Press room

Eden Prairie, Minnesota, June 8, 2020 – The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), a peer-reviewed medical journal, has published new research from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management that shows an association between the implementation of statewide stay-at-home orders and a reduction in the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19. Starkey Chief Health Officer Archelle Georgiou, M.D. co-authored the study.

“We are getting smarter about the effect of various interventions aimed at mitigating the spread of this virus, whether it’s masks or stay-at-home orders,” said Georgiou. “We hope these study results offer valuable insight to public policymakers; they need to understand the degree to which this intervention may be able to control the pandemic.”

The findings are based on research from four states: Minnesota, Ohio, Colorado and Virginia. Future research will examine how hospitalization rates change as stay-at-home orders are modified or lifted.

“Dr. Georgiou is a driving force within the medical community,” said Starkey President Brandon Sawalich. “She is committed to breaking new ground across the healthcare spectrum, and that includes demonstrating the importance of hearing to overall health. As COVID-19 continues to prove that hearing healthcare is essential, we feel very fortunate to have her on our team.”

Sawalich recently published an editorial in Morning Consult, a Washington D.C. news organization, whose readership includes public policymakers. You can read the article, which provides expert insight into why hearing healthcare is essential, by clicking here.

About Starkey
Starkey is a privately held, global hearing technology company headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Founded by Bill Austin in 1967, Starkey is known for its innovative design, development and distribution of comprehensive digital hearing systems. Led today by President Brandon Sawalich, Starkey is the only American-owned provider of hearing technologies. The company has more than 6,000 employees, operates 26+ facilities and does business in more than 100 markets worldwide. Learn more at starkey.com.