- September 02, 2026
- By Rachael Grahame ’17
The University of Maryland’s Hearing and Speech Clinic now offers additional services for cochlear implant users and individuals struggling with issues like sudden hearing loss, balance problems and vertigo, thanks to a new partnership with a University of Maryland School of Medicine otologist.
Twice per month, Dr. David Eisenman, director of the Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery Program, travels from his office at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore to College Park to see patients in need of otology services. Compared to an otolaryngologist or ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor, Eisenman specializes in issues stemming from how the brain and the ear work together so that someone can hear.
“Issues that cause sudden hearing problems, chronic ear infections, ringing or buzzing in ear, vertigo, or facial nerve paralysis can all be evaluated by a general ENT,” Eisenman said, but many of those things need specialty care that few ENTs can provide, like performing surgeries of the middle ear or mastoid, installing a cochlear implant, removing tumors of the ear and skull base, or treating cerebrospinal leaks.
This specialty care often requires Marylanders—locally, and even from the Eastern Shore—to travel to Baltimore. Individuals seeking cochlear implants may need multiple trips: for a pre-operation appointment, surgery and a post-surgery follow-up appointment. This new partnership lightens that burden.
A.J. Bowman, a 10-year-old from Sykesville, Maryland, who recently received a cochlear implant, knocked out two appointments in one visit.
“Between work and our children’s activities, coordinating time off for multiple medical appointments can be stressful,” said A.J.’s mom, Jessica. “I also think seeing Dr. Eisenman in the familiar, welcoming clinic environment, rather than in a hospital setting, helped A.J. feel more comfortable as he prepared for surgery.”
Patients who come to see Eisenman in the Hearing and Speech Clinic can expect to do a hearing test with the clinic’s audiology team, talk about their medical history, undergo an exam, and either receive an order for imaging studies or go over recent imaging results. In some sudden hearing loss cases, Eisenman can help restore hearing with steroids if the patient is treated within three days. In some migraine-related cases, he may make a referral to a neurologist.
Nicole Nguyen, a clinical professor in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences and the Hearing and Speech Clinic’s director of clinical audiology, said she is excited about the diversity of Eisenman’s patients, and the different diagnostics for student learning. “Having such an expert on ear and balance disorders so accessible to the local community is really great, and I hope people take advantage of that.”
To make an appointment with Eisenman, call 410-328-6866.