Skip subpage navigation
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 branch of the DHA Research and Engineering 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...
Article
Oct 24, 2024
While balance disorders can affect almost anyone, service members are at greater risk for certain types of inner ear damage that can affect balance.
Article
Jun 1, 2024
Vision and hearing heath are crucial to mission readiness and success, both on and off duty.
Article
May 31, 2024
What you need to hear about the expanded hearing protection fit testing requirement.
Article
May 15, 2024
Hearing problems—such as hearing loss and tinnitus, a ringing or buzzing in the ears—are the leading conditions for service-connected disability compensation. To prevent these conditions, the military requires routine hearing readiness testing which has been limited by the use of specialized booths. To increase testing ability, military audiology ...
Article
Mar 22, 2024
Vision and hearing injuries can both be sustained due to traumatic brain injury, even mild TBI.
Article
Dec 19, 2023
A group of clinicians and researchers from across the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs have come together to share their knowledge on auditory processing disorders and raise awareness.
Article
Nov 8, 2023
Hearing conservation programs combat noise-induced hearing loss by stopping it from happening, said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Robert Summers, audiologist and specialty leader. “It’s a proactive approach versus a reactive approach.”
Article
Nov 7, 2023
Two experts from the Defense Health Agency’s Hearing Center of Excellence recently updated military health providers on these developments during a briefing during the September 2023 Clinical Community Speaker Series, provided by the DHA Continuing Education Program Office. The series offers continuing education credits and helps ensure health care ...
Article
Oct 18, 2023
Your fit-tested hearing protection device is the last line of defense from noise-induced hearing loss.
Article
Aug 2, 2023
DOD/VA hearing and vision injury databases help researchers advance health for service members and vets.
Article
Apr 17, 2023
Whether on the sport field or the battlefield, the Defense Health Agency is the global leader in research on the effects of concussion—known as mild traumatic brain injury—in the military. Its research has fueled the development of protocols to help providers assess and treat concussion from initial injury to acute and post-acute medical settings, ...
Article
Oct 24, 2022
Mobile audiometry equipment can be used from the point of injury to advanced traumas.
Article
Oct 20, 2022
Hearing conservation programs help to reduce hearing loss in the military.
Article
Oct 20, 2022
New hearing protection fit-testing policy on the horizon.
Article
Jun 13, 2022
Ask the Doc: What is causing all of these headaches?
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: December 05, 2024