Their Life's Work
Listening to a calling
After bonding over a beloved Nazareth professor, Chelsea Freeman 鈥13 and Laura Lamb 鈥09 are bringing accessible and affordable hearing care to the area they have always called home.
by Joanie Eppinga
Laura Lamb 鈥09 (back) and Chelsea Freeman 鈥13 (front) say they work well together because of their aligned approaches, shaped by Nazareth and Dr. James Feuerstein.
Chelsea Freeman 鈥13 was dismayed. She had intended to major in speech pathology, but it didn鈥檛 feel right. Phoning home, she told her parents, 鈥淚鈥檓 not sure this is for me!鈥
Freeman took her concern to her professor of audiology, Dr. James Feuerstein 鈥 or Dr. F., as his students called him. Dr. F. said, 鈥淐helsea, wait until next semester. You鈥檒l have some audiology classes. I think you might like it.鈥
That was the turning point for Freeman. 鈥淗e was 100% right,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 fell in love.鈥
Laura Lamb 鈥09 was also originally uncertain about her major. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 sure about the speech pathology field,鈥 she says. 鈥淏ut Dr. F. pulled me aside and said, 鈥楲aura, this is your thing. You excel at this. Follow your heart.鈥欌
Both women are glad they listened. Thanks to what Lamb calls 鈥淒r. F.鈥檚 infectious enthusiasm,鈥 both went on to get doctorates 鈥 Lamb from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and Freeman from the University of Arizona. And then, in 2022, they started a practice together.
At Audiology Services of WNY, Lamb specializes in balance and dizziness, while Freeman focuses on pediatric audiology, seeing children of all ages.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing like watching a child hear for the very first time,鈥 Freeman says, 鈥渁nd seeing the family鈥檚 joy and relief.鈥澨
Helping people to participate is what it鈥檚 about, Lamb says. One of her most rewarding moments came when she met with an elderly woman whose hearing aids had been broken for some time. After Lamb fixed them, she reports, the woman turned them on. 鈥淗er eyes welled up,鈥 Lamb says, 鈥渁nd she exclaimed, 鈥極h, this is wonderful. Now I can hear my great-grandchildren again!鈥欌
Freeman and Lamb especially appreciate working with individuals in the area where they both grew up. They know many of their patients. 鈥淎nd my grandpa was the vet here for years,鈥 says Freeman. 鈥淚f they don鈥檛 know us, they probably knew him!鈥
鈥淭he hometown value is really important to us,鈥 says Lamb. 鈥淲e want to take care of the people who took care of us.鈥澨
One way they do that is by having offices in Olean and Wellsville. That means people who would otherwise have to drive to Rochester or Buffalo can get services locally.
鈥淪aving the mom of a 3-year-old, say, from having to drive for three hours 鈥 that makes her life a lot easier,鈥 Lamb says.听
Freeman agrees, adding that another core value the two share is a commitment to offering services broadly. 鈥淪ometimes people struggle getting a provider to accept their particular insurance,鈥 she explains, 鈥渂ut we try not to turn anyone away.鈥
Lamb and Freeman say they work well together because of their aligned approaches, shaped by Nazareth and Dr. F. As Lamb explains, 鈥淲e care. And not just about their hearing 鈥 we know their grandkids鈥 names, marriages coming up, college acceptances; to me, that relationship is so important to having good outcomes.鈥
Clearly, this isn鈥檛 just a job for either audiologist. They have a calling, and they鈥檙e listening.
Joanie Eppinga is a freelance writer and editor in Spokane, Washington.
Speech pathology program
Nazareth offers a B.S. in communication sciences and disorders听and a pre-audiology minor.
Plus, Nazareth offers three ways to get a master's degree in speech-language pathology:
- The traditional听M.S. in speech-language pathology
- An extended听M.S. in speech-language pathology听for students without an undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders
- A direct-admit听听option for highly qualified undergraduate students. Apply during junior year of college and begin graduate courses in the last semester of senior year and continue that summer. This acceleration enables you to complete the master's degree eight months earlier.
