Bob, the visionary Owner of Now Hear This®, founded the company in his mission to enhance hearing aid performance and healthcare standards in America. His inspiration struck while consulting with Acousticon Ag, a small German company in the hearing aid industry which uses unique technology to bring unparalleled joy to hearing aid users in Germany. Recognizing the stark contrast in patient satisfaction between Germany and the United States, where many hearing aid users express frustration and dissatisfaction, Bob resolved to address this disparity.
Robert Keefer, PhD, CEO
Bob’s motivation intensified upon learning that highly esteemed scientists at Johns Hopkins Medical School and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) had discovered that hearing loss increases the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s, clinical depression, and falls resulting in broken bones by up to 500%. Consequently, Bob founded Now Hear This®, which has been employing the same technology used by the German company for over 12 years.
Before establishing Now Hear This®, Dr. Keefer lent his expertise to TCG MedTech, a North Carolina-based consulting firm specializing in establishing US operations for European medical companies. Initially earning his PhD from Nebraska Medical School, Bob has since held managerial and executive positions in prominent companies such as Quest Diagnostics (formerly Smith Kline Clinical Laboratories), Analytical Technologies Inc, and Vista Information Solutions.
Beyond his professional achievements, Bob is an enthusiastic fly-fisherman, a passionate singer, and an avid college football fan. He actively contributes to various civic and non-profit organizations, having served on the Board of the National Institutes of Health (NIH/NIEHS) for four years, held a two-year position with The Hamner Institute, and served a four-year term as President of the Board of I Love A Clean San Diego County.
Continuously advocating for excellence in hearing care nationwide, Dr. Keefer recently published a book titled ‘The Alzheimer’s/Hearing Aid Paradox: In Search of Sanity.’ This insightful work explores the complex relationship between hearing loss and Alzheimer’s disease. For more information, feel free to reach out to him by contacting the office. Additionally, you can explore his book, now available for purchase on Amazon and Audible.
“What inspired me to start up Now Hear This was two things. Number one, several years ago, I learned after talking to many people who have hearing aids that a very small fraction of people are really pleased with them. Number two, at the time, I was working with a German company that had invented a device that has been used in Germany for over 25 years, and it helps audiologists over there make people 100% happy with their hearing aids. That was kind of a no-brainer at that point.
I decided to start up Now Hear This, and based on this particular device that I got FDA approval on. The number one thing that makes us different is our AccuFit™ system. No one else in America has the AccuFit™ system. The second thing that makes us different is that you’re going to be seen by a true doctor of audiology, not a hearing aid specialist who’s got perhaps a high school diploma and one year of apprenticeship.
AccuFit helps our audiologist in really two unique ways. One is it allows him to understand a patient’s acoustics of the ear canal, which means that he can understand how the ear canal is, the shape and the sound of that hearing aid, and he can quantitatively understand with a small probe microphone what those sounds are sounding like in the ear. He doesn’t have to ask you, “How does that sound?” or “Is this better?”
The second thing that AccuFit™ does is that it gives the audiologist information to understand how that patient’s brain is actually perceiving the sound, the loudness. Because everyone’s preferences for sound and loudness are different, AccuFit™ doesn’t care which hearing aids it works with. It can actually work with any manufacturer’s hearing aids.
Having said that, unfortunately, a lot of hearing aid dealers will lock their hearing aids so that no one else can serve them. If you are thinking about buying hearing aids, buy them from someplace that sells unlocked hearing aids. If you have any hearing issues, or if you know of anyone that’s unhappy with their hearing aids, a friend, a family, a business associate, or you. We welcome your phone call, your stopping in. We’ve got great parking, great friendly staff, wonderful coffee, and we guarantee you will be happy with us.”