
Redesigning care, with your safety top of mind.
Hospitals and medical offices are now permitted to see patients for all types of care, including elective surgery. We have been working hard to ensure that the hospital and physicians' practices are ready for you. Please call your provider or login to MyChart to schedule an in-person or telehealth video visit today!
Keeping You Safe
Hospitals and medical offices are now permitted to see patients for all types of care, including elective surgery. We have been working hard to ensure that the hospital and physicians' practices are ready for you. We have redesigned the way we provide care with your safety in mind.We will continue to offer telehealth video visits for anyone who prefers that option. However, we want to reassure you that we are taking the necessary steps to protect your safety when you need to come to the hospital, a primary care office, or one of our specialty practices.
Some of the measures GBMC Health Partners is taking to protect patients include:
- GBMC Health Partners is seeing patients in person and via telehealth video visits. Using video visits allows you to talk with your doctor without leaving home. This reduces the number of patients coming through the office and decreases the potential for inadvertent exposure of patients and staff to COVID-19. Thus, in-person visits can be done safely for those who need them. We encourage you to utilize MyChart for your telehealth needs, and you can also call your doctor if you need help. We are ready to assist you.
- Extensive cleaning of all work spaces and patient areas is performed between encounters and throughout the day.
- Temperature screening stations are in place at hospital entrances and in our practices. All patients, providers, and staff members have their temperature checked upon arrival and must wear masks (along with other appropriate personal protective equipment "PPE" if necessary).
- All patients are asked COVID-19 screening questions when they make their appointment and again when they arrive. Patients are given specific appointment times to limit the number of people in the offices at one time, and are kept in private exam rooms during their visits.
- To allow for safe distancing, our office hours may be adjusted during this time, and offices themselves have been rearranged. In certain locations, there may be physical barriers in place, and in some cases, family members may be asked to wait in their vehicles. A family member or friend may accompany a patient if it is medically necessary for the patient, or if the patient is a minor.
- All surgical patients are tested for COVID-19 pre-operatively.
- COVID-19 positive patients and patients under investigation (PUIs) who require hospital admission are sequestered in the hospital. Outpatients who are COVID-19 positive or PUIs are encouraged to utilize telehealth video visits to determine whether in-person care is needed.
Helping you to hear again, or for the first time
At the Presbyterian Board of Governors Cochlear Implant Center of Excellence at GBMC, it is our pleasure to work with children and adults, along with their families and educators as they pursue cochlear implant candidacy testing or need audiologic and rehabilitative services for their current implant. Our multidisciplinary team will work together to determine if a cochlear implant is appropriate for you. We serve individuals with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss, in both ears, during candidacy, surgery and follow-up. Our goal is to provide comprehensive care for you and your family as well as to work collaboratively with educators and other service providers.
Our Team

Brian A. Kaplan, MD
Chairman, Department of Otolaryngology
Otolaryngology

Brian A. Kaplan, MD
Chairman, Department of Otolaryngology
Otolaryngology

Scott D. London, MD
Otolaryngology

Scott D. London, MD
Otolaryngology

Regina Presley, Au.D., FAAA, CCC/A
Senior Cochlear Implant Audiologist
Audiology
Cochlear Implants

Regina Presley, Au.D., FAAA, CCC/A
Senior Cochlear Implant Audiologist
Audiology
Cochlear Implants

Bridget Garrison, Au.D., CCC-A, FAAA
Cochlear Implant Audiologist
Audiology
Cochlear Implants

Bridget Garrison, Au.D., CCC-A, FAAA
Cochlear Implant Audiologist
Audiology
Cochlear Implants

Mary O'Leary Kane, M.A., CCC/SLP
Auditory Rehabilitation Specialist
Mary O'Leary Kane, M.A., CCC/SLP
Mary O’Leary Kane, MA, CCC-SLP earned her Bachelor’s degree from Towson State University and her Master’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado. She has been a licensed Speech Language Pathologist and certified through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) since 1996.
As a member of GBMC’s Cochlear Implant Team, Mary provides aural rehabilitation therapy for children and adults to support listening development, demonstrate best use of CI technology, and track progress of oral communication skills.
Mary has 20 years of specialized experience in a variety of settings, including hospital, private practice and schools. She has contributed to a number of research articles and academic materials related to the field of hearing loss and rehabilitation, and continues to present findings at local and national events.
Mary brings with her an enthusiasm to help children and adults through the cochlear implant process, bringing sound to life in meaningful therapy sessions. Her goal is to educate patients and maximize their use of cochlear implant technology.

