Every Month, our staff pulls together and votes on a patient from our practices that they feel should be highlighted. This patient is not only kind and a joy to work with, but they also are committed to better hearing and an advocate and role model for others in our community who may suffer from hearing loss, tinnitus and/or vestibular issues. We are so grateful to have such amazing patients and we are so thrilled to be able to showcase some of them here!
September 2020
We are very excited to introduce you to Michelle O, our Patient of the Month for September 2020.
Michelle has been a patient of Animas Valley Audiology since November of 2011. She is an absolute joy to work with and makes us all crack up with her upbeat spirit every time she’s in the office.
Michelle and her husband, Robert, stay actively involved in our local community. In their free time, they like to volunteer with Music in the Mountains, leading moonlit snowshoeing tours at Purgatory, and with our local Durango Wolf Sanctuary.
Michelle’s favorite sound is The Four Seasons, which is a group of four violin concerti by Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi, each of which gives musical expression to a season of the year.
Thank you for choosing Animas Valley Audiology, Michelle, and congratulations on being named Patient of the Month for September 2020!
August 2020
We are thrilled to announce Bruce C. as our Patient of the Month for August 2020.
Bruce has been a patient of Animas Valley Audiology since July of 2019. He is a long-time resident of Durango and has served the community for over 30 years through work with LPEA Electric Company. He worked to provide power to residents through the toughest of winter conditions
Bruce and his wife Kathy have 2 successful children – a son and a daughter – of whom he is very proud. He now also has grandchildren and his hearing aids help him to hear them, which definitely a priority to Bruce!
Bruce’s favorite sound is guitar music. It is our honor to have the opportunity to serve him for his hearing needs. His smile brightens the day when he visits our office.
Thank you for choosing Animas Valley Audiology, Bruce, and congratulations on being named Patient of the Month!
July 2020
Congratulations to Wayne C. for being selected as our July 2020 Patient of the Month
Wayne is such a fun, happy gentleman to work with! He enjoys spending time with family and fishing at a nearby lake where he and his family have a cabin. We appreciate you for making us all smile and giggle every time you’re in, Wayne!
Wayne’s favorite sound is his daughter’s voice
Thank you, Wayne, for being such a fabulous patient to work with!
March 2020
Congratulations to Gemont G. for being selected as our March Patient of the Month
Gemont became a patient at Animas Valley Audiology in January 2020. He is a true pleasure to work with, and has been fully engaged in the process of treating his hearing loss early.
Gemont has enjoyed his hearing aids, and especially enjoys using them to hear better in social situations where he has previously struggled to fully participate in conversations. He is also enjoying noticing his tinnitus less, which is an added benefit to wearing hearing aids.
Gemont’s favorite sound is the sound of silence 🙂
Thank you, Gemont, for being such an awesome patient!
January 2020
We are excited to introduce you to Larry, our January 2020 Patient of the Month!
Larry has been a patient at Animas Valley Audiology since 2014. He always comes in with a smile and a kind word. As he began the process of obtaining new and improved hearing aids last fall, he has been thoughtful and patient in his decisions. Working in this manner, he has enabled our Audiologists to be sure that we are providing him with the best possible solution for his hearing and lifestyle needs.
Larry loves spending time with his extended family. His son was recently married in the summer of 2019 and he is thrilled with his new family members. Larry loves using his hearing aids to engage to the fullest with family and friends.
Larry’s favorite sounds to hear with his hearing aids are his improved ability to enjoy the sounds of nature.
Thank you, Larry, for being such a pleasure to work with!
July 2019
Let us introduce you to Neil, our July 2019 Patient of the Month!
Neil recently became our patient, and has been 100% invested in his hearing and tinnitus management journey since joining us. Every time he is in the office, his positive attitude and smile are infectious.
Neil is young and active, and works as a personal fitness trainer. He, along with his family, have noticed him having hearing difficulties in many situations for years. With his new hearing aids, he is experiencing a significant improvement in hearing, and he is a testament to being proactive and addressing hearing loss earlier in life.
Neil’s favorite sound to hear with his hearing aids is his 16 year old daughter’s voice.
Thank you, Neil, for being an awesome patient!
June 2019
Let us introduce you to Diane, our patient of the month for June.
