Today we’d like to introduce you to Anesheia Prince.
Hi Anesheia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
When I started Kindergarten, I was fascinated by the sign language interpreter that was a constant figure in my classroom. Meeting students that were part of Minor Elementary’s Deaf and Hard of hearing program shaped my mind into understanding that there was a language beyond spoken words and friendships can be made when friends care for one another versus focusing on our differences. My love for sign language encouraged me to pursue a career as a sign language interpreter when I got older.
Fast forward to getting accepted to the University of Georgia for my undergraduate degree, I had changed my mind to becoming a doctor at the behest of my mother, who thought my caring nature could be used even further. But my lack of passion for the course work and not being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel moved me to make a change. I decided at 18 to change my career path one more time and stumbled on Communications Sciences and Disorders major, which included deaf education, speech pathology, and audiology. I had never heard of an audiologist, and when I researched the career path, I realized that I could be a doctor that helped the hard of hearing and deaf community and I never looked backed.
For the past seven years, I have been the Director of Audiology for Atlanta ENT. I have worked with some amazing otolaryngologists and developed an entrepreneurial mindset as I ran the audiology department and purchased equipment to better serve my patients. When the opportunity in 2020 arose to purchase my own private practice due to an audiologist retiring, I jumped at the opportunity to become an owner and run a large private practice that includes four offices across the state of Georgia. I am proud that all my locations are known to provide state-of-the-art technology with patient-centered hearing healthcare in their communities.
My patients are pleasantly surprised to know that I am not only their doctor but also the owner of Atlanta Hearing Associates as a young Black professional there is a sense of pride and optimism that they share to encourage me to keep reaching for better representation in my field. Atlanta Hearing Associates has won several awards in each of the communities we serve by being voted the best audiology practices in our surrounding areas. We love our patients, and they know that they are all a part of our families.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
During the covid pandemic, the audiology industry was significantly impacted. I found my schedule was reduced and salary transitioned to contract work at Atlanta ENT. These changes made financial budgeting more important at home. When I became the owner of the Atlanta Hearing Associates transitioning from running one location to all five locations with 16 employees was a huge undertaking that required both early mornings and late nights. As a mother of two small children, my life became a juggling act.
Now the challenge is meeting our goals to expand patient care within our communities by letting people know that we are here and we would love to provide them with excellent hearing healthcare. We have wonderful doctors and staff that genuinely care about hearing healthcare, and we hope that we can continue to serve patients of all ages.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Atlanta Hearing Associates is a large audiology practice that encompasses four different office locations throughout Georgia. Our offices in Decatur and Dunwoody provide the Atlanta area with comprehensive hearing tests, tinnitus assessments, ear cleanings, and hearing devices to all ages. Each location utilizes state of the art technology and family oriented care to help guide our patients to the best hearing devices and information on hearing healthcare. Every doctor you will meet is focused on your needs as a patient and we work with every manufacturer to provide a personalized fitting. We also partner with different agencies to provide audiological care to veterans, ATF officers, reservist, police departments, cochlear implant recipients, and community wellness groups.
Atlanta Hearing Associates is dedicated to our mission to make each patient feel like they are apart of our family. We accept all major insurances for patients who have a hearing healthcare benefit that they are eligible to use.
Our offices are located in Dunwoody, Decatur, Lake Oconee, and Milledgeville.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Last November I had the pleasure of meeting a patient that required me to sign to them while completing my evaluation. As I got to know the patient, I realized that they could be one of my friends from my kindergarten class that I had not seen since middle school. I asked them if they went to Minor Elementary and Sweet Water Middle School and we were both shocked when they said YES! I loved that my passion for sign language and audiology had come full circle and that I got to chance to not only see a childhood friend but to become their doctor as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: Hearatlanta.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/HearingAtlanta
