When Natan Bauman left his homeland of Poland in 1969 to seek the American dream, he had only hoped that his drive and passion to work hard would lead him to success. When he arrived in America, he applied and was accepted into the Master’s Program in Engineering at Columbia University in New York City. At the same time, he was working on the development of an assistive listening device for hearing impaired children that would allow them to understand their teachers in the classroom. With a complete understanding of the engineering involved with the device, he wanted to understand the audiological aspect. This prompted him to take an elective course, “The Physiology of the Auditory System” at Columbia. The Audiology Department took a special interest in this engineer who was interested in Audiology. Natan was awarded a Fellowship for Clinical Audiology at Columbia’s Teacher’s College. This fellowship opportunity put him in charge of the auditory lab. During his time in the lab, he developed an objective method to evaluate ear protectors-which he was awarded the prestigious Spencer’s Foundation Award for. Bauman’s fellowship also named him as a Teaching Assistant and gave him the opportunity to lecture on auditory topics he specialized in. Natan earned his M.S. in Audiology in 1975, and in 1983, an Ed.D. in Audiology. Both were from the Teacher’s College at Columbia University in New York, New York.
Between earning his Master’s and Ed.D., Natan worked as a clinical audiologist at Misericordia Hospital in Bronx, NY; became the Department Head of Audiology at Lincoln Hospital in Bronx, NY; and worked as a Clinical Audiologist at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Canada.
After 5 years in the clinical audiological field, Bauman was offered an opportunity to put clinical audiology and auditory research together. Yale-New Haven Hospital offered Dr. Bauman the position of director of their Hearing, Speech and Language Center. In this position, Bauman turned the clinic into a new and modern facility.
While at Yale, Dr. Bauman developed a strong relationship with the Connecticut Lion’s Club. His affiliation with the Lion’s 23A Chapter resulted in a substantial donation of funds for Brain-Mapping equipment to his clinic. Under Dr. Bauman’s leadership, Yale became the first and only facility in CT to obtain this clinically and research relevant, ground breaking, electrophysiological equipment. The equipment allowed Dr. Bauman to initiate assessments of speech and language developmental disorders such as assessment of the auditory cortical function in speech and language delayed children.
Dr. Bauman also conducted various clinically relevant works such as the assessment of the Central Nervous System in the autistic population using the auditory evoked potential recordings. He also conducted research to understand the development on the central nervous system in premature twins. Dr. Bauman published many of his findings in various medical and audiological journals. The Yale School of Medicine also delegated him a Faculty Appointment as an Associate Professor. In addition to his clinical, research, and administrative responsibilities he conducted lectures to the Yale ENT Residents.
In pursuit of a more challenging professional experience, Dr. Bauman established his own private practice, the Hearing, Balance and Speech Center in 1988. The Center is centrally located in Hamden, CT and has four satellite offices (Norwalk, Branford, Bristol, and Waterbury). He has built a dedicated and professional audiological staff consisting of audiologist and hearing instrument specialists. The Center provides Audiological Testing and Services along with Vestibular and Balance Testing. It was here, that Natan was able to really incorporate his engineering and audiology skills.
As he works with patients with hearing aids he always addresses “most” of their functional hearing needs. He often makes modifications to the apparatuses based on the patient’s personal requests. It was the requests of one of his patients that changed the course of the hearing aid industry. Bauman’s patient could not tolerate his own voice and desired a very discreet hearing aid. Most audiologists would fit a conventional CIC (Completely-In-The-Canal). However, this patient rejected it due to the occlusion effect problem (the patient’s own voice sounded like being in a barrel). Dr. Bauman promised his patient that he would develop a hearing aid that would not plug up the ears (a way of eliminating the occlusion effect), provide a natural sound, is comfortable to wear, and of course is barely noticeable. With this promise/challenge, the engineer in Natan stepped up to the plate.
Bauman developed and patented the first ever Receiver- In- The- Ear (RITE) hearing aid (known as Vivatone®). This device housed the electrical components in a discreet shell that sat comfortably behind the ear and suspended a thin wire into the ear where the receiver would sit. The ear remained open which allowed the wearer to hear naturally any sounds that they could still hear. Sounds that could not be heard were amplified and delivered through the receiver. It was comfortable. It was discreet.
This concept of sound delivery became the most popular hearing aid system by all leading hearing aid companies. Patients and the hearing aid industry loved the idea! In fact, it has become the best selling style of hearing aid on the market. Audiologists referred to this design as a “new life” in their professional career. “Your RITE hearing aid concept gave me a new impetus and it was like a rebirth from my stagnant fitting devices”. It is estimated that the total sale of RITE hearing aids brings at least 0.5 billion dollars annually.
In addition to the Vivatone® Hearing Aid, Dr. Bauman has provided numerous innovations to the hearing aid industry and its related fields. In 1999, he received a patent for an Ear Wax Collection Device for a hearing aid. This invention incorporates a removable tube with an ear wax trap at the end. When the trap needs to be cleaned, the user can remove the tube, clean the trap, and reinsert into the hearing aid. This concept for a removable receiver protection in hearing aids is used in most commercially sold hearing aids around the world.
