The MDisability Provider Webinar series is hosted by and for primary care medical professionals who seek information on how to care for patients with disabilities. These webinars provide educational and clinical care insight, tools, and resources, and cover diverse topics about caring for people with physical, sensory, intellectual, and developmental disabilities. They are delivered by experienced primary care providers who care for people with disabilities. Some of these providers are also caregivers for a person with a disability or who may have a disability themselves. We are grateful to the Robert J. Fisher, M.D. Family Medicine Fund contributions that allow the webinars to be held quarterly with real-time captioning and free of charge.
January 2025 - Beyond Amplification: Hearing Loss for Primary Care Providers
Presented by Chad Ruffin, M.D. and moderated by Michael McKee, M.D., M.P.H.
The first 2025 webinar in our provider webinar series on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, was with otolaryngologist Dr. Chad Ruffin who shared his unique perspective on hearing loss management. Drawing from his dual expertise as a patient with and physician caring for severe hearing loss, Dr. Ruffin highlighted why hearing loss deserves greater attention in primary care, explored often-overlooked sequelae that impact quality of life, and discussed practical strategies for collaboration between primary care providers and ENT specialists to ensure comprehensive care. This session promises to inspire new approaches to treating hearing loss that go beyond amplification, focusing on improving communication, mental health, and overall well-being.
Born with severe hearing loss, Dr. Ruffin is an Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Doctor, Cochlear Implant Surgeon, and advocate for adults and kids. In addition to working one-on-one with patients at his clinic in Seattle, Dr. Ruffin & his team perform innovative research and advocacy for the hard of hearing community.
Learn more about Dr. Ruffin at his website, chadruffinmd.com
Our moderator, MDisability director, Dr. McKee is a professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan. He also serves as the co-director of the Center for Disability Health & Wellness at U-M.
As a physician with hearing loss, Dr. McKee is especially interested in advocating for the rights of Deaf and hard of hearing patients to obtain equitable health care, including accessible communication. His research focus includes health disparities for individuals with various disabilities, health information accessibility, health literacy, and telemedicine applications.
