At Cody Audiology Clinic, you’ll be treated like a member of Dr. Shepard’s family and receive personalized care from the moment you walk through our doors.
Having an in-person evaluation is essential for making an accurate diagnosis & treatment. The Audiology Team takes the time to explain every step of your appointment, ensuring you feel relaxed and comfortable throughout your visit.
Your first appointment is an important opportunity for Dr. Shepard to get to know your needs, concerns, and long-term hearing goals. You’re encouraged to bring a loved one with you to your hearing evaluation—hearing loss affects more than just the patient, and questions from both you and your family are encouraged.
In addition to comprehensive hearing assessments, Cody Audiology Clinic also offers tinnitus consultations to help identify the cause of ringing or buzzing in your ears and discuss management options. If your evaluation indicates that medical treatment is needed, Dr. Shepard will provide a referral to an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist for further care.
Your initial hearing evaluation is a comprehensive appointment designed to assess your hearing health and discuss any concerns you may have. During your visit, you can expect some or all of the following:
Cognitive Screening – A brief assessment to understand how you process and respond to sounds and speech.
Otoscopy – The provider will look inside your ears to check for wax buildup, infection, or other ear canal/ear drum issues.
Ear Cleaning (if needed) – If earwax or debris is present in your ear canal, it will be safely removed.
Tympanometry – A quick, comfortable test that checks how well your eardrum and middle ear are functioning.
Pure Tone Testing – Measures how well you can hear different pitches and volumes of sound.
Speech Reception Threshold (SRT) Testing – Determines the quietest level at which you can repeat simple words.
Word Discrimination Testing – Evaluates how clearly you can understand speech at a comfortable listening level.
Uncomfortable Loudness Level (UCL) Testing – Identifies the volume level at which sounds become uncomfortably loud.
Bone Conduction Testing – Helps determine whether any hearing loss is caused by problems in the outer/middle ear or the inner ear.
Speech-in-Noise Testing – Assesses how well you understand speech in challenging listening environments.
Counseling on Your Hearing Loss – Your results will be reviewed in detail, and your provider will discuss your hearing health and next steps.
Real-Ear (Verifit) Measurements (if fit with hearing aids) – Ensures hearing aids are precisely calibrated for your individual ear acoustics.
Tinnitus Consultation – If you experience ringing or buzzing in your ears, you’ll discuss management options.
ENT Referral – If medical concerns are detected, you’ll be referred to an Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) specialist for further evaluation.
Patient Forms for Your Appointment
Our office is happy to provide your intake forms in the way that’s most convenient for you.
We can email the forms to you before your appointment, or you can complete printed copies when you arrive.
If you’d like to review or fill them out in advance, you can access them here:
Billing Information
We are a private practice and operate on a fee-for-service basis.
We do not bill insurance and are considered out of network for all insurance providers.
Payment is due at the time of your appointment.
Upon request, we can provide a superbill that you may submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement.