Physicians Hearing Network

What Physicians Hearing Network does

Physicians Hearing Network (PHN), founded in 2000 and headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is a private healthcare services company that embeds licensed Hearing Service Providers (HSPs) directly into primary care physician offices. Its core offering is a turnkey in-practice hearing care program in which HSPs conduct roughly 2-3 minute hearing screenings during patients' annual wellness visits, deliver 45-60 minute comprehensive hearing exams when screenings indicate possible loss, and provide hearing aid fitting, follow-up care, and insurance verification (including Medicare Advantage and major private plans). In June 2024, PHN extended the program with BrainCheck Screen, an FDA Class II cognitive assessment delivered in approximately three minutes, addressing the clinical link between untreated hearing loss and dementia (citing the ACHIEVE Study's 48% reduction in cognitive decline with hearing intervention).

The business operates as a B2B2C distribution and care-delivery model. PHN contracts with independent fee-for-service and value-based PCPs and group practices, paying them an office usage fee so the service is free to the practice; revenue is generated by billing insurance for covered services and devices. The company has scaled to 270+ member providers across 12 states with 30 active locations and has publicly announced a 3X expansion plan with a 40% projected year-over-year revenue growth. It maintains manufacturing partnerships with Signia, Phonak, and GN ReSound for hearing aids, a diagnostics partnership with Shoebox, a channel partnership with Medical Practice Purchasing Group, and a clinical partnership with BrainCheck. Backed by a senior team built from the global hearing industry (CEO William McCrae, COO Daniel Shafer, CFO Darren Farry, CGO Barb VanSomeren), PHN is positioning itself as the dominant in-office hearing care channel for primary care.

Name

Physicians Hearing Network

Legal name

Physicians Hearing Network

Website

https://phnusa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Physicians Hearing Network is a San Antonio-based healthcare services company that places licensed Hearing Service Providers in primary care physician offices across 12 states, delivering in-practice hearing screening, comprehensive exams, hearing aid services, and integrated cognitive screening to patients aged 50 and older.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Audiology and Hearing Care Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340), Offices of Physicians (62111), Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists) (621111)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Audiology & Hearing Diagnostic Centers (HLAFAKAH)

Keywords

• In-practice hearing care
• Audiology services
• Hearing aid dispensing
• Primary care integration
• Hearing screening

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hearing Services and Treatment Revenue: PHN generates revenue by providing comprehensive hearing care services within physician practices. The company provides hearing screening, exams, and hearing aid treatment, billing insurance including Medicare Advantage plans and major private insurance plans for covered services.
2. Office Usage Fee: PHN pays practices an office usage fee for hosting the service within their practice. This creates ancillary income for physician practices while PHN generates revenue from insured services delivered.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Physicians Hearing Network operates a turnkey in-practice hearing care program that places licensed Hearing Service Providers (HSPs) directly into primary care physician offices. The company delivers hearing screening during annual wellness visits, comprehensive hearing exams for patients who fail screening, and hearing aid treatment and fitting services at the point of care, with all services billed through Medicare Advantage and private insurance plans.

