North Grenville residents now have a new place to go for all their hearing needs. The Kemptville Hearing Clinic celebrated their grand opening on Friday November 27, at their new location they now share with the Kemptville Optometric Centre at 2674 County Road 43.
Hearing Instrument Specialist, Karen McCallion, officially opened the doors to the clinic on November 2, along with the clinic’s Client Care Coordinator, Brooke Barkley. Karen has been working in the hearing instrument industry for 16 years and decided to open her own business after she and Brooke were laid off by another hearing clinic in Kemptville due to COVID-19. “I love my career choice,” she says. “When Brooke and I lost our jobs, I never thought about doing something else. This just worked out really well for us.”
According to Karen, their business is the only independent hearing clinic in Kemptville, which means they have access to any brand of hearing product that is on the market. “We don’t have agreements with any hearing aid manufacturers,” she says. “It gives us a lot of options,” adds Brooke.
The Kemptville Hearing Clinic provides free hearing tests to adults, and you don’t need a referral to book a test. The initial test usually takes about 1½ hours, so that they can do the testing and get a good understanding of the client’s lifestyle and hearing needs. They can not only recommend hearing aids, but also custom hearing protection for people like musicians and construction workers, and earplugs for sleep or swimming.
They love their location in the Cornerstone Mall, which houses many other health-based services. They have already seen the value of sharing space with the Kemptville Optometric Centre, because they have been able to refer patients back and forth to each other. “Part of why we chose this space is we figured it would be mutually beneficial. It’s going to be a great relationship.”
Even though they opened their doors right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Karen believes it is actually a great time to be starting a new business, as many people are looking to stay local. They are working hard and creating a safe experience for patients by requiring masks, offering hand sanitizer, and doing COVID-19 screening before every appointment. They can also facilitate curb side drop-offs or pick-ups, if needed. “We are taking every precaution,” Karen says.
Karen’s main goal is to continue to help people in North Grenville and surrounding communities hear better and protect their hearing. “We hope to be their go-to in the community and continue to provide the best service in North Grenville.”
The Kemptville Hearing Clinic is open Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm. To book a free hearing test you can email them at khc@hearme.ca, or call the clinic at 613-215-1501. For more information, or to book an appointment online, visit their website, www.hearme.ca, or follow them on Facebook under Kemptville Hearing Clinic.