Dr. Sprouse Establishes Relationships with Patients
By Lois Thomson
When he was considering a career, Dr. Ryan Sprouse knew he wanted to be an audiologist, and also knew he wanted to be in private practice. He has fulfilled both of those aspirations in the past few years.
Dr. Sprouse explained how that came about: "I got into audiology because my father owns a hearing clinic in West Virginia, which is where I'm from, and my grandfather – his father – founded the clinic." He said rather than audiologists, they were referred to as hearing instrument specialists, which is a different kind of certification. Nonetheless, it piqued his interest and sent him on his current path.
He also appreciated that they worked in private practice: "I really felt passionate about patient care, the dynamics of working with the same doctor every time you come in. In a larger facility, patients often don't get the same provider, and thus don't always have the opportunity to establish a rapport with that provider."
With that in mind, after earning his bachelor's in communication science and disorders from WVU, and a doctorate in audiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Dr. Sprouse accepted an offer to practice at UPMC as an audiologist. However, he acknowledged, "I had a great experience and I worked with a lot of wonderful people, but I knew I would ultimately want to go to a private practice setting."
“If you establish a baseline when you don’t have any issues – when you get a test in the future, you can see if any change has occurred. Establishing hearing loss can be difficult when there hasn’t been any prior testing.”
That opportunity came two years ago when Dr. Sprouse joined the family-owned practice of R.W. Petruso Hearing & Audiology Center, where he is the sole provider at the Fox Chapel office. He said he primarily works with older adults, diagnosing, identifying, and treating hearing problems. "I select hearing aids for new patients, teach people how to use them, counsel them on what to expect, and what a realistic outcome is likely to be."
He said "without a doubt," the best part of his work is the interpersonal dynamics with patients. "I view myself as a people person, and I really enjoy this job because hearing loss is very personal. I like to meet with people where they are, learn what they're hearing, and establish trust – that patients are going to trust that I'm going to advise them properly."
Dr. Sprouse conceded that some people come in solely at the insistence of family members, some aren't sure what's wrong, and others come seeking help. But whatever the reason, he is adamant that maintaining good hearing is important. Correlations exist between hearing loss and cognitive decline, and the emotional factor must also be considered – people withdraw because they have difficulty engaging in conversations and interacting with others. "I want to make sure people continue to be active, keep their brain healthy."
For more information, call (724) 807-8524 or visit www.petrusohearing.com.