Doctors

Dr. Ronna Fisher Au.D., F-AAA Founder & President: Dr. Fisher has been practicing Audiology for over 25 years. She graduated with a Master of Science in Audiology in 1977 from the University of Pittsburgh. At the time of her graduation, laws prohibited audiologists from dispensing or selling hearing instruments. Most hearing healthcare practitioners found themselves working for ear doctors or hospitals performing hearing tests and referring 95% of their patients with hearing loss to a hearing aid dealer. Ronna desired a more long-term relationship with her patients facing hearing loss, so she went to work for a hearing aid dispenser, becoming somewhat of a renegade in a rapidly changing field. When the laws changed in the 1980's, granting audiologists permission to prescribe and dispense hearing instruments, Ronna moved to Chicago and established the Hearing Health Center. Today that business has grown to four thriving metropolitan and suburban practices servicing Chicago, Naperville, Oakbrook, and Highland Park and surrounding areas.
It was her father's hearing loss at an early age that led Dr. Fisher to Audiology. "As his hearing got worse, my father stopped doing a lot of things and going to places he once enjoyed. He quit going to movies and plays because he couldn't understand most of what was said. Restaurants were torture - he missed the punch line of jokes and couldn't participate in most of the conversation. Places that had background noise or lots of people were possible sources of embarrassment and humiliation."

"My dad's hearing loss didn't just affect him. It affected everyone around him. My mother would accuse him of not listening and not paying attention to her. His colleagues thought he was 'stuck up' when he didn't acknowledge their greetings. His children, including me, were impatient and angry at having to repeat everything all of the time. The most common phrases around our house were 'never mind,' 'forget it,' and 'it's not important.' My father missed so much of my life and it didn't have to be that way."

Dr. Fisher's father died while she was in graduate school. He was 53 years old. "I never got the chance to help my father, so I've dedicated my life to making sure my patients don't miss the important moments and voices in their lives."
Ronna recently went back to school to earn her doctoral degree in Audiology from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology, has earned the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association, and is an active member of the Academy of Dispensing Audiologists, American Tinnitus Association, and the Illinois Academy of Audiology.
Dr. Corey Bugg, Au.D.: Dr. Corey Bugg, Au.D., CCC-A, joined Hearing Health Center's staff in August, 2011. Dr. Bugg received her Bachelor’s Degree in Audiology and her Doctor of Audiology degree from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
Dr. Bugg became an audiologist because of her deep desire to help people. Her prior experience, focused in audiological testing, hearing aid fitting, and aural rehabilitation, helped make Corey acutely aware that each patient's needs are individual and that no one hearing solution is right for everyone. The personal care and attention she provides helps her understand the lifestyle, budgetary and technological needs of each patient she sees.

Dr. Bugg is service oriented, customer focused and technologically astute. She is extremely knowledgeable on a broad range of hearing technologies and manufacturers and is committed to helping her patients hear better so they can lead fuller and more satisfying lives.

When not at Hearing Health Center, treating patients, Dr. Bugg enjoys spending time with her family, working out, and attending sporting events.
Dr Patrick Brix, Au.D., F-AAA: Dr. Brix, Au.D., F-AAA, graduated from Rush University in Chicago with his Doctorate in Audiology. He received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa. During his graduate course of study, he had the privilege to train at Rush University Medical Center, Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center and various other audiology settings, including the Chicago Hearing Society.
Dr. Brix became passionate about audiology during his undergraduate studies at the University of Iowa. A lifelong obsession with sound and audio in all of its forms led him to pursue a career in helping others hear better. Dr. Brix states, “I want others to be able to enjoy all that life has to offer in the auditory world because there is so much to miss when hearing impairment takes over.”

Dr. Brix believes in a patient-centric quality of care model. This involves putting the patient’s needs first under all circumstances. The patient-centric care model allows the patient to realize increased benefit and satisfaction from their healthcare provider and provides for better outcomes. Working closely with each patient, Dr. Brix also strives to develop and maintain a strong working relationship with each and every one of his patients.

When not at the Hearing Health Center, treating patients, Dr. Brix enjoys spending time with his wife and family and enjoys watching football.
Dr. Michael Jones Au.D., CCC-A: Michael Jones, Au.D., CCC-A, received his Bachelor's Degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from Purdue University and his Doctor of Audiology degree from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Dr. Jones joined the Hearing Health Center’s staff after completing his externship at the Hearing Health Center Chicago office.
Dr. Jones became an audiologist to help people regain their lives. As an undergrad, his passion was to get into a field where he could help people. Through the influence of his future wife, Dr. Jones took an introductory course in communication science and disorders and knew immediately, this was what he needed to do. He fell in love with the idea of being able to bring someone out of silence and back into their daily life by helping them to hear again. Helping people, young and old, to hear again or for the first time has become his passion and is why he is now an audiologist.

