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Preparing for the Quad Cities Real Estate Market

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The code of ethics all realtors abide by may make the difference between a seamless, painless experience and potential disaster.

Most business owners know that the real estate market is the backbone of every successful community; buyers move in, have families, open businesses, shop locally and so on. Property transactions have a ripple effect that is often a key predictor of economic growth.

So, how can property owners, both commercial and residential, prepare for the inevitable ups and downs of the market and ensure long-term equity growth and a solid investment? Here are some things to focus on:

History matters. The market is known for certain cycles and patterns, which can aid in making educated guesses about when to buy and when to sell. Look at the record of market data in your area. Your local realtor association tracks market data and can point you in the right direction.

Know your priorities. Do you have capital tied up in your business? Do you anticipate needing to move in the near future for a new job or an expanding family? All of these factors will affect your strategy.

Check your finances. You’re going to need cash for down payments, deposits, earnest money, repairs, the list goes on and on! Have you spoken with a lender to see what you’re qualified for? Have you crafted a budget and checked your credit score? This side of things can get complicated, so lean on your realtor to point you in the right direction for your individual needs.

Use a realtor. The code of ethics all realtors abide by may make the difference between a seamless, painless experience and potential disaster. Choose a realtor who has the education, experience and support to be exactly what you need.

Track your data. How have property values changed in your area, whether it’s your business or your personal residence? Do you have equity in your property? Are you relying on outside financing to supplement a transaction? Knowing how your money has behaved in the past will inform your timing and strategy.

Overall, preparing for the worst but hoping for the best is something we can all try to do. I’m hoping for a successful year for all of us here in the Quad Cities, but you can bet I’m also preparing for whatever comes next. QCBN

By M. Faye Humphrey

Faye Humphrey is the 2023 president of the Prescott Area Association of REALTORS.

About PAAR:
The Prescott Area Association of REALTORS (PAAR) is the trade association representing more than 2,000 REALTORS serving the greater Quad Cities area. Established in 1944, PAAR’s mission is to advocate for private property rights, and provide its members with resources to foster their business success. The term REALTOR is a registered trademark, which identifies real estate professionals who subscribe to a strict code of ethics as members of the National Association of REALTORS.

Serving Our Country: YRMC Emergency Director Promoted to Colonel

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As an organization, YRMC is an excellent example of what a strong military-civilian partnership looks like.

Rob Barth, MSN, MBA, RN, CEN, director of Emergency Services at Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center, is now also a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. That’s a rank only 2% of all Air Force officers achieve during their careers.

“This promotion is an honor and blessing, especially at this point in my military career,” said Barth. “I’m approaching 21 years of service and eligible for retirement. That makes the promotion even more significant to me.”

The promotion ceremony took place recently at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. During the ceremony, Shannon Barth – also a YRMC employee – removed the silver oak leaf cluster from her husband’s uniform and replaced it with the new silver eagle. This formalized the promotion from Lieutenant Colonel Barth to Colonel Barth.

During a separate ceremony later that day, Barth was named commander of the 624th Aeromedical Staging Squadron at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. In that role, he will lead approximately 86 Air Force reservists and four active-duty airmen.

Barth’s new squadron has a dual mission. It conducts medical exams on airmen, ensuring they are medically ready for deployment to any location worldwide. Additionally, the squadron must be prepared to set up a hospital anywhere in the world within 72 hours.

Years of Stellar Service

At age 36, Barth made a life-changing decision: He would serve his country by joining the Air Force Reserves. “I called the Air Force recruiting office the day after Sept. 11,” he said. “I wanted to do my part.”

Commissioned as an officer in 2002, Barth was assigned to the 944th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. He has served there for most of the past 20 years. Barth began his service at the squadron as a critical care and emergency/trauma nurse and concluded as the squadron’s deputy commander.

Barth has received numerous awards throughout his Air Force career. The two most important to him are the “944th Fighter Wing, 2004 Company Grade Officer of the Year” and the “Humanitarian Service Medal.” The latter recognized Barth’s role in helping evacuate Haitian citizens who were severely injured during the country’s 2010 earthquake.

A Military-Civilian Partnership

According to YRMC Chief Nursing Executive Officer Tracey McCollum, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, both the community and YRMC have benefited from Barth’s service in the Air Force Reserves.

“Rob brings best practices from the military and applies them to his work at YRMC,” McCollum said. “The way we triage patients in the Emergency Department is a good example of that.”

