As a single mother, Aviva Tilson had four children, was going to school and building her career.
Instead of letting this tough period knock her down, Tilson, now 34, owns her own business where she hopes to directly impact the lives of her patients.
“You know building yourself while doing that is really difficult, many sleepless nights,” Tilson said. “But, really it’s the momentum of life, of not letting life happen to you; You can’t just sit there and take it, you have to move forward regardless of what it is.”
Tilson is the new owner of I Love Hearing, a hearing health-care center, formally known as the Port Washington Hearing Center.
She purchased the 33-year old center, located on 191 Main St., on May 1st.
It was during that rough patch in her life that Tilson realized that “to be in charge of your own destiny is the most fulfilling thing you can do as a parent with little kids,” she said.
Her ability to always be there for her children while owning a business is all about being a
“role model” and “empowering” them, she said. “My father owned his own practices as a doctor and that inspired me, and I hope to do the same for my children.”
After working on the corporate side of the audiology industry, Tilson realized she did not enjoy it as much as direct patient care, she said.
“I didn’t feel directly connected to changing people’s lives,” Tilson said and that is why at I Love Hearing, patients can expect to build long-term “emotional relationships” with their audiologists.
“When patients walk into our door, the first discussion we have is not about hearing aids in any shape or form,” Tilson said. “We discuss their complete in-depth medical history to make sure there’s nothing else going on.”
After discussing their medical history, patients undergo the center’s scientific and evidence-based model of care, Tilson said. Their model, based on clinical tests, involves a hearing test and evaluation, that also tests for background noise, and different sound levels, she said.
“We test them to make sure the hearing aids are actually functioning properly and they’re going to have benefits from them because we will not sell hearing aids where they statistically and in our studies aren’t having benefits,” Tilson said. “And, we will tell them, you’re not getting benefits from these hearing aids, let’s try something different.”
I Love Hearing also strives to support the Port Washington community and is currently in the process of creating scholarships for local high schools, Tilson said because “it’s important to invest in our youth.”
The center provides all types of hearing healthcare: hearing testing, aid fitting and repair, tinnitus therapy, hearing protection and ear wax removal. Although the center is currently renovating, it is still open for business. The renovated look will resemble a medical spa, in order to provide a relaxing, easy and inviting atmosphere for the patients, Tilson said.
