NEW! The Virtual Medical Library Hearing and Balance Specialty Guide is now live!
The virtual medical library Hearing and Balance Specialty Guide provides access to high-quality, evidence-based medical, nursing, and allied health information resources for Military Health System personnel. It is broken down into subtopics (i.e., NIHL, tinnitus, BA, APD, etc.) and each subtopic has information pertaining to various resources, books and articles, reports and presentations, and working groups.
The Defense Health Agency's Hearing Center of Excellence works to improve hearing and balance health.
Our Goals
- Improve hearing health
- Enhance operational performance
- Optimize readiness
- Enhance service members and veterans quality of life
We work with the Department of Veterans Affairs to achieve our goals in partnership with:
- Federal health care organizations
- Universities
- Public and private institutions
Congressional Mandate
The HCE was created by Congress through the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 to address military hearing injuries. This work includes:
- Prevention
- Diagnosis
- Mitigation
- Treatment
- Rehabilitation
- Research
Our primary focus and responsibilities include:
- Developing a data registry to track military hearing loss and auditory injuries
- Encouraging and facilitating hearing health research
- Developing best practices and clinical education
- Promoting and implementing hearing loss prevention strategies
Our Structure
We're a section of the DHA Medical Affairs Directorate. We're led by a branch chief and deputy branch chief. We have service audiology liaisons from the Army, Navy, and Air Force. They connect HCE to the field to address operational needs and problems.
Our Services
Clinicians and Technicians Resources
HCE Research and Collaboration
You also may be interested in...
Fact Sheet
Dec. 17, 2025
.PDF |
554.64 KB
Service member focused: Hearing Loss is not part of the job. With proper protection, hearing loss is preventable
Fact Sheet
Dec. 17, 2025
.PDF |
812.66 KB
Hearing loss can impact your next career. Wear hearing protection both on and off duty
Fact Sheet
Dec. 17, 2025
.PDF |
357.67 KB
You protect their hearing. Remember to protect yours
Fact Sheet
July 14, 2025
.PDF |
516.13 KB
Don’t be the weak link. Failure to wear hearing protection puts you, your unit, and your mission in danger.
Fact Sheet
Feb. 19, 2025
.PDF |
3.87 MB
This report provides a consistent method of reporting data on DOD and service-level Hearing Conservation Programs using standard measures of effectiveness as defined by DODI 6055.12. DOD Hearing Conservation Working Group, Defense Center for Public Health-Dayton, and the DOD Hearing Center of Excellence collaborate to provide information on HCP ...
Fact Sheet
Dec. 30, 2024
.PDF |
136.91 KB
Low-gain hearing aids are programmed to provide just a small amount of amplification, or “boost”, to sounds around you.
Fact Sheet
Nov. 26, 2024
.PDF |
330.10 KB
Hearing protector fit testing is a procedure used to quantitively measure the amount of noise reduction a specific hearing protector is providing a user. Fit testing measures the personal attenuation rating (PAR) specific to each individual ear and hearing protector. The PAR is a real-world measurement of the overall attenuation the hearing protector ...
Fact Sheet
Nov. 25, 2024
.PDF |
25.58 KB
Speech Intelligibility graphic of low to high intelligibility at 86dBA
Fact Sheet
Nov. 20, 2024
.PDF |
339.89 KB
Don’t be the weak link. Failure to wear hearing protection puts you, your unit, and your mission in danger.
Fact Sheet
Nov. 20, 2024
.PDF |
4.34 MB
Some of the Deepest Wounds are Invisible. Arm your ears. Guard against permanent disability and safeguard sounds you cherish. Wear hearing protection.
Fact Sheet
Nov. 7, 2024
.PDF |
94.25 KB
Operational performance and quality of life can be impacted by tinnitus, which is the #1 service-connected disability. A multi-disciplinary approach is key to managing patients with bothersome tinnitus. For this Quality Improvement Project, the team sent out the Understanding Practices of Tinnitus Collaborative Survey (UPTiCS) to VA and DoD providers ...
Fact Sheet
Nov. 7, 2024
.PDF |
113.40 KB
This practice recommendation was initially created for primary care providers, but can be used by any clinician who sees patients with tinnitus. It is a summary of clinical practice guidelines and recommendations for tinnitus. The information provided in the document helps clinicians talk with patients about various types of tinnitus and deter-mine ...
Fact Sheet
Nov. 7, 2024
.PDF |
441.49 KB
Graphic representation of the USA locations of the members that represent the CAVRN Network.
Fact Sheet
Nov. 7, 2024
.PDF |
75.35 KB
The PTM Patient Workbook was published in 2010, and updates are needed. VA and DoD clinicians (from audiology and mental health) were interviewed to understand how to best update the PTM materials.
Fact Sheet
Nov. 7, 2024
.PDF |
109.92 KB
The PTM Clinician Handbook was published in 2010, and updates are needed. VA and
DoD audiologists and mental health providers were interviewed to understand how to
best update the PTM materials.
You are leaving Health.mil
The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense of non-U.S. Government sites or the information, products, or services contained therein. Although the Defense Health Agency may or may not use these sites as additional distribution channels for Department of Defense information, it does not exercise editorial control over all of the information that you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this website.
You are leaving Health.mil
View the external links disclaimer.
Last Updated: May 22, 2026