Page 35 - KZN Top Business Women - eBook 2023

Be comfortable reaching out to people for assistance.

Start out small, do things properly and don’t water yourself down.

would enable T&H to offer the full range of audiological In more recent years, Kara gets inspiration from her
Clinical Audiologist
services to the public. colleagues as well as her family. “My husband and my
family are all rooting for us and wanting to spread the
r Kara Hoffman is a clinical audiologist who runs Another challenge, said Kara, is that one is “selling” word of the bubble of audiology that is so important in
private hearing healthcare practices in Durban something that no one wants, but many people need. our lives.”
D and in Ballito. This challenge has been overcome by ongoing learning,
as well as with time, maturity and age. Kara is a member of the South African Association of
Kara completed her undergraduate degree in Audiology Audiology, and is registered with the Health Professions
at the University of Cape Town in 2003, with a Bachelor There are many companies trying to sell hearing aids online or Council of South Africa (HPCSA). She is the executive
of Science and honours degree. In 2004, she did a year of in shops, which is a threat to independent audiologists. Kara chair of the Audiology Private Practice Forum, which
community service and thereafter worked for a school for works to educate the public on who the right person is to see represents a substantial body of private independent
the deaf. There she learned how to use South African sign for your hearing or balance problems. She added that people hearing healthcare practices in South Africa. Since her
language, which has been very useful with profoundly with hearing aids needed to have annual check- ups and to appointment, the Forum has grown from 10 members
deaf patients. consider a second opinion with an independent audiologist to 104 members representing over 100 practices.
to ensure they were optimally assessed, and managed.
Kara completed her masters’ degree in paediatric audiology Kara has been involved in upskilling audiologists and is
in 2008 and obtained licensing in cochlear implantation in “In terms of the latest research, the message that I want in the process of aligning professionals to be offering
2009. She is one of the few audiologists in the country to to put out is that there’s a direct link between dementia, international best practices in audiology.
hold a clinical doctorate in audiology, which was awarded Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and any sort of cognitive decline
by the University of Arizona (ATSU) in 2016. and hearing loss. The number one modifiable factor is to Future goals
treat hearing loss.”
In 2011, Kara and her business partner Lauren Thompson Kara’s future goals for the practice are to stay the same size
established Thompson and Hoffman (T&H) Audiology The practice has been built on great relationships with so that they can continue to give maximum attention to
Inc at Parklands Hospital in Durban. As Kara wanted to various general physicians and medical specialists over the their patients. Her goal is to reach more hearing impaired
work with the brain and ear-to-brain connections, T&H years. Kara commented that she has succeeded through, and balance impaired individuals in the province, and to
is one of the few audiology practices in the country to “Hard work, and dedication to the practice and to my expand the reach of independent audiologists to larger
offer a full range of diagnostic and rehabilitative services. patients. Continued education has allowed me to keep portions of the population – nationwide.
These include hearing tests, balance assessments, industrial abreast of all the current trends in audiology globally.” The advice that Kara would give to someone who’s
audiology, corporate audiology, newborn hearing screening, starting out is that being an entrepreneur comes with
hearing aids and assistive listening devices, cochlear and Biggest challenge challenges. “Be comfortable reaching out to people for
middle ear implants, noise protection, auditory processing She added, “On a professional note, learning from my assistance. Start out small, do things properly and don’t
assessments, wax removal, and tinnitus assessment and mistakes has been the biggest challenge, and the biggest water yourself down. Do not lose your professionalism
management. cause for success. Dealing with different personalities has and keep your clinical hat on. Always make the right
“Opening T&H was probably the best thing that I also been a learning curve which has also helped in all decision for the patient and do not let finances or
ever did for myself in terms of my own personal and sorts of personal challenges.” incentives lead you away from the right path.”
professional growth,” said Kara. “We could give our In 2016 Kara and Lauren opened their second branch in As Kara has three young children aged six, four and two,
patients individual attention and work with their Ballito. In 2017 they moved their Durban practice to a a lot of her time is spent running around after them and
specific needs as opposed to working for someone standalone house in Essenwood Road, which, said Kara, giving them the best chance that life has to offer. Both
and having a guideline of how to represent their was the best thing that happened to them. Kara and her husband enjoy the gym, which gives them
practice.” time to exercise and look after themselves.
Speaking of her journey, Kara said that her grandfather was
her initial inspiration to become a medical professional, Being part of KZN Top Business Women, is Kara said, a
Exceptional practice
as he was an outstanding one-of-a-kind GP in Cape real honour as well as a springboard for audiologists in
Establishing the practice was not without challenges. Town. She was concerned that the professional demands the country. The profession is 99% female based and she
Initially they needed to apply for financing to set up the would be problematic when she wanted to have a family, thinks that every audiologist should be encouraged to
desired comprehensive diagnostic audiology practice that however audiology resonated with her interests. showcase their practices and educate the public.

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