She notes that Barth has also developed excellent leadership skills through his military service. This has created a strong, cohesive and high-functioning team in the Emergency Department.

The military also understands the benefits of the military-civilian partnership, according to Barth. “The depth of experience reservists bring to their service is valued by the Air Force,” he said.

Words of Appreciation

Barth also values YRMC’s support of his military service. “YRMC has always been extremely supportive of my military training time. As an organization, YRMC is an excellent example of what a strong military-civilian partnership looks like.”

As McCollum says, YRMC’s team is proud of Barth’s service to our country. “To be able to say that we have a colonel working in our four walls is actually pretty great.” QCBN

By Bridget O’Gara

Bridget O’Gara is a writer, communications strategist and project manager who specializes in health care. Bridget has spent her career writing about healthcare topics. She works with mission-driven healthcare organizations, including hospitals, other healthcare providers and advocacy organizations.

Risk Management: Protecting your Assets

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You work hard for your money. Make sure it stays your money!

As you progress through life and build your wealth, it becomes necessary to protect yourself, your family and your assets. The most common way to protect is to buy some form of insurance. When you buy insurance, you shift the risk to a third party and away from you. At different times in your life, it will be necessary to have different levels of protection. In some cases, being self-insured is an alternative.

Life Insurance

If you have anybody dependent upon you, life insurance is essential. The purpose of life insurance is to replace your income for your loved ones. As an example, if you make $50,000 per year, a policy of 10 times that amount would replace your income if invested with an average return of 10%. Always purchase term life insurance. It is the most cost-effective.

Homeowners

When you reach homeownership status, insuring that asset will be important. Purchasing a home is the single largest purchase many folks make in their lifetime. If you have a mortgage, the lender will require you to purchase insurance. Not for you, but for them.

Make sure you have adequate coverage, not just what the lender requires. Review the limits regularly to make sure you can replace what you have. In addition, you will want to insure the contents of your home and any rare collections you may own.

Renters should have a renter’s policy to cover the contents of their apartment. The landlord does not insure your personal belongings.

Auto

If you own a car, then it is certain you have purchased car insurance. It is required in all states. Make sure your limits are adequate. There are options for making this purchase. While the goal is to limit your risk, you may want to take on some risk in exchange for a premium reduction. As an example, a $500 deductible or a $1,000 deductible will have an impact on how much you pay. Explore your options.

Health

Health insurance is coverage that protects your well-being. This insurance will cover your expenses for health care. There are many types of coverage. Be sure to do your homework. Does a high deductible plan work best or will you be better off purchasing first-dollar coverage? Do you choose single coverage, spouse or other dependent coverage, or a family plan?

If you and your family are in good health, a high-deductible plan would work best when you team it up with a Health Savings Account (HSA) or a Flexible Spending Account.

In addition to health insurance, you will want prescription drug coverage, along with dental and eye coverage.

If you are 65, Medicare will be the coverage you will purchase. There are choices here as well. Do you sign up for straight Medicare or do you go with an HMO?  More choices, just make sure you do it by your 65th birthday or you will pay a penalty if you sign up late.

Umbrella

An umbrella policy will cover you for additional liability. This coverage will generally be in addition to the coverage you have with your homeowners and auto policy for liability coverage.

For example, if your liability coverage for your auto policy covers up to $100,000, an umbrella can increase that limit by a million.

As you build your wealth, this very affordable coverage will protect you should a claim arise.

Disability

This coverage will protect you should you become injured on the job. There are short-term and long-term coverages. What you buy will depend on what you do for a living. If your job is physical, such as construction, and you become injured, it is not likely you will be able to work, so you will want to have both short- and long-term coverage.

Many policies do not cover 100% of your wages, so understand what your benefit will be when you buy.

Long-Term Care

Long-term care coverage will cover you if the need to provide care arises when you will be in a nursing home. Many will need this service and coverage is available. The average cost of a nursing home is about $30,000 per year. The average time spent is about three years.

This coverage is best if purchased at age 60. The cost will be its most efficient at that age.

Malpractice

This coverage will insure against any potential liability that may arise from not performing to a specific level of service. This coverage is essential for doctors, nurses, lawyers and accountants, to name a few.

Limited Liability Company

LLC (Limited Liability Company) is a strategy that one can use to protect various assets. If you are a real estate investor, it may make sense to put various properties in an LLC. This will protect your other assets should an event occur.