Diane first came to Dr. Jeep in 2009 seeking treatment for vertigo and later became a hearing aid patient in 2018 as well. Diane has single handedly referred more dizzy patients to us than any other community referral source, including physicians (and that is a LOT!) Having experienced the debilitating effects of vertigo and dizziness herself as well as the amazing relief she’s achieved as a result of Dr. Jeep treating her, she recently wrote us the following kind words to share:
“I love Dr. Chandace Jeep and her staff at Animas Valley Audiology! They are friendly, kind, and caring. I had a very severe recent bout of positional vertigo after an accident. Dr. Jeep saw me immediately and worked diligently to resolve the problem. She is an expert in this field. I am very grateful for all she has done. It was a pleasant and successful experience getting hearing aids from her as well. They have dramatically changed my life for the positive. I highly recommend Dr. Jeep and Animas Valley Audiology for vertigo and hearing problems. They are an asset to our community.”
May 2019
It is our pleasure to introduce you to Logan and Emilee B., our patients of the month for May 2019.
We have provided audiologic care for this family since 2014. These cuties were each diagnosed with hearing loss by Dr. Jeep as newborns using auditory brainstem response testing as a result of being referred to us after they did not pass their newborn hearing screenings at Mercy Regional Medical Center. Their parents, Tabitha and Michael, older sister, Marissa, and even extended family including grandparents, have all been committed to these two little ones and their hearing aid use, resulting in meeting developmental milestones for speech and language acquisition despite their hearing losses. They are always so well behaved and bring so much joy and fun energy to the office with their regular visits for monitoring hearing loss, earmold fittings, and hearing aid adjustments. Their mother, Tabitha, is an incredible mother, advocate for her children’s hearing health and impresses us with how kind, gentle, patient, persistent, and organized she is each and every time we have the honor of her sharing her sweet babies with us.
Their favorite sound to hear with their hearing aids is music.
Thank you for being such a great family to work with!
April 2019
It is our pleasure to introduce you to Dr. Jeff P., our April Patient of the Month.
We have provided audiologic care for Jeff since 1992. He is a Pediatrician who lives in Durango and practices at Indian Health Services in Arizona. He lights up the office when he is here with his smiles, funny comments, and infectious laugh. Dr. Powell has hearing loss in both ears, but is deaf in one ear and lost both his hearing and vestibular function on that side while in med school. He had a vestibular nerve resection and managed to work diligently to help his other side’s vestibular system as well as his brain compensate for this significant loss of function. He not only was successful, but still managed to graduate with honors from med school and pursue his dream of becoming a fantastic pediatrician, husband, father, and athlete. We’ve even seen him before he rode his bike to work one day (162 miles away!) Thank you for being an inspiration, Dr. Powell, and leading by example when it comes to not letting hearing loss hold you back with the help of hard work, finding the right team of doctors, and amazing technology!
His favorite sound to hear is running water and hearing his children.
March 2019
Allow us to introduce Jan H, our March 2019 Patient of the Month
February 2019
Let us introduce you to Jim, our patient of the month for February.
Jim is a retired police officer with the Cortez Police Department and lost his hearing over the years from noise exposure to shooting guns, as well as from treatment for chronic leukemia. He and his wife, Kelly, noticed increased difficulty communicating, particularly when climbing and cycling together, before they sought out Dr. Jeep’s help. Now that Jim is a successful hearing aid user, he reports that he can once again effortlessly her Kelly when rock climbing, ice climbing, mountain biking, and when dining out together at some of their favorite restaurants in Cortez.
Jim’s favorite sound to hear with his new hearing aids is snow falling on oak leaves when he is enjoying the great outdoors. Thank you for being such a great patient, Jim!
January 2019
Let us introduce Kevin, our January Patient of the Month
December 2018
It’s our pleasure to introduce you to Cash and Judy S., our December Patients of the Month
November 2018
Allow us to introduce you to Dick K, our November Patient of the Month
October 2018
We are so excited to introduce you to Charlie W, our October Patient of the Month
September 2018
It’s our pleasure to introduce you to Joe S, our September Patient of the Month
August 2018
Let us introduce you to Tom, our August Patient of the Month
July 2018
We’re so excited to introduce you to Chap and Betsy P, our July Patients of the Month
June 2018
Let us introduce you to Lori, our June Patient of the Month
May 2018
Let us introduce you to David, our May Patient of the Month
David has been a patient at AVA since 2011 primarily at our Cortez location. David and his wife Linda have been an amazing couple to help over the years. David had a, shall we say, not so stellar hearing aid experience elsewhere when he first came to us, so he was nervous to proceed; as he entrusted us with his hearing healthcare over the years with two different sets of hearing aids and accessories, his hearing aid experience has been everything he had ever hoped for and actually far exceeded expectations. When given his gift today, he told us that Dr. Jeep has honestly changed his life and enhanced their marriage in immeasurable ways. He has referred friends to seek help through us and has even shed a tear or two with us over hearing so well during his fittings.
