What Heuser Hearing Institute does

Heuser Hearing Institute is a Louisville, Kentucky-based nonprofit organization founded in 1948 that operates as the only provider of comprehensive hearing, speech, language, and balance disorder services in the Greater Louisville and Southern Indiana region on a nonprofit basis. The organization delivers care through three integrated divisions: (1) a Hearing Healthcare Clinic spanning five physical locations providing audiology testing, hearing aids, cochlear implants, tinnitus and balance treatment, pediatric services, and occupational hearing conservation; (2) the Heuser Hearing & Language Academy (HHLA), a preschool and kindergarten program for children with communication disorders that serves students regardless of ability to pay; and (3) KY HEARS, a statewide mobile and permanent hearing screening initiative funded by a $3 million Commonwealth of Kentucky grant to extend access into underserved and rural communities.

The business model is a hybrid of fee-for-service clinical revenue (hearing aids, implants, therapy, occupational safety testing), tuition and subsidized enrollment at HHLA, government funding (notably the $3M KY HEARS grant), and ongoing donations and foundation grants from Kosair Charities, PNC Foundation, Northwestern Mutual, Kentucky Colonels, and WHAS Crusade. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Distribution is anchored in physical clinic locations with a walk-in clinic option at the Lyndon site, supplemented by mobile screening units that reach schools and communities across Kentucky. Supporting technology includes standard audiology diagnostic equipment, a patient portal, an online hearing screening tool, and a research-grade Virtual Auditory Display system (ZAPlab) used in spatial hearing studies. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and led by President and CEO Brett Bachmann, who has overseen expansion from a single clinic to five locations and the doubling of the academy since 2013.

Name

Heuser Hearing Institute

Legal name

Heuser Hearing Institute

Website

https://thehearinginstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Heuser Hearing Institute is a Louisville, Kentucky nonprofit founded in 1948 that provides comprehensive hearing, speech, language, and balance disorder services through five clinics, a preschool/kindergarten academy, and a statewide mobile hearing screening initiative serving patients regardless of ability to pay.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Audiology & Hearing Healthcare Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340)

akta.pro primary industry

Audiology & Hearing Diagnostic Centers (HLAFAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hearing Impairment & Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Inclusive Childcare (HSAAAIAJ), Otology & Neurotology (Ear/Hearing/Balance) (HLAKAMAC)

Keywords

• Audiology clinical services
• Hearing aid fitting
• Speech-language therapy
• Pediatric hearing screening
• Balance disorder treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Healthcare Services Revenue: Fee-for-service revenue from audiology services, hearing aids, speech-language therapy, and balance disorder treatments at clinic locations.
2. Education Services: Preschool and kindergarten program for children with communication disorders, Heuser Hearing & Language Academy (HHLA).
3. Government Funding: Received $3 million from the Commonwealth of Kentucky for the approved KY HEARS Healthcare Initiative to expand statewide hearing screening access.
4. Donations and Grants: Nonprofit funding through donations, capital campaigns, and grants from organizations like Kosair Charities, PNC Foundation, Kentucky Colonels, and Northwestern Mutual.
5. Occupational Safety Program: Conservation and Occupational Safety Program providing mobile hearing testing for businesses to meet OSHA/MSHA compliance requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Heuser Hearing Institute is a nonprofit organization delivering comprehensive audiology, speech-language, and balance disorder clinical services, including hearing aids, cochlear implants, tinnitus treatment, and infant hearing screening, alongside a preschool/kindergarten program (Heuser Hearing & Language Academy) for children with communication disorders and a statewide mobile hearing screening initiative (KY HEARS) serving schools and underserved communities.

