Audiology Associates

From the office staff, to Ms. Rifkind, Kevin, and Kimberly this is the office to go when your hearing takes a nose dive. I highly recommend this establishment.

I have been going to Patty for 16 years. I was 47 when I met her and I thought I was too young to wear hearing aids. I was so wrong. Patty has changed my life for the better. Kimberly was still in CSUN when I met her she is a shining beacon in office. She sets the tone for what your experience is going to be like. Patty is not only patient, but she is so well educated in her field that I know that she can listen to what problems I am having and solve them. I feel blessed to have found them and will always use them and recommend.

Just happened to have a member of my family needed an exam for the new hearing aids at this facility. .I have to say that we are very pleased with all the services here: very professional — very friendly! We definitely recommend to others !!! Especially thanks to Dr. Bolder and Kimberly very much for all the works!

I needed to update this review to say that if your hearing aids need cleaning or some other minor attention, there is no need to wait for an appointment. Everyday from 4 – 5 PM, you can just walk in and get help. I think they offer this service at 8:30 AM, too, but call first to be sure.

I couldn’t be happier with the service provided at Audiology Associates. It was hard enough to get my dad through the doors, so I was thrilled when he actually enjoyed being there! Dr. Rifkind was so friendly and really took the time to understand his issues and concerns about hearing loss. Once tested, she suggested a few products she thought would be best for him. We left the office with one pair as a trial, and ended up calling the next day to say we would keep them! The office staff was really great about looking into his insurance to see what would be covered. All in all, my dad is happy to be hearing better and happy to have a new friend at Audiology Associates. Thank you, Dr. Rifkind!

Dr. Rifkind was great! The whole staff was really friendly and helped us out immensely. My mother was so happy with Dr. Rifking throughout the process of testing her hearing, counseling her about what level of hearing loss she has, and what we could do about it. My mother has been wearing her hearing aids now for a couple of months, and it has made all the difference in the world. Thank you so much Dr. Rifkind!

Dr. Rifkvery at Audiology Associates is great! She made my experience very pleasant and her staff is knowledgeable and kind.

I went to Dr. Rifkind at Audiology Associates about a year and an half ago. I had hearing aids from the VA but they were not working that well and I just wanted to get a second opinion. She had me try out some newer more technologically advanced hearing aids. These aids had multiple levels of listening.
The newer hearing aids work better in different situations like in the car or in a public place such as a restaurant or just listening to TV at home.
Patrice checked with my insurance while allowing me to take a test run with her hearing aids. When I came back the next week for a visit, she had a new set of hearing aids and explained how to use them and care for them. She also is able to adjust them as ones hearing changes with time on her computer, thus eliminating the need to buy new ones.
I also like the fact that these hearing aids are not very visible.
She had the insurance cover almost all of the cost.
Thanks Dr. Patrice Rifkind
Randy

My name is Pete Gregory and I’m a longtime patient of Patrice (Patti) Rifkind and Audiology Associates. Because of the outstanding care and service I’ve received here I feel it necessary to share my experience with others.
What many people don’t know is, there’s a big difference between a hearing aid dispenser and a highly trained and experienced audiologist professional. If you’ve ever been told you might need a hearing aid, I suggest going over to Audiology Associates, because you can be assured you will see a highly trained and qualified professional. You can rest assured you’re receiving only the very best care.
After wearing at least one hearing aide for over 35 years, I feel I’m an expert hearing aid patient. Based on that lifetime of experience, I have absolutely no hesitation about referring my friends and family members to Audiology Associates.
I’ve had a hearing aid since childhood, but was always advised I needed two. I always declined the second aid until a number of years ago, when Patti finally convinced me to get the hearing aid for my «good» ear. I took a chance and purchased the second aid. I don’t think I ever thanked Patti, but it was the best advise I could have ever received. It turns out my one ear was NOT my «good» ear at all. It was better than the first ear, but way worse that I thought. It’s so nice to be able to hear so much better than I used to. As a hobby I play fiddle in a band, and the second aid has enhanced that experience, and my everyday life as well.
If you’re having hearing problems or have been advised to get a hearing test, call these folks and make an appointment. You might be surprised at the results, but I can promise you will receive an professional and accurate evaluation, and if needed, a workable and affordable solution. If it’s found you might need a hearing aid, I bet you will be surprised at how much better you can hear when you finally get your aid. For those with hearing problems, a great audiologist like Patti, and a good hearing aid, can make a major positive impact on your life!
Good luck, and happy hearing!