David’s favorite sound was the one he first heard when he left our office after his first hearing aid fitting: the roar of an old Mustang cruising down the street!
Thank you for being such a valuable patient to our practice, David! You truly move us!
April 2018
Let us introduce you to Vickie S, our April Patient of the Month
Vicki has been a patient of Animas Valley Audiology in Durango since 2017. Vickie likely had hearing loss for years before she decided to take her hearing health into her hands and treat it! Vickie is now hearing conversations even when there is background noise present, which is something she has struggled with for a long time! We are so very happy for her and her improved hearing! On top of being a great advocate for treating your hearing loss, Vickie is also very kind and easy to work with! All of our staff enjoy seeing her in the office.
Vickie’s favorite sound is the crinkling of paper and her house vents.
Thank you Vickie for being such a great patient!
March 2018
We’re so excited to introduce you to Ezra S, our March Patient of the Month
Ezra has been a patient of Animas Valley Audiology in Durango since 2014. Ezra came to us as a 2 month old baby after his hearing loss was missed at his birthing hospital as well as by his original Pediatrician. He switched to a much more thorough Pediatrician who referred him to us. He was fit with a right hearing aid at 3 months old for his unilateral hearing loss and has done incredible ever since! Through the years, Ezra has stolen the hearts of our staff. We absolutely adore watching him grow and his language thrive. Not only are he and his family an absolute joy to work with, Ezra is a consistent and reliable hearing aid user. He loves showing off his blue monaural hearing aid!
Thank you Ezra for being such a special patient! You are indeed a super “Hear-o!”
February 2018
Allow us to introduce Vicki H, our February Patient of the Month
Vicki has been a patient of Animas Valley Audiology in Durango since 2017. She won the hearts of our staff when she “giggled” through her entire hearing aid fitting because she was so overjoyed to be able to hear again! Vicki has quickly turned into an advocate for getting fit with hearing aids early on and often speaks to her friends and family about being proactive about their hearing loss.
Vicki’s favorite sound is listening to the birds chip.
Thank you Vicki for being such a great patient!
January 2018
Let us introduce you to Perry, our Januray Patient of the Month
Perry has been a patient at Animas Valley Audiology for 14 years at our Durango location. He is always a joy to work with and our staff always looks forward to seeing him in the office, not to mention hearing the stories of his many adventures, including cycling cross country from Seattle to Boston, his parachute business, places he’s been as a pilot, and traveling with his wife, Leah (our favorite stories were about going to Patagonia and Antarctica.) Perry is an advocate of treating hearing loss early and is quick to share his hearing story with others.
Perry is a model patient for always being on time and getting regular clean and checks, tests, and adjustments to ensure that his hearing aids are working the best they possibly can be.
Perry’s favorite sound is the muffled pop of a champagne cork.
Thank you Perry for being such a great patient!
December 2017
Let us introduce you to Leo, our December Patient of the Month
Leo has been a patient at Animas Valley Audiology for a year at our Durango location. He is always a joy to work with and our staff always looks forward to seeing him in the office. Leo is an advocate for finding a hearing provider that you can trust and build a longstanding relationship with. Because of this, Leo has referred countless friends and family members to our office. He is quick to share his hearing story and has referred friends and family to our practice.
Leo’s favorite sound is listening to a horse running.
Thank you Leo for being such a great patient!
November 2017
We’re thrilled to introduce you to Laurie, our November Patient of the Month
Laurie has been a patient of ours since 2017. She is a local hero, as she is NICU Nurse Practitioner. She is a perfect example of hearing in the “real world”, as she is often in noisy and sometimes chaotic situations. She loves her bluetooth technology and is an advocate for getting the level of hearing technology that fits your hearing loss and lifestyle. Laurie is always smiling and kind when we see her and all of our staff always looks forward to having her in the office.
Thank you Laurie for being such a great patient!
October 2017
Let us introduce you to Cameron and Gunner, our October Patients of the Month
This is an amazing Father and Son who we fit with hearing aids in the same month! This dynamic duo have been patients of ours since 2014. Cameron used his son as his inspiration to finally get tested and fit after Gunner did not pass his childfind hearing screening. Both Gunner and Cameron are perfect examples of consistent usage, not to mention they are both an absolute joy to work with. Cameron is a local business owner, has run in the Boston Marathon and doesn’t let anything, let alone hearing loss, slow him down. When Gunner is in the office, everyone gravitates toward him and his easy and kind personality. We are so grateful to these two, for their positive attitudes, and appreciate them as our patients!
