A hearing loss clinic in the heart of Homewood recently held an open house.
Dr. Brian J. McCool and Dr. Tarika Bhuta hosted the event as the official opening of Sonology Hearing Clinic on Independence Drive.
McCool and Bhuta, who are married, started seeing patients in the clinic in July after practicing medicine in the Birmingham area for more than 10 years.
Both worked previously at St. Vincent’s, McCool said.
Sonology is not just a hearing aid store, McCool said.
“It is the only physician-directed hearing aid clinic in the Birmingham area devoted to hearing health,” he said.
McCool said he and Bhuta have seen many patients with hearing loss that has been inappropriately managed.
“We are board-certified physicians who have completed four years of medical school, five years of residency training and 10 years each of private practice,” he said. “We believe we are the best choice to diagnose and treat hearing loss.”
McCool said the best part of the job is seeing how much people’s lives are improved by better hearing.
“Most patients are not aware of the severity of their hearing loss and how much it impacts their lives,” he said.
Aside from the frustration it can cause a patient and their friends and family members, hearing loss has many side effects that many might not realize, McCool said, including depression, social isolation and an earlier onset of dementia.
McCool said he thinks the clinic is a nice fit for Homewood and hopes to see the business continue to grow.
“We live about three blocks from the office and our kids go to school next door to our office at Shades Cahaba, so I don’t think we’re going anywhere anytime soon,” he said.
Sonology Hearing Clinic is open from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For more information, visit www.sonologyhearing.com or call 313-0395.