Product overview

Heuser Hearing Institute is a nonprofit organization providing a comprehensive continuum of hearing, speech, language, and balance disorder services. The organization operates three core divisions: the Hearing Healthcare Clinic (offering audiology services, hearing aids, implants, and balance testing), the Heuser Hearing & Language Academy (preschool/kindergarten program for children with communication disorders), and KY HEARS (statewide mobile hearing screening initiative). Additional services include speech-language pathology, an occupational safety program, and digital tools including a patient portal and online hearing test. Services are provided regardless of patients' ability to pay.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KY HEARS: Statewide healthcare initiative providing mobile and permanent hearing screening facilities across Kentucky
• Heuser Hearing & Language Academy
• Louisville Deaf Oral School Foundation

Products and services

• Hearing Healthcare Clinic Core audiology clinical service providing diagnostic hearing evaluations, hearing aid selection, cochlear implant services, tinnitus management, dizziness and balance testing, hearing protection and custom earmolds, and auditory processing/assistive listening support for patients across the lifespan.
• Heuser Hearing & Language Academy (HHLA) Preschool and kindergarten program for children with communication disorders offering early intervention services, audiology and speech integration, arts and science enrichment, and accredited curriculum, with services provided regardless of ability to pay.
• KY HEARS Statewide Healthcare Initiative Statewide mobile and permanent hearing screening initiative bringing free hearing screenings and audiology services to schools, underserved communities, and rural areas across Kentucky.
• Speech & Language Services Comprehensive speech-language pathology clinic offering evaluations, individual therapy, social skills groups, and home-based early intervention services for children and adults with speech, language, and communication disorders.
• Hearing Aids and Devices Hearing aid dispensing service offering selection assistance, fitting, accessories, assistive listening devices, ongoing maintenance, and over-the-counter devices for patients with hearing loss.
• Conservation and Occupational Safety Program Mobile occupational hearing conservation program delivering worksite hearing testing, sound level mapping, hearing protection fit testing, and educational training to help employers meet OSHA/MSHA regulatory compliance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Voted 'Best Hearing Aid Center' for five consecutive years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• iHeartMedia LouisvilleminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2019iHeartMedia Louisville named Heuser Hearing Institute as one of 12 new Community Partners for the upcoming year.
• KFC U.S.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2019KFC U.S. partnered with Heuser Hearing Institute to better serve deaf or hard of hearing guests, providing accessible dining experiences.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Listen Foundation: Colorado-based nonprofit that funds auditory-verbal therapy and cochlear-implant services for children with hearing loss. Comparable service-delivery model focused on early intervention and therapy.
• Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center: Nonprofit community center providing audiology, speech-language pathology, and deaf services in the Cleveland region. Directly comparable to Heuser on mission, multi-service nonprofit structure, and regional pediatric/adult mix.
• Hearts for Hearing: Oklahoma-based nonprofit hearing center delivering audiology, hearing aids, cochlear implants, and listening-and-spoken-language therapy for children and adults. Closest analog to Heuser's integrated clinical + pediatric + cochlear implant model.
• Boys Town National Research Hospital: Midwest nonprofit hospital and research center specializing in hearing, language, and pediatric communication disorders. Directly comparable in mission, nonprofit status, and integrated clinical-research-early-intervention model.
• House Institute Foundation: Los Angeles-based nonprofit hearing and balance research and clinical institute. Comparable as a nonprofit combining audiology, otology, and research — closely aligned with Heuser's hearing + balance + research positioning.

Others

• Oberkotter Foundation: Private foundation that funds listening-and-spoken-language programs for children with hearing loss. Comparable as a funder/peer in the pediatric hearing-loss nonprofit ecosystem, though not a service-delivery operator.
• AG Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: National membership and advocacy organization supporting listening, spoken language, and hearing health. A peer in the broader hearing-loss nonprofit landscape that shares Heuser's parent/family audience.

Broad incumbents

• Oticon: Global hearing-aid manufacturer whose Focus on People Awards Heuser has won. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the hearing-aid supply chain that Heuser relies on for device procurement.
• Miracle-Ear: National hearing-aid retail franchise with hundreds of owned/franchised centers. Comparable as a large-scale hearing-aid distribution and service competitor in the same end market as Heuser's hearing clinic.
• Beltone: National hearing-aid retailer with a large franchised clinic network. Competes with Heuser for adult hearing-aid patients in the same category but as part of a much broader retail footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/heuserinstitute
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheHearingInstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/heuserhearinginstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heuserhearinginstitute
• Instagraminstagram.com/heuserhearing

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Heuser Hearing Institute