Thank you Cameron and Gunner for being such great patients!
September 2017
Let us introduce you to Terri, our September Patient of the Month
Terri has been a patient at Animas Valley Audiology for 5 years. She is an advocate for testing early at a young age and proceeding with fitting right away. She enjoys the outdoors and is always using her hearing aids in multiple situations and environments. Terri is quick to share her hearing story with others and often encourages her friends and family to be tested and fit themselves. Terri is always a pleasure to see in the office and all of our staff look forward to seeing her.
Terri’s favorite sound is listening to “Down by the River” by Neil Young
Thank you Terri for being such a great patient!
August 2017
Let us introduce you to Donnie, our August Patient of the Month
Donnie has been a patient at Animas Valley Audiology for 4 years at our Durango location. He has lived with hearing loss his whole life and is a strong advocate for getting your hearing tested early and often. Donnie has referred many of his family and friends to our office, and is always quick to share his hearing story with others. All of our staff loves working with Donnie. He is always a pleasure to work with and communicates effectively with our staff and providers.
Donnie’s favorite sound is the birds singing in the trees and listening to heavy metal riffs (with hearing protection, of course!)
Thank you Donnie for being such a great patient!
July 2017
Let us introduce you to Paul, our July Patient of the Month
Paul has been a patient at Animas Valley Audiology for 10 years at our Durango location. He advocates for being fit with the appropriate level of technology. He is a great example of someone who struggled with hearing at a young age and took the initiative to get his hearing checked. Paul uses his Bluetooth technology daily and is always open to ways to improve not only his hearing, but also his lifestyle through the lastest technology.
He is quick to refer a loved one to see us and we are proud to see multiple family members of Paul’s. He is always friendly and fun with all of our staff. Everyone enjoys seeing him in the office!
Paul’s favorite sound is the sound of nature when he’s hiking.
Thank you Paul for being such a great patient!
June 2017
Let us introduce you to Jim, our June Patient of the Month
Jim has been a patient at Animas Valley Audiology for 9 years at our Durango location. All of our staff enjoys working with Jim. He comes in with a positive attitude and always follows our professional recommendations. Jim happily shares his hearing story with others and encourages others to get their hearing tested.
Jim’s favorite sound is hearing the leaves rustling in the gravel.
Thank you Jim for being such a great patient!
May 2017
It’s our pleasure to introduce you to Kip D, our May Patient of the Month
Kip is been a patient at AVA for 8 years at our Durango location. He’s always a joy to work with any true advocate for living life to the fullest, not allowing his hearing loss to slow him down! Annually, he contributes to a less fortunate patient to help them achieve optimal hearing. He has been able to fund everything from custom hearing protection to new hearing aids for patients of AVA. We admire him deeply for this and greatly value his contribution to our community. Kip is quick to share his hearing story and has referred friends and family to our practice.
His favorite sound is listening to Pat Metheny’s “Something to Remind You” while drinking a good glass of wine and catching the sunset from his deck.
Thank you Kip for being such a great patient!
April 2017
Please allow us to introduce Marth, our April Patient of the Month
Martha has been a patient at AVA for 5 years at our Cortez location and drives from Utah to see us. Martha is always a pleasure to work with. She comes into the office office on time, with positive attitude, and brings a smile to everyone’s face. We admire how Martha is an active advocate for her own healthy hearing it is always working to improve her hearing at each stage of her life. She refers her friends her friends family to our office as new patients and is always sharing her story with others.
Martha’s favorite sound is hearing her granddaughter’s voice.
Thank you, Martha, for being such a breath of fresh air every time we see you!
March 2017
We are thrilled to introduce you to John B, our March Patient of the Month
John has been a patient at AVA for 12 years at our Durango location and drives from Bayfield to see us. He is an active member of our community as is his wife, Terry. He is always a joy to work with. He comes into the office with a positive attitude and brings a smile to everyone’s face. John complies with our professional recommendations regarding medical referrals and updating hearing aid technology. He is a strong advocate for and true testament to the benefits of early testing and intervention. He has referred numerous friends and neighbors to our office as new patients and is always sharing his hearing story with others.
John’s favorite sound is the wind in the pines.
Thank you, John, for being such a fabulous patient to work with!