‘A step of faith’
Bradford ventures out on her own to open Knox Audiology in Hardin Valley
Owner/doctor of audiology Kalyn Bradford celebrated the opening of her practice, 10922 Spring Bluff Way in Knoxville, with a Farragut West Knox Chamber of Commerce-sponsored ribbon cutting at the office Thursday, April 24.
“We’re so glad you’re here,” FWKCC president/CEO Julie Blaylock said. “We’re excited to open with this new member, this new business.
“Welcome and thank you for coming,” Bradford said. “Knox Audiology is, first, a mission. This is my goal: to show people how they can be cared for and who God is to me and how I can love them.
“I take care of adults, especially senior adults, who have a hearing loss and just need help in communicating with their families again, being plugged into their world so they don’t have to miss out on anything,” she added. “Our goal is just to connect people to other people.”
Bradford has been in Knoxville practicing audiology for 13 years. She was at a large ENT practice “and part of a wonderful group,” she said.
“But I felt like God was calling me to step out and take a step of faith to do this on my own,” she added.
“I went from leading people to just leading myself and hopefully navigating as well, but mainly it’s been a step of faith.”
In turn, “I can see He has provisioned everything that we have,” Bradford said. “Everything has been smooth.”
In looking for a location, “I noticed in Hardin Valley there were a lot of primary cares, physical therapies, eye centers — but there were no audiology services,” she said.
“I feel like this is my ministry, my way to use the gifts that God has given me, which is a love for science and a love for healthcare to help people where they need it,” she added. “I believe we were designed to be people in community; and when you have a hearing loss, it’s isolating. You become more of a loner, even if that’s not what you wish … I don’t want that.”
So, Bradford provides diagnostics to “help figure out what’s going on — what the actual root issue is,” she said.
Then, treatment-wise, “we mainly do hearing aids here, but also cochlear implants (electronic devices surgically implanted to restore hearing) for patients when hearing aids are not enough anymore and they need a surgical intervention,” Bradford said. “I work with the main cochlear implant surgeon in town, and I can do the programming — or what we call mapping — for cochlear implants.”
Knox Audiology is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Wednesday and Friday. It is closed Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
For more information, call 865-357-5600; visit online at knoxaud.com or e-mail to knox.audiology@outlook.com