As an example, if you had a real estate portfolio of $5 million, you may want to break down your assets into various LLCs. This will protect your assets if a case arose where only the assets in the LLC will be at risk. Assets outside that LLC will be protected separately.

Conclusion

The insurance market can be complicated. As always, do your homework. Do you need to purchase all of these coverages? Most likely no. Some of the answers will be determined by your overall financial well-being. Various coverages will be necessary at various times in one’s life.

The intent was to give you some direction as to the types of coverages available and what you will be protecting against. It is highly unlikely that you need to run out and buy coverages for everything discussed. Pick and choose where you can. Remember, the objective is to reduce your risk to yourself and your family.

Good luck!

You work hard for your money. Make sure it stays your money!

Thanks for reading. I hope you found this helpful. QCBN

By Steven Calabrese

Steven Calabrese, CPA, is the CFO of Polara Health. He is the owner-operator of a website known as thepersonalfinancewizard.com, where topics such as budgeting, investing, paying off debt and goal setting are discussed.

Prescott Frontier Days, World’s Oldest Rodeo Honoring Bullfighters

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Often consisting of a team of two to four athletes, being a bullfighter has become one of the most important jobs at a bull riding event.

Ever wonder what stands between 2,000 pounds of solid muscle and a fallen bull rider? One guy – the bullfighter. Fearless, agile and adept at reading the bull’s next move, a bullfighter is in the arena before the bull is released from the bucking chute. Once a bull rider has been bucked off or jumped off himself, communication between the bullfighter, the barrelman and the bull itself is key to protecting the fallen rider. While he’s distracting the bull to get it away from the rider, the bullfighter is also in constant contact with his team to protect the rider as well as each other.

Part of rodeos since the 1900s, the job has evolved from a rodeo clown who entertained fans to a professional athlete, the bullfighter. Later, to recognize the greater danger faced by these athletes, “bullfighter” began to replace the term “rodeo clown.” While comedy is still used as a distraction and to amuse rodeo fans, some of the humor of clown work began to disappear by the late 1970s.

Often consisting of a team of two to four athletes, being a bullfighter has become one of the most important jobs at a bull riding event. Although some bullfighters still wear clown makeup, they are mainly seen in brightly colored, loose garments that are designed to tear away easily and distract the bulls, while wearing protective gear underneath.

Long-time bullfighter Quirt Hunt started as a bareback rider and a bull rider and found bullfighting more to his liking. “I like the satisfaction of doing a good job, and the close calls,” said Hunt. “Saving the cowboy when you have ahold of the bull and bring his head up, it makes you feel good.”

Beau Schueth grew up watching the rodeo near his hometown of O’Neill, Nebraska and wanted to compete but found that it wasn’t roping or riding that he liked, but bullfighting. After a great deal of hard work, he’s now a national champion bullfighter. “I actually wanted to ride bulls,” Beau recalled. “In college, I wanted something to do, so instead of wasting money learning how to ride bulls, I decided to fight them.”

At the 2023 Prescott Frontier Days, Inc – World’s Oldest Rodeo, we are celebrating our bullfighters. “Dances with Bulls” will be the rodeo parade theme on Saturday, July 1, in downtown Prescott. Hunt, one of Pro Rodeo’s top bullfighters and a performer who values humans’ relationships with animals, will serve as the Grand Marshal for the Rodeo Parade.

We hope you will join us as we welcome Quirt and extend a warm welcome to Beau Schueth, our newest bullfighter and marvel at their skills as they protect our bull riders. Learn more about the World’s Oldest Rodeo purchase tickets at
www.worldsoldestrodeo.com. QCBN

By Yvonne Gibbs

Having and Knowing How to Use the Right Fire Extinguisher for Your Home, Business

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Red fire extinguisher on a white wall

The most common question we get is, “How do you properly use a fire extinguisher?”

A fire extinguisher is an important tool in any household and required in any business, as it can quickly put out a small-sized flame before it has the chance to grow and cause serious damage.

Fire extinguishers are classified by letters that represent the types of fire they’re designed to fight. The most common type of extinguisher is the Class ABC, and there are specialty extinguishers like Class D and Class K. It is important to determine the size – yes, they come in different sizes, too – and how many extinguishers your home or office may need.

Some businesses, like a restaurant, may be classified higher than others, depending on the risk of fire and the materials present, and will need more than one and most likely a specialty extinguisher. We always recommend working with a professional to determine what size and how many are best for the safety of employees and customers.