First, this review reflects the state of audiology and the dispensing of hearing-​aids as it relates to my experience with Audiology Associates. It’s not solely focused on Audiology Associates.
As for Dr. Pamela Rifkind; she’s very smart, friendly, patient and thorough. This is not about her, personally, as I really liked her. I really liked everyone in the office. I even liked the office itself. This is about the redonkulous price of hearing aids as it relates to my direct experience with Audiology Associates. This is why they have a ‘3’ from me and not a ‘1’ or a ‘5’, I actually realized how bad the price was and decided to look for more cost-​efficient options.
The reason for the 3 stars is simple, the hearing aid market (in general, not Audiology Associates per se) is a racket *because* everything is routed through audiologists and dispensers and it probably doesn’t need to be. This has wildly inflated the cost of what amounts to a simple electronic device, because hearing-​aids are classed as a medical device – unlike something you might buy with more tech for less like a computer.
Audiology Associates was nice-​enough to let me try two Oticon hearing aids, digital with bluetooth, for 2 weeks. I loved them, but the purchase price was $ 5250.00.
Yes, $ 5250.00 for two hearing aids with technology that’s been around for a couple decades at least and is not *that* miniaturized. That’s a third the price of my Mercedes-​engineered smart car.
As another point of contrast, my powerhouse PC is 24-​core, 48GB RAM, has an NVIDIA GTX680, SSD boot drive, 1TB main drive and all the associated bells and whistles and came-​in under $ 4000. That’s a hell of a lot more technology for a lot less. Why are hearing aids so expensive?
Hearing aids through audiologists are simply overpriced, and insurance doesn’t really cover this necessity, at least not sufficiently. I was denied Care Credit at the time too, which in retrospect is a good thing (my credit is much better now).
So, what was my solution? First, I ordered a program for my iPhone for 5 bucks to ‘amplify’ what I heard through headphones. It was a fantastic solution for watching TV with my girlfriend, but not much else.
Then, I found the MD Hearing Acoustitone PRO hearing aids on Amazon and they have their own corporate site for ordering as well. I saw that they had several models, including the ‘PRO’ model which was a behind-​the-​ear design, but with slightly older tech and a little bigger/​thicker than the Oticons. They were sold individually or as a discounted pair and MD Hearing just came out with a new flagship DIGITAL model.
The cost? 329.00 for a pair of the Acoustiton Pros. Yes, for a PAIR. In-​practice, I love them. They work great, and they take a bigger battery but those batteries last a long time. I had some custom earmolds made by Avery Sound and the hearing aids are actually more comfortable than the stock Oticons now. The AIR model is slightly higher-​priced – $ 599 or so for a pair but they’re *digital*. The gap between these and the expensive, audiologist-​dispensed hearing aids is shrinking fast. The AIRs are also a lot smaller, but still about as thick as the Pros.
So, weigh $ 5250.00 vs. $ 329.00. What can you buy for $ 4921.00? Yes, the Oticons are digital with Bluetooth, but the Bluetooth isn’t that great because you have to wear this goofy device around your neck. The range of Bluetooth is not good-​enough yet, but it’s an innovative feature. The smaller size of the Oticons is nice, but is is $ 4921.00 nice? Not if you ask me. I am very happy with the Acoustitone Pros and they work great.
Essentially, this is to put people on-​notice that hearing aids are simply overpriced, almost exploitive in their pricing structure, and who is the biggest group purchasing hearing aids? Seniors. Again, AA did not invent this system, but they were the conduit through which sticker-​shock changed my perspective, forever.
Also, the Acoustitone Pro has a free 45-​day trial. You really can’t lose and no, I do not work for MD Hearing in any capacity, nor am I paid in any way to write this. These are just my honest thoughts.
I would like to see the hearing-​aid industry reformed… especially with costs and insurance-​coverage. Until then, I will be avoiding audiologists (with respect to hearing aids, at least) and supporting the mavericks who have fair-​prices for their simple electronic devices we call hearing-​aids.
By the way, I was coming back from a trip and I mistakenly put my hearing aids in my backpack while riding my motorcycle. Gut-​wrenchingly, I lost them. But, since they only cost 329.00 for a pair, it wasn’t too painful to buy another set. Now, imagine losing a pair of $ 5250.00 hearing aids. ;)
We need to de-​couple hearing aids from audiologists and dispensers, or at least have them no longer classed as a ‘medical device’. Otherwise, many will continue to pay top-​dollar for decades-​old tech.

The Audiology Associates team are the best. Dr. Patrice Rifkind really takes her time to understand her patients needs and provides the BEST service and results you can ask for. I never knew how much sound I was missing until I came to her office. I cant say enough about the courteous and accommodating staff she has. My entire family sees her and I would highly recommend them to everyone!
Thank you Patrice

This is the most professional and knowledgeable group of audiologists I have ever gone to. I have seen several different staff there who were equally concerned about giving their client the best service ever. When you see how happy both staff and clients in an office are, you know that not only the staff is happy with their products, but customers are 100% satisfied and will return again and again. I highly recommend Audiology Associates to anyone who needs help handling their hearing loss or who needs anything related to better hearing. They are the BEST!
Sincerely, Angelyn Arcaro

I can’t say enough about the personalized care and attention that Dr. Rifkind and her great staff offer. They provide excellent service and offer a variety of products. They focus on you, and what will be the most appropriate service and /​or device for your individual situation. They were patient enough to allow me to try several different devices (over several months time span) and listened carefully to my critiques of the devices in order to deduce the best choice to improve my clinical situation and ultimately improve my quality of life. They differ from Walmart style audiologists in that they take the time to develop a relationship with you and they are not interested in pushing only one product for you. They achieve life changing results for their patients in a respectful and compassionate manner.