LIVE Your Best Life. CONNECT Again. HEAR & Be Heard.

Dr. Dustin Richards and his wife Marla define success differently. Marla explains that treating hearing loss is really a means to an end. She goes on to say, “We truly exist as a clinic to serve people, and it’s an honor that they entrust us with their future. We want to empower people to live their best life through their ability to hear and be heard, staying connected to the world around them.”

Nearly four years ago, after working in private practice clinics and the VA, Dr. Richards launched Wolfpack Hearing in the place they call home: Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Patient-centered care has become the clinic’s trademark, earning a stellar reputation in the community from day one. Last year, the clinic was awarded Best Audiologist, Best Hearing Clinic and Bronze in Customer Service in the Best of Northwest Arkansas competition.
Their business philosophy and focus is as unique as the clinic name. They chose “Wolfpack” because they truly want each patient and their loved ones to be part of the family; part of the pack.

“Our approach to treating hearing loss is like that of the pack, everyone working together,” Dr. Richards points out. “It’s people over process. Together we solve the greater problem of isolation that hearing loss creates.”

The atmosphere in the office is not clinical, and that’s deliberate.

The atmosphere in the office is not clinical, and that’s deliberate, says Marla. “I don’t want people to feel like they’re walking into a clinic,” she says. “Because people who walk through the door are in the process of changing their lives.”

Walking people through life changes was something Marla did in her career as a registered dietician. Treating hearing loss, she finds, has many similarities.

“We let our patients know that we are going to be there for them through this transition,” she emphasizes. “It requires making a genuine connection to people, in many aspects of their lives, not just their hearing loss.”

“We summarize our ‘why’ in three words: Connect, Live, Listen,” Marla continues. “Your hearing plays a big role in being able to LIVE your best life, and especially in the way you CONNECT with the world around you. Too often people who lose their hearing tend to be secluded and lonely, and together with family and loved ones we can give them the power to hear and be heard; to reconnect with the world around them and give them their best life back.”

Treating hearing loss is a very personal and intimate process, Marla notes. Along with keeping the clinic running smoothly, she makes it her business to get to know and have “real conversations” with every patient. The clinic even holds special events or has fresh-baked cookies and cider in the waiting room throughout the year; all done with the intentional focus of connecting to the people of Wolfpack.

“I’ve had more than one person tell me ‘thank you for taking an interest in my life,’” she affirms. “That’s what we feel sets us apart, the genuine care and connection. We’re not just here to sell them a quick fix, rather a life-giving solution.”

Being an independent, family-owned, clinic gives Wolfpack freedom to tailor custom hearing solutions to each patient.  “Together we talk through and choose the best treatment options and fit models based on what’s best for each patient, not the bottom line,” Dr. Richards points out.

“If finances are an issue, then we will work with patients to find solutions that they are comfortable with,” Marla asserts. “We want our patients to be completely satisfied, and we won’t stop until they are.”

Because hearing is subjective, “fixed” means something different to everyone, and it takes intentional follow-up to ensure that every patient truly has the best possible solution for their needs. So many live with uncomfortable or improper hearing aid solutions because they just believed it was as good as it could get. Dr. Richards says, “The key is ongoing care. What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for the next. We take the time to continually make adjustments. I may be a bit biased, but I believe our patients will tell you that’s why we’re outstanding at what we do.”

While Dr. Richards enjoys the technical and scientific aspects of his profession, he never gets tired of seeing the transformation on someone’s face when hearing is restored. “The relief is massive, yet people tend to postpone treatment, because of the social stigma. Part of our job is to mold their thinking,” he continues. “Improved hearing enables people to be their very best selves and we see living proof of that every day.”

Wolfpack Hearing has been nominated for Best Audiologist, Best Customer Service and Best Hearing Clinic in this year’s Best of Northwest Arkansas. Voting opens December 2nd, and visitors can cast a vote each day through Thursday, December 19th. For more information, and to cast your vote, visit BestNWA.com.

To make an appointment, call 479-957-9300 or visit wolfpackhearing.com.

Pictured above: The Wolfpack team, from left: Sarah Jones, Director of Operations; Dr. Dustin Richards, audiologist and owner; Marla Richards, Managing Director and co-owner.