The most common question we get is, “How do you properly use a fire extinguisher?” We recommend trying to remember following the acronym “PASS” and following these steps:

  • Pull the pin – Pulling the safety pin on top of the fire extinguisher releases the locking mechanism and allows you to discharge it.
  • Aim – Point the Fire Extinguisher at the base of the flame, not at the top of the flames, as this will allow you to use it effectively.
  • Squeeze – Squeeze the handle or lever slowly and evenly to discharge the fire extinguisher.
  • Sweep – Move the Fire Extinguisher in a sweeping motion to ensure that the entire flame is extinguished.

Having your fire extinguisher checked annually by a professional is also important, as this will help you make sure it’s up to date and ready for use in an emergency. Many are rechargeable, but only a certified professional can properly service one. Most extinguishers last from six to 12 years, and if you’re like many folks, you probably have an old one lying around. It’s important to remember they are filled with hazardous material, so make sure you dispose of them properly.

If you have a business and would like to train your employees on how to properly use a fire extinguisher, we can come to your business and offer a demonstration. For just under an hour of your time, you can get a peace of mind that you and your employees are prepared and knowledgeable about how to properly operate a fire extinguisher. Fire safety is key in preventing serious damages and potential injury; by following these tips and having the necessary equipment on hand, you can stay prepared for any emergency. QCBN

By Jon and Jamie Aten

Jon and Jamie Aten are the owners of All West Fire & Security. All West Fire & Security, a family-owned business, has been keeping Arizonans safe in Prescott for nearly 30 years. They’ve designed and installed thousands of fire protection and security systems for industrial, commercial, residential and special hazard clients. They work closely with architects and contractors to ensure your new construction or remodeling project meets all safety code requirements. All West Fire & Security are experts in smart home automation, state-of-the-art fire suppression systems, inspections, sprinklers, fire alarms, fire extinguishers, monitoring, intrusion alarms, security systems and smart home automation.

Understanding the Realities of Land Development, Growth in Prescott

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Often, I hear calls to “stop growth” and “stop building” from both new and long-time Prescott residents.

During my five-plus years of serving the Citizens of Prescott as Planning and Zoning commissioner, councilmember and mayor, one overarching topic has been growth and development in Prescott. After moving here, I became involved in many organizations and, as a result, was quickly plugged into the issues facing our community. Among them: growth, land development and private property rights were front and center, next to water and infrastructure.

Often, I hear calls to “stop growth” and “stop building” from both new and long-time Prescott residents. As much as we would like to keep our fair town exactly as it was when we moved here, the truth is that no elected official or governing body has the power to put a halt to growth and development. We can manage growth, and encourage appropriate development, however, we can never take away legitimate rights of property owners who wish to develop and build on their property. Likewise, property owners must comply with applicable zoning, height restrictions, building codes and the city’s water policy. Through codes, ordinances and ballot initiatives, we can manage and control the pace and appropriateness of growth. We can influence how new development impacts our water supply, our traffic patterns, our public safety services and our infrastructure, but we cannot arbitrarily stop it.

The city has a number of development agreement contracts in place on hundreds of acres of land, mainly in north Prescott. These are developments approved for thousands of residential units, with an expectation that they will be built out over the next several decades, not all at once or immediately. These are mostly single-family homes with multi-family apartments and condos also planned. These projects were approved by City Council over the years by different councils at different times. In each case, a development agreement and water allocation was negotiated, drafted and voted on by the council in place at the time. These agreements are contracts that bind the city to allow the negotiated elements, assuming they are legally conforming homes and meet all of the zoning, building safety requirements of the city code, and that they meet the provisions of our water policy.

What does all of this mean for Prescott? New home construction will continue. We are in a desirable community. Housing costs have increased substantially in just three years, due in part to supply chain, component costs and labor – so much s, that our working class and professional residents such as police officers, teachers and nurses are having a difficult time finding places they can afford. The city has established a Workforce Housing Committee to explore how we can impact affordability. More living units are needed. Prescott has been growing consistently during a 10+ year period. It remains a manageable level of growth, provided that the city works to keep up with appropriate services and public safety infrastructure.

Through all of this, we must work together to maintain the community and culture of Prescott, while welcoming a sustainable pace of growth and providing an affordable place for all of our valued residents to live. QCBN

By Phil Goode

Phil Goode is the mayor of Prescott.

