Press room

Eden Prairie, Minnesota, November 16, 2020 – Starkey executive leaders shared important insights during a three-day virtual event focused on the future of Medicare during the Better Medicare Alliance’s 2020 Medicare Advantage Summit this fall. They joined a roster of healthcare leaders, including HHS Secretary Alex Azar, Assistant Secretary for Aging Lance Robertson and CMMI Director Brad Smith. Panel discussion topics ranged from telehealth to consumer healthcare costs. Starkey President and CEO Brandon Sawalich, Chief Health Officer Archelle Georgiou, MD and Chief Innovation Officer Dave Fabry all presented information to educate participants about the strong connection between hearing and overall health.

“Hearing care IS health care. Period,” said Sawalich. “The ears play a critical role in overall health and wellness. We are working hard to change the conversation about hearing health care, to help people understand that better hearing isn’t a nice-to-have. If we have the ability to help someone overcome their hearing loss, that’s a must-have.”

“At Starkey, we are focused on driving awareness on the importance of hearing health care,” said Georgiou. “Statistics show that people 65 and older are five times more likely to have hearing loss than those younger than 65. And, even with mild hearing loss, the risk of dementia doubles.”

Starkey’s technologies also support caregivers of the aging population, by creating technology to give them peace of mind. The recently released Thrive Care App allows Livio Edge AI hearing aid wearers to share helpful information, like physical activity, hearing aid usage and social engagement, with selected people. It provides peace of mind to family and friends, while helping the hearing aid user maintain confidence and independence.

For more information about Starkey, please click here. To watch video of presentations and panel discussions that took place during the event, click 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 and CEO Brandon Sawalich, Starkey is the only American-owned provider of hearing technologies. The company has more than 5,000 employees, operates 26+ facilities and does business in more than 100 markets worldwide. Learn more at starkey.com.