Currently, Dr. Bauman is developing new hearing aid systems, a new personal ear protection device, an in the ear music monitor multi receiver system, a new non-invasive cerumen removal device, and a new concept of a Personal Sound Amplification Device.
Hearing loss is not the only auditory disorder that Natan has delved in to. Tinnitus and Sound Sensitivity Disorders such as hyperacusis, phonophobia, TTTS, and misophonia are also of interest to him. In 1997, he received certification in Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (Dr. Pawel Jastreboff) and in 1998 he opened up the New England Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Clinic in Hamden, CT. This clinic provides testing and therapy to those suffering from tinnitus and sound sensitivity disorders. It is one of the only clinics certified to treat such disorders in Southern New England. Like developing devices for hearing loss, Bauman developed devices to treat tinnitus. In 2000, he received a patent for an apparatus and method for an open ear auditory pathway stimulator to manage tinnitus and hyperacusis. This device is worn as an open ear device, with an in the canal noise generator that is used for sound therapy purposes. It can also include a hearing aid as a combination device for amplifying ambient sounds and for delivery of a special, broadband noise.
With all of Bauman’s ideas and capabilities to develop hearing aids and other types of personal amplification devices, he decided in 2006 to establish the Hearing Aid Laboratories of New England. He hired an engineer whom he has been able to work diligently with to bring his ideas to fruition. Hearing Aid Laboratories of New England supplies the In the Ear styles of hearing aids as well as the smallest, completely invisible, concealed totally in the ear canal instrument to the Hearing, Balance and Speech Center, Bauman’s private practice.
As if inventions, clinical work, and running a business weren’t enough, Bauman decided that the country needed to be “Tinnitized”. There were simply not enough audiologists diagnosing and treating tinnitus patients across the country. Some of the reasons for this include: the fact that many healthcare companies do not recognize tinnitus as a medical condition and do not provide reimbursement for tinnitus related treatment and devices; many practitioners feel that tinnitus treatment is too complicated to test for and treat/counsel. In 2009, Dr. Bauman took a leap and decided to form an organization to help educate audiologists on how to diagnose, treat and get financially compensated for treating tinnitus. He founded the Tinnitus Practitioners Association (TPA). This organization is approximately 100 members strong and growing. Education Courses (that are accredited by the American Academy of Audiology) are conducted around the country. At least 6 courses are given throughout the year. Dr. Bauman writes the curriculum and content for the 2-day course at both an Associate and Fellow Level.
Bauman has developed a new method to treat tinnitus by incorporating elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with elements of instructive counseling and specialized sound therapy. This program is know as Cognitive Habituation Tinnitus Therapy (CHaTT). It is a precise tinnitus method which identifies 10 specific tinnitus categories. Each category has its own protocol for treatment which allows the clinician to draw from. Recently, he developed RPM (Reverse Progressive Masking), which is the only treatment protocol for treating Misophonia (a loudness sensitivity disorder which affects the adolescent population).
In addition, Dr. Bauman has also recently developed the only objective method for the identification of non-organic tinnitus (a claimed tinnitus which is not present).
One cannot accomplish all of this without writing articles and publications about it. Dr. Bauman has had numerous articles published in audiological trade magazines such as The Hearing Journal, The Hearing Review, and ADVANCE for Audiology and others. In 2008, his chapter “Vertigo, Dizziness, and Balance” was published in a book New Frontiers in Aging by Olga Brom Spencer, Ph.D.
Dr. Bauman has traveled the World speaking on various audiological topics. One of his most notable speaking engagements was at the Annual Medical Otolaryngological Conference with TeamBest, Taipei, Taiwan, November 3, 2007. He is also an annual presenter at the American Academy of Audiology’s annual Convention Audiology NOW!. Natan has presented at conferences for the Tinnitus Research Initiative, ADA, and Leading Industry Manufacturing Seminars.
Dr. Bauman currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Tinnitus Practitioners Association, and the Advisory Board for Advance for Hearing Practice Management. He holds the following Professional Certifications: Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A) from the American Speech –Language-Hearing Association, License in Audiology by the State of CT, CT Hearing Aid Dealers Association License, Fellow of the American Academy of Audiology (F-AAA). Natan is a Founding Member of the Connecticut Academy of Audiology, and an active member of the Acoustical Society of America, the Academy of Dispensing Audiologists, the Academy of Rehabilitative Audiology, the American Auditory Society, The New York Academy of Sciences, the American Tinnitus Association, The International Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Society, and the American Hearing Aid Associates.
While Natan personifies a strong commitment to developing and achieving his career goals, this same level of commitment is visible in his relationships among his family and friends. He is happily married to his wife Eliza. They have three children who have grown and gone on to follow their own successful dreams and careers. Within the last three years, he has become a proud grandfather to two grandsons. He is a past marathon runner (Boston and New York), and presently enjoys a nice 5 or so mile run. He also enjoys paintings, orchids, and spending time with his family and friends.