What is a Community Foundation?

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A Community Foundation can be a solution for charitable giving, whether during your lifetime or, more often, after your lifetime.

When people hear the word philanthropist, most think of someone with self-sustaining wealth. Billionaires and millionaires are seen on social media and in the news granting money to non-profit organizations, schools and emergency relief for natural disasters. You do not have to be a billionaire or millionaire to be a philanthropist. Philanthropy is the desire to promote the welfare of others; it is the expression of generosity in great ways and small ways. Every day, our friends and neighbors are making decisions to give back to our community. The best donor is the one that is giving $10 a month to their favorite organization. The reason, organizations know they can count on that donor’s monthly gift to help with their day-to-day operations.

You might know community foundations as grantmakers supporting local causes, but the annual grantmaking is an intended outcome of community foundation work. The work itself is mobilizing enduring philanthropy to strengthen the community. It is, in other words, building an endowment for the perpetual benefit of one’s community, whether that is a town, county, state or country.

Depending on a donor’s goals and interests, several options are available to them through a variety of fund types. A donor can support their favorite charity, create a scholarship for their high school or alma mater, or create a fund that helps many organizations through an annual competitive grant process, to name just a few. The benefit is having a direct say in how either current or future giving will happen.

When you hear the word “endowment,” you might think of the endowments held by universities, churches or hospitals. These are the “forever funds” where supporters direct donations to ensure the work that matters to them can go on past their lifetimes. These are also referred to as legacy gifts.

Endowments are not a simple type of math, such as 1 + 1 = 2. Endowment math is more like 1 + 1 = 3. Wise investing and healthy annual distributions help increase the principal of each endowed fund. This means that the annual distributions go up each year, not by leaps and bounds, but slow steady growth. For a donor, it means their favorite charities receive annual distributions in perpetuity that they can place into their annual operational budgets. It also means leaving a lasting impact on the community.

A Community Foundation can be a solution for charitable giving, whether during your lifetime or, more often, after your lifetime. Endowment funds can be created from various assets such as stock, your home or business, and cryptocurrency, to name a few. It is always recommended that any donor talk with their tax preparer or estate planning attorney, if needed, on which assets are the best option to give. QCBN

By Lisa Sahady

Lisa Sahady is the regional director for the Arizona Community Foundation of Yavapai County. Since 2016, she has helped increase ACF of Yavapai County’s asset base by building relationships with professional advisors, individual donors and non-profit organizations. She received her Certified Gift Planning Professional designation through Crescendo’s Gift College for complex estate planning. She can be reached at lsahady@azfoundation.org.

Food Forest Growing with Volunteers, Sponsors, Programs

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With all the new gardeners and volunteers, we are planning to grow more food than ever before. It is a true blessing,” she said.

The launch of the Prescott Food Forest and Gardeners Of Destiny (GOD) Training Program has been a real success. In fact, the eight-week Winter Greenhouse Gardening Course is sold out and has hosted 30 passionate local residents that want to learn how to grow food.

Located at B Organic Farm, Chino Valley, the program’s first week was on Jan. 21, 2023. While it was literally freezing outside, the greenhouse was a balmy 50 degrees with the help of heaters, provided by my non-profit “Make 100 Healthy Foundation.” This allowed classes to start, regardless of the weather conditions.

The full attendance confirmed that many people want to learn to grow food, to be able to help those less fortunate to receive fresh food, even in the dead of winter. How wonderful! We have attracted many local gardening leaders to join our efforts because of the awareness that was generated from my past articles in QCBN.

Greg Eddolls of www.Foodscape.tips has taken the bull by the horns by volunteering to teach each Saturday. His main business, Tri City Computers, in partnership with Don Gordon’s DLG Recycling, has donated a refurbished 60” Flat Screen Interactive Touch Screen Educational TV and a greenhouse laptop that allows us to use multimedia and videos to reinforce the class subject manner. We are grateful for his generosity in time and resources.

Also, we are so blessed to have seasoned gardeners and passionate people, including Hoss Lambeth and Master Gardeners LeRoy Miller, Joe Rubio, Ann Smeltzer and others who have led the volunteer efforts during the week to allow for a beautiful and productive greenhouse setup. In fact, Hoss has focused on reinforcing the cinderblock raised beds with rebar and drip system redesign. This is hard work that is not for the faint of heart.

