Build your Network to Build Referrals
AudiologyOnline: How has the landscape changed over the past years?
Dr. Melissa Rose: One way audiology has changed is that more people are talking about preventive hearing healthcare and companies like CareCredit are amplifying the message to consumers about hearing conservation and early intervention. We know that hearing health exams should be as routine as dental and eye exams. Being a visible and vocal advocate for hearing loss prevention, in both the marketing of your practice and within community outreach, is a great way to attract new patients.
AudiologyOnline: What are ways to be visible in your community?
Dr. Melissa Rose: There are a variety of ways, such as social media posts, events at senior centers and churches and passing out hearing protection on July 4th along with information on hearing preservation in your practice. Creating awareness and relationships with key medical colleagues is another way. We focus on building professional relationships with primary care providers and ENTs. They are in a great position to partner with us in proactively educating patients on the benefits of routine, annual hearing exams.
AudiologyOnline: Why are they critical to referrals?
Dr. Melissa Rose: According to research 52% of patients surveyed discussed their hearing issue with a medical doctor. Of those, 45% were referred to a hearing care professional. And 39% were “told” to get their hearing checked by a professional1. It’s important to consistently communicate with key healthcare professionals in your area and provide them with referral materials so they specifically refer patients to your practice. The time invested may provide a very positive ROI.
AudiologyOnline: How do you build relationships with these professionals?
Dr. Melissa Rose: One thing we do is hold educational sessions at local medical offices to share the research and data that indicates hearing loss prevention should be discussed with patients of all ages – especially teens. And that patients 40+ should be encouraged to get a baseline and annual hearing exam. If the doctors and their teams are aware of the link between hearing loss and other medical issues, they can also become vocal advocates.
AudiologyOnline: How do you maintain these relationships long term?
Establishing and maintaining a relationship that results in referrals is not a one-and-done initiative; it requires constant time and effort. Consider offering free hearing exams to these key referral partners or a discount on hearing technology. If they are a happy patient of yours, they are more likely to recommend you and share their first-hand knowledge of your practice.
AudiologyOnline: Any other ways to network in the community you’d like to touch on?
Dr. Melissa Rose: Hearing conservation is one area that holds significant potential for growth. By offering hearing conservation services, you can tap into new and diverse markets that you might not have considered in the past. OSHA testing is by far the easiest way to get involved in hearing conservation. Connecting with workplaces and offering these services can lead to long-term relationships. You can provide annual testing, new hire baseline assessments and retesting for these companies. Once you’re established with these companies, you create another consistent revenue stream that allows you and your practice to expand steadily rather than solely relying on diagnostics and hearing aid sales.
It can also improve your reputation and visibility in the community. You could potentially sign a contract with a company that has over a hundred employees, introducing all of them to your practice. This exposure can lead to some returning to you as private patients or referring a family member or friend to your practice because they are familiar with your staff.
AudiologyOnline: How do you maintain patient relationships and encourage technology updates?
Dr. Melissa Rose: One unique thing we do is lunch and listens. We take six patients who haven’t had new hearing aids in four plus years and invite them to a nice restaurant to enable them to test drive new technology. Hearing aids change drastically every three to four years. Then we schedule for an office visit. Every time these patients upgrade to new hearing aids. I can't really think of a patient that didn’t want the benefits of the new technology.
AudiologyOnline: What are some key barriers that make it challenging to get patients to be more proactive with their hearing health?
Dr. Melissa Rose: We want to constantly be doing what we can to make sure the patient is hearing to the best of their ability. One key barrier is patients don't feel like they have hearing loss. And the other is cost. It’s a running joke in audiology that we’re trying to get patients to purchase something for a problem that they don’t always feel they have. Patients will come in and say, “Well, yes, sometimes I miss things.” After testing we discover they have a 60, 70 decibel hearing loss, which is significant.
AudiologyOnline: How do you overcome those barriers?
Dr. Melissa Rose: Overcoming barriers can be done in multiple ways. In terms of needs, showing them the test results and enabling them to test drive technology can be helpful. To address cost concerns we offer flexible financing with the CareCredit credit card – which has been a huge lever for us to help patients manage the cost with convenient monthly payments versus having to pay the full cost of hearing aids upfront.*
Additionally, CareCredit has a new remarketing toolkit that makes it easier for practices to reach out to existing patients due for a recheck or upgrade and patients who were tested but did not move forward with care.
AudiologyOnline: Any last thoughts?
Dr. Melissa Rose: The only constant is change. But one thing that really doesn’t change is the importance of building relationships with patients, medical professionals and within the community you serve.
References
1. “MarkeTrak—Tracking the Pulse of the Hearing Aid Market”, December 1, 2022, https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.1055/s-0042-1758380, accessed on October 22, 2025.
The doctor in the article works with CareCredit to provide educational information in the industry where they practice.
*Subject to credit approval.
Melissa Carnes Rose
Owner of Nardelli Audiology and a Certified Audiologist, a Mannington native, Melissa Carnes Rose attended North Marion High School, graduating in 1999. She went on to West Virginia University where she completed her Bachelor of Science in Speech Pathology and Audiology graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2003. She also graduated with a minor in Communication Disorders and a Certificate in Gerontology in 2003. She earned her Doctorate in Audiology (AuD) at West Virginia University in 2007 graduating at the top of her class. Dr. Rose completed her Clinical Fellowship at the Blue Ridge Hearing in Balance in Bluefield, WV where she spent 15 months specializing in Balance Disorders as well as evaluating and treating hearing loss with advance technology. Upon completing her fellowship, Dr. Rose moved back to Fairmont and began working at Nardelli Audiology. Dr. Rose evaluates and treats hearing in adults with advanced digital hearing aid technology and advanced wireless technology. At this same time, she accepted a job working Fridays at Ohio Valley Medical Center where she evaluated and treated balance disorders. She then in 2012 became full time at Nardelli Audiology. In 2016, Dr. Rose became the proud owner of Nardelli Audiology and has since expanded into three locations and added another audiologist and support staff. Dr. Rose feels blessed to be serving the community of her youth. She looks forward to many more years of helping people hear well in Marion, and Harrison County, and all of the surrounding areas. Dr. Rose enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband David and son Elijah.