Product overview

Physicians Hearing Network offers an integrated in-practice hearing care program that embeds licensed Hearing Service Providers into primary care physician practices. The core offering consists of hearing screening services (conducted during annual wellness visits), comprehensive hearing exams for patients who fail screening, and hearing aid services including access to the latest technology and insurance benefits. The program was expanded in 2024 to include BrainCheck Screen cognitive screening as an integrated add-on module, enabling physicians to assess both hearing and cognitive health in a single office visit. PHN provides all necessary audiology and hearing aid equipment, handles insurance verification, and offers fit and follow-up care—offered at no cost to physician practices or patients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• In-Practice Hearing Care Program A turnkey program enabling primary care physicians to deliver preventative hearing screening and treatment within their practice. PHN places a qualified, licensed Hearing Service Provider (HSP) in the practice to deliver hearing screening to patients 50+ as part of annual wellness visits, comprehensive hearing exams for those who fail screening, medical referrals, and treatment recommendations including hearing aids.
• Hearing Screening Services Routine hearing screening conducted as part of annual wellness visits, taking about 2-3 minutes. Uses tone-based testing where patients hear a series of tones in each ear through headphones, with responses captured via tablet and shared with their provider.
• Comprehensive Hearing Exams Full in-depth hearing exams lasting 45-60 minutes for patients who fail initial screening, used to determine the best course of treatment for any hearing loss.
• Hearing Aid Services Access to the latest hearing aid technology including Medicare Advantage plans and major private insurance plans. PHN provides audiology and hearing aid equipment, fitting services, and follow-up care.
• BrainCheck Screen Cognitive Screening Complimentary cognitive screening offered to all hearing care patients, using BrainCheck's FDA Class II medical device technology to quickly and easily assess cognitive health in as little as three minutes and determine if further cognitive testing may be needed.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hearing intervention slowed cognitive decline by 48% over 3 years (ACHIEVE Study)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• BrainCheckcoreTechnology or Integration · 4 July 2024PHN partnered with BrainCheck to add cognitive screening to baseline hearing care services. BrainCheck Screen provides complimentary cognitive screenings for all hearing care patients, enabling clinicians to quickly check cognitive health in as little as three minutes. BrainCheck's platform includes FDA Class II medical devices for detecting cognitive impairment signs.
• SigniacoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic manufacturing partner providing hearing aid technology and products for patient services.
• PhonakcoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic manufacturing partner providing hearing aid technology and products for patient services.
• GN ReSoundcoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic manufacturing partner providing hearing aid technology and products for patient services.
• ShoeboxsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing diagnostic equipment for hearing screening and evaluation.
• Medical Practice Purchasing GroupsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChannel partner providing purchasing advantages and group buying power for member physician practices.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Amplifon: Global hearing care retail and services operator (Miracle-Ear parent in the U.S.) with thousands of retail clinics — comparable to PHN in delivering hearing exams and devices, but through owned storefronts rather than embedded-in-PCP distribution.
• Sonova: Parent of Phonak and a leading global hearing aid manufacturer — a direct supply-side partner of PHN and the most relevant strategic peer given overlapping device brands and Audiological Care retail/service business.
• GN Hearing (ReSound): Manufacturer of ReSound hearing aids and a PHN partner — comparable as both a hearing-aid OEM and operator of hearing care service concepts that could compete with or distribute through PHN's PCP channel.
• Demant (Oticon): Owner of Oticon and a global hearing healthcare group including retail audiology chains — a peer across both the device supply side and the broader hearing care services market PHN operates in.
• Starkey Hearing Technologies: U.S.-based hearing aid manufacturer and operator of HearCare clinics — comparable as a vertically integrated hearing aid OEM-plus-services peer that could partner with or compete against PHN's in-practice model.

Direct peers

• Miracle-Ear: Largest U.S. retail hearing aid chain (Amplifon subsidiary) delivering hearing exams, fittings, and follow-up care — directly comparable patient-facing service model, delivered through owned retail locations instead of embedded PCP staff.
• Beltone: U.S. retail hearing care network offering in-clinic hearing tests and hearing aid fittings — a direct competitor for patient hearing care spend using a franchise/retail model versus PHN's in-PCP placement.
• Connect Hearing: National audiology network providing hearing assessments and hearing aid services in retail clinics — directly comparable in-store service model with insurance and PCP referral workflows similar to PHN.

Emerging players

• Costco Hearing Aid Centers: In-store hearing aid centers run by Costco leveraging bulk purchasing to offer deeply discounted devices — a fast-growing alternative channel for the same 50+ patient population PHN targets through primary care.
• Lexie Hearing: DTC/online hearing aid retailer with subscription pricing — competes for the same over-the-counter hearing loss patient but via remote/app delivery rather than in-person PCP-embedded service.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/phnsanantonio
• Facebookfacebook.com/PhysiciansHearingNetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phn

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Physicians Hearing Network