High-tech hearing aids available at Central Lakes Medical Clinic

Kristin Schmidt and Gayle Cousins, audiologists at Central Lakes Medical Clinic in Crosby, attended the American Academy of Audiology’s annual conference in San Diego where they learned about the latest in hearing aid technology.

In recent years, hearing aids have gotten smaller, more comfortable and have been refined to help patients hear better, frequency-by-frequency.

“Most people lose their hearing gradually,” Schmidt said. “With digital, programmable hearing aids, we can make that transition slower, letting the patient get used to the sounds.”

Schmidt said 36 million Americans suffer from hearing loss and more than half of them are younger than 65.

“It’s a big problem. Hearing loss is the third most common health problem in the U.S.,” Schmidt said. “It’s one of the most untreated health problems because people don’t want to get a hearing aid.”

Central Lakes Medical Clinic’s hearing aid program began more than 10 years ago. Schmidt and Cousins work in conjunction with Ear, Nose and Throat specialists Drs. V. Terry Rhodes and Kurtis Waters in Crosby.

At Central Lakes Medical Clinic, patients are given a hearing evaluation and are educated on their options if hearing loss is discovered.

Schmidt recommends getting a hearing test by age 50, even if there are no symptoms of hearing loss. Symptoms include ringing or buzzing in the ears, dizziness, and not being able to hear, especially when background noise is present.

Contact Schmidt or Cousins at (218) 546-8375 ext. 2605 to schedule an appointment or to get more information on hearing health and the technical advancements in audiology.

Central Lakes Medical Clinic Welcomes
Dr. Peggy Rutman

Central Lakes Medical Clinic in Crosby announced the addition of Dr. Peggy Rutman to its growing healthcare campus.

A veteran Brainerd Lakes Area physician, Dr. Rutman is board-certified in family medicine and specializes in women’s health.  She completed her medical school and residency training at the University of Minnesota and has more than 25 years of family practice experience. 

“We are proud to bring a physician of this caliber to Crosby,” said Susan Rockwood, CEO.  “Dr. Rutman understands this area, and she will serve our community with a tremendous amount of experience and compassion.  Children and families will love to see her.”

“I am looking forward to joining the excellent physicians at Central Lakes,” said Dr. Rutman.  “This is a wonderful opportunity for me to be able to reconnect with former patients and to get to know and care for new patients in the Brainerd lakes area.”

She will join a team of 14 family medicine physicians at Central Lakes Medical Clinic.  Central Lakes is a multi-specialty medical group with over 30 primary care and specialty providers in the areas of  orthopaedics, surgery, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, and cardiology. 

Dr. Rutman will begin seeing patients in August.  To schedule an appointment, call 218-546-7462 or 888-420-2778 toll-free.

Surgical Practice Database Introduction at
Central Lakes Medical Clinic

We have recently established a database for our surgical practice, to help us assess the surgical process from beginning to end. This allows us to keep track of patients’ progress long after surgery to further professional understanding and improve each of our surgical specialties. We commit one nurse full time to this project.