LeRoy Miller has brought his lifelong skills as a gardener to lead the ramp-up of the greenhouse to be ready to grow the Food Forest into a lush and productive place for fruits and vegetables to grow in.

Stephane Leon has been brilliant in bringing all the content together to inspire and lead the course for these aspiring gardeners; all of whom have received full scholarships to the eight-week course, thanks to our fundraising efforts and our main sponsors Lamb Cadillac and Pinnacle Bank.

The most exciting aspect of this program is the folks that have attended. We have families, couples and individuals that come each week ready to learn and apply their newfound skills, both at B Organic Farm and in their homes. Each student has committed to giving a minimum of 10 hours of volunteer time at B Organic Farm in return for the scholarship they received.

Ginny Buonaquista, the owner of B Organic Farm, is grateful for the help. “I have pretty much been on my own since COVID hit and it has limited our ability to provide free food to those in need. With all the new gardeners and volunteers, we are planning to grow more food than ever before. It is a true blessing,” she said.

How can you get involved? First, we are always seeking volunteers to help tend to the garden. If you have three or four hours a week to give, we have plenty of work for you to do. We have a volunteer scheduler on our site: prescottfoodforest.com or call us directly at 928-899-1341 for more Information.

What’s next? We are in the process of offering a Spring Garden Growing course, starting in April, and we are working on a summer boot camp program for children and families alike to teach them the skills to be able to grow healthy and nutrient dense fruits and vegetables.

This effort has been a testament to the tenacity and commitment of many local people to give our community the skills and insights on why growing food is so important. Thank you to all who have been a part of this incredible journey, which is just starting to scratch the surface of our full potential. I am humbled by the outpouring of support and encouragement.

Let’s keep growing! QCBN

By John Murphy

John Murphy, Make 100 Healthy/ Realtor.

Using VR in Tinnitus Management

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Recently, researchers have looked to fractal tones for use in sound therapy.

The second most frequent request I receive from patients, after improved hearing, is to make their tinnitus go away. While tinnitus is not dangerous, it can certainly diminish sufferers’ quality of life. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for tinnitus. Instead, the focus is on mitigating the impact on daily life. Studies show that amplification, sound therapy, dietary modifications and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are all effective forms of tinnitus management. But are there any new tools to add to the arsenal? Perhaps! Researchers are beginning to explore the use of virtual reality (VR) in helping tinnitus patients, and the initial results are promising.

Sound Therapy

Sound therapy refers to the practice of having tinnitus patients listen to relaxing sounds to lessen the perceived annoyance caused by the tinnitus. Common stimuli can include white noise and nature sounds, such as waves. They are often presented through hearing aids. The stimulus sound masks the tinnitus; the brain focuses on the stimuli, rather than the bothersome tinnitus. It’s similar to putting on your headphones while trying to complete an assignment so you are not distracted by the noises around you. Sound therapy also promotes relaxation, which has been shown to reduce the perceived loudness of tinnitus.

Recently, researchers have looked to fractal tones for use in sound therapy. Fractal tones sound like wind chimes or singing bowls, which most people find inherently relaxing. However, their real benefit is their unpredictability. Because they do not follow a predictable pattern, the listener listens more passively, which promotes a more relaxed emotional state. Studies have shown that fractal tones can be as or more effective than other types of sound.

Virtual Reality

When hearing the words virtual reality, most people likely imagine video games or online communities. However, studies have shown it to be useful in the medical field as well. It can be used to help manage acute and chronic pain. It can also help with mental health conditions such as anxiety. Scientists believe the therapeutic benefit stems from VR’s effect on our limbic system, which helps to control emotional states and reactions. Since the limbic system is believed to be involved in our perception of tinnitus, VR offers an intriguing pathway to relief. Indeed, one study showed VR to be as effective as CBT in addressing tinnitus.

Happy Marriage

So, sound therapy and virtual reality have both proven themselves viable options for managing tinnitus. But what happens if the two are combined? Is the benefit even greater? Fortunately, we have an answer. A. K. Deshpande, et al. (2022) performed an experiment to explore this exact hypothesis.

The authors gathered 20 adult participants with tinnitus in one or both ears. They excluded those with head, neck or spinal injuries, or those who already had a tinnitus masker active in their hearing aids. They then had the participants undergo two treatment paradigms. One involved a session using a commercially available sound therapy in isolation. The second involved those same participants undergoing the sound therapy in conjunction with VR. The VR involved wearing goggles which presented different nature scenes. Each session was performed one week apart, with the order of the sessions (VR first or second) being randomized.

