outstanding individuals and IHS chapter on their pursuit of excellence. I am so proud to share their names below and incredibly humbled to be counted amongst them.” 

The 2024 IHS Award Winners

The 2024 IHS Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to John Beall, ACA. Over the course of his career, Beall served as the vice president and president of the Pennsylvania Hearing Aid Alliance and served on the IHS Board of Governors as Secretary. Beall was also the first franchisee and respected leader for IHS partner, Miracle-Ear. His lifetime of service in hearing healthcare inspired many of his family and IHS members to enter and thrive in the profession, says the IHS. 

The James P. Lovell Advocacy Award will be awarded to Todd Beyer, ACA, BC-HIS, owner of The Hearing House, LLC, of Marshfield, Wisconsin. The Lovell award is given annually to the member or organization that has accomplished extraordinary achievements in advocating for the hearing impaired.

The IHS Emerging Professional Award will be awarded to Abigayle Senff of Rochester, Minnesota. This award is given to an IHS member who has been licensed for less than five years and, during that time, has expanded the role of hearing aid dispensing professional through IHS/chapter participation, leadership, volunteering, and/or professional growth, thereby representing and promoting the mission of IHS to a larger audience.

The IHS Outstanding Professional Member Award winner is Leslie Holden, BC-HIS, of Winnipeg, Canada. This award is presented annually to an IHS member who has made significant contributions to the advancement of the International Hearing Society’s values and goals, including advancing and enhancing the professional identity and status of IHS membership; advancing a mutual respect among hearing healthcare professionals, to assure IHS members’ eligibility as providers in the hearing care delivery system; advancing professional qualifications and standards in the hearing aid dispensing field; and educating the public about the profession’s role in hearing loss identification and hearing healthcare delivery. 

The IHS Chapter of the Year Award is being awarded to the Wisconsin Alliance of Hearing Professionals. This award recognizes IHS’ highest achieving chapter that has made the most significant contributions to both the profession and the industry through chapter development, advocacy, public relations, meetings, and education initiatives.

The Hearing Review Professional Leadership Award

IHS President Patrick Kochanowski, BS, ACA, BC-HIS, will also receive an award at the IHS Night at the Races event—The Hearing Review Professional Leadership Award for his success in the industry and advancement of the Hearing Aid Specialist profession. This honor is awarded by The Hearing Review magazine to a tremendous “change maker’ in the hearing healthcare profession each year. 

“Patrick has been a champion of education and advocacy throughout his career, encouraging fellow hearing healthcare professionals to become deeply involved in their field, on a local and national level, and serving as a great role model in this regard,” says Roy Felts, publisher of The Hearing Review. “I’m looking forward to presenting him with The Hearing Review Professional Leadership Award.”  “I congratulate all our 2024 IHS award winners and nominees,” says IHS Executive Director Alissa Parady. “Their devotion to the Hearing Aid Specialist profession and compassion in helping more individuals hear and communicate better is an inspiration to the communities they serve and professionals alike. I hope IHS members will join us in celebrating these exemplary professionals in Louisville in September.”