Doctors

Dr. Ronna Fisher Au.D., F-AAA Founder & President: Dr. Fisher has been practicing Audiology for over 25 years. She graduated with a Master of Science in Audiology in 1977 from the University of Pittsburgh. At the time of her graduation, laws prohibited audiologists from dispensing or selling hearing instruments. Most hearing healthcare practitioners found themselves working for ear doctors or hospitals performing hearing tests and referring 95% of their patients with hearing loss to a hearing aid dealer. Ronna desired a more long-term relationship with her patients facing hearing loss, so she went to work for a hearing aid dispenser, becoming somewhat of a renegade in a rapidly changing field. When the laws changed in the 1980's, granting audiologists permission to prescribe and dispense hearing instruments, Ronna moved to Chicago and established the Hearing Health Center. Today that business has grown to four thriving metropolitan and suburban practices servicing Chicago, Naperville, Oakbrook, and Highland Park and surrounding areas.
It was her father's hearing loss at an early age that led Dr. Fisher to Audiology. "As his hearing got worse, my father stopped doing a lot of things and going to places he once enjoyed. He quit going to movies and plays because he couldn't understand most of what was said. Restaurants were torture - he missed the punch line of jokes and couldn't participate in most of the conversation. Places that had background noise or lots of people were possible sources of embarrassment and humiliation."

"My dad's hearing loss didn't just affect him. It affected everyone around him. My mother would accuse him of not listening and not paying attention to her. His colleagues thought he was 'stuck up' when he didn't acknowledge their greetings. His children, including me, were impatient and angry at having to repeat everything all of the time. The most common phrases around our house were 'never mind,' 'forget it,' and 'it's not important.' My father missed so much of my life and it didn't have to be that way."

Dr. Fisher's father died while she was in graduate school. He was 53 years old. "I never got the chance to help my father, so I've dedicated my life to making sure my patients don't miss the important moments and voices in their lives."
Ronna recently went back to school to earn her doctoral degree in Audiology from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology, has earned the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association, and is an active member of the Academy of Dispensing Audiologists, American Tinnitus Association, and the Illinois Academy of Audiology.
Dr. Ning Jing Au.D., CCC-A: Dr. Jing received his Master's Degree in both Audiology and Education from the University of Cincinnati, and his Doctorate in Audiology from Salus University in Pennsylvania. As an experienced clinical audiologist, he was trained and has practiced at the University of California at San Francisco, University of Chicago Hospitals, Mercy Hospital in Chicago, and private physician's offices. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology.
Dr. Jing believes "Some of life's greatest joys come in the simplest forms -- gatherings with friends, a walk through the neighborhood, the sound of your child's laughter. These joys need not and should not be diminished due to hearing loss or dizziness." He is committed to helping his patients regain and maintain these simple joys of life.
Dr. Kara Houston, Au.D., CCC-A: Dr. Houston has received her doctoral degree from Salus University in Pennsylvania in 2004, Master's of Science degree from Rush University in Chicago, and Bachelor's degree from University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana. Through her continued education and dedication to the science of hearing and balance, Dr. Houston's well rounded experience is beneficial to her patient's care. Dr. Houston is also a member and holds credentials with the American Speech Language and Hearing Association.

Because of the constantly advancing field of Audiology, Dr. Kara Houston feels it is her duty to stay abreast of new technology and techniques to provide the highest standard of care for her patients. Her expertise lies not only in the testing of hearing and fitting amplification, but also in the evaluation of patients who suffer from balance disorders and dizziness. At the Center for Balance Disorders at the Hearing Health Center, Dr. Houston performs diagnostic tests to evaluate patients with these symptoms. Dr. Houston states "I see so many patients restricting their life, feeling isolated, and frightened to leave their house because they may fall. With new advances in the evaluation and treatment of balance and dizziness disorders, so many of them can receive help, feel better, and go on living their life."
Dr. Keri Maas Au.D., CCC-A: Dr. Keri Maas brings over 13 years of clinical audiology experience to her patients at the Hearing Health Center. She earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and received her Doctorate from the Arizona School of Health Sciences. Dr. Maas' most recent position was as the Director of the Audiology department for a private non-profit organization in the Chicago suburbs. Along with management responsibilities, she also provided high quality hearing healthcare to those in need.
Dr. Maas has served as an adjunct faculty member at Elmhurst College for three years and continues to serve as a guest lecturer for a number of Audiology courses taught throughout the Chicagoland area. Dr. Maas is a member of a number of professional organizations, including the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA), the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), and the Educational Audiology Association (EAA). She currently serves as a member of several committees at the Illinois Academy of Audiology (ILAA), and has previously held board positions for the organization.

Dr. Maas' passion is to focus on her patients by giving them the high quality hearing health care they deserve. She truly believes that at this stage in her professional career, her personal success is measured by the accomplishments of those she has helped. She will do whatever is necessary to deliver the highest quality hearing health care to the patients of the Hearing Health Center.
Dr. Mark Christian Au.D., CCC-A: Dr. Mark Christian joined the Hearing Health Center in January, 2009. Dr. Christian brings with him over eight years of experience in patient care. He earned his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and then received his Doctorate from the School of Audiology at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. He spent five years working at an ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) practice while the last three years were focused solely on the treatment of hearing loss through dispensing hearing instrumentation.
Dr. Christian's life experiences led him into the field of audiology. As both of his parents were essentially born deaf, he has been around people with hearing loss his whole life. "I experienced firsthand how precious our hearing really is. While I am blessed to have two wonderful parents, I saw how the inability to hear can lead to significant breakdowns in communication between family and friends. As I grew older, I realized that I could make a difference in other people's lives in repairing those lines of communication."

Dr. Christian is a certified member of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA), the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), and the Illinois Academy of Audiology (ILAA).
Dr. Tricia Heneghan, Au.D., F-AAA: Dr. Tricia Heneghan earned her Bachelor's degree in Speech and Hearing Science from the University of Iowa, a Master's degree in Audiology from the College of Communicative Disorders at Northern Illinois University and her Doctoral degree in Audiology from Arizona School of Health Sciences. Dr. Heneghan had the pleasure of practicing at a non-profit organization as well as a private pediatric otolaryngology practice where she provided a variety of patients hearing health services. She also became actively involved with the Illinois Academy of Audiology as the Co-VP of Education from 2006-2008.
Dr. Heneghan is excited to be a part of Hearing Health Center and to share her knowledge and experience with her patients. She is dedicated and passionate about providing quality care to all she serves.
Dr. Janet Preston, Au.D, CCC-A: Dr. Preston has over 25 years experience as an audiologist. She received her doctoral degree from Salus University in Pennsylvania, her Master's degree from Kent State and her bachelor's degree from Buffalo State University.
Dr. Preston has a diverse work experience in the field of audiology. She has work for an Ear Nose and Throat practice, the Veteran's Administration, DePaul Health Center and the Northern Illinois Medical Center.

Dr. Preston is dedicated to giving the best quality care so that her patients may once again participate in the joys of life.

Our Doctors