After each session, the effects of the therapies were determined using three self-assessments. However, for our purposes, we will focus on two: tinnitus loudness and Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI). Tinnitus loudness is the perceived intensity of the tinnitus. The TFI measures the perceived negative impact of the tinnitus on the person’s daily life. Both paradigms (sound therapy only and sound therapy with VR) were shown to help lower both the tinnitus loudness and TFI scores. However, there was a statistically significant difference between the two, which favored the inclusion of VR. In other words, the authors showed that combining the two therapies did make them more effective.

These results are obviously quite exciting. Audiologists have a possible new tool in the fight against tinnitus! However, anticipation must be tempered. As the authors discuss, their experiment did not study the long-term effects and efficacy of their treatment. Also, the setup was entirely experimental and designed solely for the study. There is no commercially available, self-contained device that you can buy to replicate this specific treatment. But such significant results in early experiments are encouraging. Contact your local audiologist to discuss currently available treatments and keep an eye on the horizon. QCBN

By Jeff Lane, Au.D.

Trinity Hearing Center is located at 1330 N. Rim Dr., Suite B in Flagstaff. For more information, visit the website at TrinityHearing.net. Dr. Jeff Lane is a doctor of audiology with a passion for improving the lives of others. Dr. Lane may be reached at 928-522-0500 or at audio@trinityhearing.net.

A Caring Heart: Dr. Soundos Moualla is YRMC’s Physician of the Year

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Moualla’s relentless commitment encompasses the compassion she generously shares with patients and their families.

Soundos Moualla, M.D., FACC, FSCAI – Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center’s 2022 Physician of the Year – describes the passion and drive she pours into her work as “relentless commitment.”

“My parents and grandmother guided me to always do my best and to treat every patient as family,” said Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Moualla of the James Family Heart Center at Dignity Health YRMC.

Moualla’s resolve to care for patients with heart disease began as a child. She recalls putting her ear on her father’s chest and listening to the whooshing sound of his heart murmur. Eventually, her father underwent open heart surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. And years later, after earning a medical degree from the National University of Ireland in Dublin, Moualla returned to Mayo Clinic in Minnesota to pursue an internal medicine residency and an interventional cardiology fellowship. Moualla also completed her fellowship in cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic.

Joining the James Family Heart Center
Moualla joined YRMC’s James Family Heart Center in 2017 to oversee the Structural Heart Program, which had started the previous year. Among her first major initiatives was the expansion of  the Heart Center’s successful Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) Program. Moualla also helped implement processes to identify patients with valvular heart disease early and expedite the delivery of state-of-the-art treatment by the heart team. All of this, she notes, was accomplished with the collaboration of the cardiothoracic surgical team, other cardiologists, primary care physicians and inpatient hospitalists.

Moualla also worked with physician colleagues and clinical team members to create a comprehensive Structural Heart Program. In a short time, the team introduced an array of advanced interventional heart and stroke-prevention procedures – transcatheter mitral valve replacement and repair, paravalvular leak closure, left atrial appendage closure and more.

“We now have a full-blown, comprehensive Structural Heart Program,” Moualla said. “That would not be possible without teamwork. Physicians, advanced practitioners, nursing and clinical staff, administrative staff and every member of the Structural Heart team contributed to building the program. This award is truly a recognition of their work and the James Family Heart Center team.”

Passionate About Patient Care
Moualla’s relentless commitment encompasses the compassion she generously shares with patients and their families.

“Structural heart disease is a disease of the elderly,” she said. “In a community with a significant number of retirees, structural heart services are fundamental. Serving these patients and providing good patient outcomes is the most rewarding aspect of my work.”

This is underscored by the many YRMC team members who nominated Moualla for Physician of the Year. According to one colleague, “Dr. Moualla treats her patients and their loved ones as though they are her own family. She spends extended time with her patients and gets to know each of them as people, not just as a diagnosis.”

Moualla also volunteers her time and expertise, providing medical care to homeless patients and refugees. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, cooking and traveling.

YRMC’s Physician of the Year is selected annually by YRMC employees and medical staff. QCBN

By Bridget O’Gara 

Bridget O’Gara is a writer, communications strategist and project manager who specializes in health care. Bridget has spent her career writing about healthcare topics. She works with mission-driven healthcare organizations, including hospitals, other healthcare providers and advocacy organizations.