A visit to the audiologist never sounded so good
By Mimi M. Maddock
Mimi@TheColumbiaStar.com

Trina Thorne Carter, M. Aud., CCC- A Certified Audiologist

I put off having my hearing checked for several years. When I finally went to the Columbia Audiology Group, LLC, it turned out to be such a nice experience.

I had no idea what to expect because as an adult I had never had the test. When I walked into the office, the receptionist treated me as if I were walking into her home. Very soon Trina Carter came to the front office, greeted me, and took me to her office where she talked for a while and told me what to expect.

Then I went into a small room, put earphones on, and raised a finger every time I heard a sound. That took only a few minutes; afterwhich, we went back to her office, and she explained the test.

There was no selling, just information, which has helped me tremendously with my communication with people. And there was no charge. Carter told me to check in with her each year to see if there was any change.

If I had to purchase a hearing aid, I would have received free batteries for the life of the hearing aid, quarterly cleaning and adjustment, yearly audiometric screening, yearly hearing instrument evaluation, first year loss and damage coverage, and one or two year repair warranty depending on the make of the instrument.

Carter has been a practicing audiologist since she received her masters in audiology from USC in 1985. Her experience includes working with the Columbia Speech and Hearing Clinic; S.C. Department of Retardation; and several ear, nose, and throat Groups in N.C., Fla., and S.C.

Carter is certified by the American Speech- -Language- Hearing Association and licenced in S.C. She is a member of the S.C. Academy of Audiologists.

Carter feels that one of her strongest traits is being able to empathize with patients. She certainly proved that to be true when I went for my hearing test.

Carter's office is located at 2711 Middleburg Drive, Suite 112, Columbia, SC 29204. She can be contacted at 765-1441 or www.columbiaaudiology.com.