Dr. Jones states, “The best part of being an audiologist is the look on a patient’s face when they hear their loved one whisper something to them across a room that they wouldn’t have heard without the help of hearing aids. The best part is knowing that I’ve made a positive impact in the lives of not only the patients I see daily, but on their families as well.” His goal with every patient is to determine where they are having difficulty, who is affected by this difficulty, and find a solution for the patient and their family. Dr. Jones values keeping his patient’s needs and best interests in mind and is committed to finding the best solution he can to help them re-enter the world of hearing, at any age!

When not at the Hearing Health Center, Dr. Jones enjoys spending time with his wife, traveling, exploring the city of Chicago, reading, listening to and playing various styles of music, and watching Cubs baseball.
Dr. Ning Jing Au.D., F-AAA: Dr. Jing, Au.D, F-AAA, received his Master’s Degree in both Audiology and Education from the University of Cincinnati, and his Doctorate in Audiology from Salus University in Pennsylvania. As an experienced clinical audiologist, he was trained and has practiced at the University of California at San Francisco, University of Chicago Hospitals, Mercy Hospital in Chicago, and private physician’s offices. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology.
Dr. Jing states that “Some of life’s greatest joys come in the simplest forms --gatherings with friends, a walk through the neighborhood, or the sound of your child’s laughter. These joys need not and should not be diminished due to hearing loss or dizziness.” Dr. Jing is committed to helping his patients regain and maintain these simple joys of life. Dr. Jing’s goal is to treat each patient as his family and provide them with the most accurate diagnosis and appropriate amplification to help them hear as well as possible.

Dr. Jing finds it very rewarding when his patients begin to enjoy their lives again with amplification. He states that one of the most rewarding things is to see children benefit and grow with the help of amplification. One patient was from a new immigrant family and was very difficult to test. After spending time with her and completing the diagnosis, Dr. Jing was able to help her with amplification, and FM systems. Now she is very happy with her school and her English is improving. Dr. Jing says, “Seeing her smiling face is one of the most awarding for me.”

When not at Hearing Health Center, treating patients, Dr. Jing enjoys spending time with his family and friends.
Dr. Kara Houston, Au.D., CCC-A: Dr. Houston, Au.D, CCC-A, received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana, her Master’s of Science degree from Rush University in Chicago, and her Doctoral degree from Salus University in Pennsylvania. Dr. Houston is a member of and holds credentials from the American Speech Language and Hearing Association.

Dr. Houston became an audiologist because of the personal experience she had with hearing loss in her family. She states “my grandfather had a severe hearing loss and had 3 sets of hearing aids sitting in a drawer. He hardly wore them because they either ‘didn’t fit’ or ‘didn’t sound good’. He never went back for any adjustments or help…it was just easier to put them in a drawer. When I was in high school, my grandmother passed away unexpectedly and he came to live with us. It was a very difficult time because we were all grieving at the unexpected loss and it was extremely hard on my grandpa. But, with his hearing loss, it made the situation for our whole family even more difficult…you couldn’t just “talk” to him…you had to yell. He did not participate in conversations at the dinner table because he couldn’t hear what anyone was saying. It was horrible. Then my parents took him to the Hearing Health Center and bought him new hearing aids. He was able to communicate with us much easier and lessened the frustration felt by us all.”

Dr. Houston states ‘‘I see so many patients restricting their life, feeling isolated, and frightened to leave their house because they may fall. With new advances in the evaluation and treatment of balance and dizziness disorders, so many of them can receive help, feel better, and go on living their life.’’ When someone cannot hear, it not only affects them, but everyone around them. Dr. Houston’s goal is to educate each patient about their hearing and find ways to help them hear better in their everyday life.

When not assisting patients at HHC, Dr. Houston enjoys spending time with her kids, reading books, volunteering at her children’s schools, and teaching 2nd grade Sunday school at her church.
Dr. Janet Preston, Au.D., F-AAA: Dr. Preston, Au.D., CCC-A, has over 25 years experience as an audiologist. She received her doctoral degree from Salus University in Pennsylvania, her Master’s degree from Kent State University and her bachelor’s degree from State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo. Dr. Preston has diverse work experience in the field of audiology. She has worked for Washington University Medical Center in St. Louis, an Ear Nose and Throat practice, the Veteran’s Administration, DePaul Health Center and Northern Illinois Medical Center.
Dr. Preston values working with each patient and their family as a team to help find the best possible solution to fit each patients’ needs. She believes that by evaluating a patients’ lifestyle, budget and hearing loss, the best solution can be determined. Dr. Preston finds great pleasure in developing long term relationships and following up with her patients. She is dedicated to giving the best quality care so that her patients may once again participate in the joys of life.

Dr. Preston states, “The best part of being an audiologist is helping to improve someone’s lifestyle. Many patients are often depressed or feel alone because communicating with a hearing loss is very difficult. It is usually much easier to withdraw than to work on communicating with others. It is a joy to help patients find a solution for their hearing difficulty and watch them become involved in social activities again.”

When not helping patients at the Hearing Health Center, Dr. Preston enjoys spending time with her family, swimming, hiking, working out and traveling to new places.

Look, a licensed Audiologist. And another one. And another. And another.