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The Defense Health Agency's Hearing Center of Excellence works to improve hearing and balance health.
Our Goals
- Improve hearing health
- Enhance operational performance
- Optimize readiness
- Enhance service members and veterans quality of life
We work with the Department of Veterans Affairs to achieve our goals in partnership with:
- Federal health care organizations
- Universities
- Public and private institutions
Congressional Mandate
The HCE was created by Congress through the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 to address military hearing injuries. This work includes:
- Prevention
- Diagnosis
- Mitigation
- Treatment
- Rehabilitation
- Research
Our primary focus and responsibilities include:
- Developing a data registry to track military hearing loss and auditory injuries
- Encouraging and facilitating hearing health research
- Developing best practices and clinical education
- Promoting and implementing hearing loss prevention strategies
Our Structure
We're a branch of the DHA Research and Engineering Directorate. We're led by a branch chief and deputy branch chief. We have service audiology liaisons from the Army, Navy, and Air Force. They connect HCE to the field to address operational needs and problems.
Our Services
Clinicians and Technicians Resources
HCE Research and Collaboration
You also may be interested in...
Article
May 15, 2024
Hearing problems—such as hearing loss and tinnitus, a ringing or buzzing in the ears—are the leading conditions for service-connected disability compensation. To prevent these conditions, the military requires routine hearing readiness testing which has been limited by the use of specialized booths. To increase testing ability, military audiology ...
Article
Mar 22, 2024
Vision and hearing injuries can both be sustained due to traumatic brain injury, even mild TBI.
Video
Mar 14, 2024
Hearing Center of Excellence discusses the importance of conducting periodic hearing tests for our military personnel. Learn more at https://hearing.health.mil/
Video
Mar 14, 2024
DHA's Hearing Center of Excellence highlights the importance of wearing ear protection correctly and safely.
Publication
Feb 23, 2024
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1.03 MB
This clinical recommendation provides medical staff with a single, comprehensive reference for the assessment and management of dizziness and visual disturbances following mild TBI/concussion. Dizziness and visual disturbances often present with overlapping symptoms and should prompt a provider to perform a visual and dizziness—or vestibular—assessment.
Fact Sheet
Jan 9, 2024
.PDF |
331.11 KB
Significant updates to the Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 6055.12 “Hearing Conservation Program” are expected to be published in April 2023. The significant change is a new requirement for initial hearing protector fit-testing to be conducted for all DOD personnel who have documented noise exposure greater than or equal to 95 dBA 8-hour time ...
Article
Dec 19, 2023
A group of clinicians and researchers from across the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs have come together to share their knowledge on auditory processing disorders and raise awareness.
Policy
Nov 22, 2023
This issuance implements policy, assigns responsibilities, and provides procedures for administering a hearing conservation program to prevent hearing loss resulting from occupational and operational illness and injury; establishes the DoD Hearing Conservation Working Group; and, Issues requirements for the integration of noise control into the life ...
- Identification #: 6055.12
- Type: Instruction
Article
Nov 8, 2023
Hearing conservation programs combat noise-induced hearing loss by stopping it from happening, said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Robert Summers, audiologist and specialty leader. “It’s a proactive approach versus a reactive approach.”
Article
Nov 7, 2023
Two experts from the Defense Health Agency’s Hearing Center of Excellence recently updated military health providers on these developments during a briefing during the September 2023 Clinical Community Speaker Series, provided by the DHA Continuing Education Program Office. The series offers continuing education credits and helps ensure health care ...
Article
Oct 18, 2023
Your fit-tested hearing protection device is the last line of defense from noise-induced hearing loss.
Article
Aug 2, 2023
DOD/VA hearing and vision injury databases help researchers advance health for service members and vets.
Article
Apr 17, 2023
Whether on the sport field or the battlefield, the Defense Health Agency is the global leader in research on the effects of concussion—known as mild traumatic brain injury—in the military. Its research has fueled the development of protocols to help providers assess and treat concussion from initial injury to acute and post-acute medical settings, ...
Article
Oct 24, 2022
Mobile audiometry equipment can be used from the point of injury to advanced traumas.
Article
Oct 20, 2022
Hearing conservation programs help to reduce hearing loss in the military.
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Last Updated: December 05, 2024