Nicole Eagan
Medical Secretary II
Nicole Eagan
Nicole “Nikki” Eagan joined the Cochlear Implant team in 2017 as the center’s Patient Services Associate. She is a graduate from Harford Community College with hopes to further her education in health care field. Mrs. Eagan is a results driven individual with great organizational and interpersonal skills.

Adele Millwood
Cochlear Implant Technician
Adele Millwood
Adele joined the Cochlear Implant team in February 2019 as the Cochlear Implant Technician. Adele’s role is to support individuals considering cochlear implantation and our current cochlear implant recipients. She is available for equipment introduction, pairing of technology, device selection, troubleshooting devices and providing additional resources to meet your lifestyle and listening needs.
A bilateral CI recipient herself, she has a passion for walking alongside of others on their CI journey. Adele has served as an advocate for cochlear implants since 2005 when she received her first cochlear implant. Other than the surgery and a few mappings, there were no other services available to her in post-Katrina Louisiana.
“Those years of hearing loss and finally getting a cochlear implant were very lonely years. I had no one to talk with about the process. My husband and I moved blindly forward with CI surgery, hoping that it would finally be the answer to my hearing loss. And it was! But no one should have to go through this journey without support and encouragement. That’s why I am here.”
“Coming to the CI Center at GBMC in 2007 was the best thing that happened in my CI journey. Here I found caring professionals and the encouragement I needed to have my second CI surgery and succeed as a bilateral recipient.”

Meredith Frank, Au.D., CCC-A, F-AAA
Cochlear Implant Audiologist
Audiology
Cochlear Implants
Meredith Frank, Au.D., CCC-A, F-AAA
Dr. Frank received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Hearing and Speech Sciences at University of Maryland, College Park and her Doctorate of Audiology from Towson University. She completed her fellowship at the Presbyterian Board of Governors Cochlear Implant Center of Excellence at GBMC and ENT and Allergy Specialists in the Greater Philadelphia area. Dr. Frank has co-authored and published articles examining hearing loss as a public health issue in the Hearing Review. Dr. Frank is a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology.

Elly Mae
Service Dog
Elly Mae
Elly May’s job as a hearing assist dog began in 2010 with puppy kindergarten. She spent almost two years in training to earn her Service Dog vest.
As a trained professional, she watches over her person (Adele) and loves to meet people wherever she goes. With her keen sense of hearing, she alerts Adele to the sounds around her.
Our Services
The Cochlear Implant Center at GBMC offers a variety of services encompassing the entire spectrum of care, including:
- Audiological Testing: assess hearing sensitivity in test booth, with and without hearing aids
- Speech Recognition Testing: assess ability to recognize and repeat words and sentences in the presence of quiet and in noise
- Speech and Language Evaluation: assess speech and/or language abilities (as needed)
- Speech and Language Therapy: address voice, articulation, and language disorders
- Aural Rehabilitation Therapy: provide practice with implant in order to improve awareness of environmental sounds and speech understanding
- Ear, Nose and Throat Evaluation: performed by surgeon to determine if cochlear implantation is medically appropriate for you
- Psychological Evaluation: assess cognitive abilities (as needed)
- Counseling regarding cochlear implant technology: choosing device options, discussing patient/parent expectations, ongoing maintenance of the device
- Cochlear implantation surgery: performed on an outpatient basis, usually a 90 minute procedure
- Hearing aid fittings and modifications: maintenance and hearing aid selection
- Impressions: making earmolds for hearing aids
- Mapping of cochlear implant: programming of cochlear implant processor - completed frequently during initial stages of activation and annually thereafter

Your 1st step to better hearing.
Test your hearing on your phone for free!
The app uses digits presented in background noise to allow for accurate detection of hearing loss. A 23-step hearing screening, which can be completed in under 3 minutes. Download the app, put on a pair of headphones, and test away!

We never imagined something like this could happen
13-month-old Kharmin, was still recovering from a severe case of bacterial meningitis when her family received troubling news. Although the toddler was healing from her illness, she had suffered profound hearing loss in both of her ears…
Watch & Read Kharmin's StoryCI Connection
Here at the Cochlear Implant center, we are committed to providing you with support throughout your process. You may find it beneficial to speak to others regarding their cochlear implant experience.
That's why we have assembled a team of all-star patient advocates to help answer any questions you may have before the implantation process. If you wish to be contacted by a GBMC Cochlear Implant Advocate, please click the button below. You can expect to receive contact from 1-3 advocates within the next 7 days.
*Note* You must have completed your initial candidacy evaluation with the CI center prior to joining this program.
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