Casey Combs is a diagnostic clinical audiologist and cochlear implant audiologist with a focus on hearing aids and cochlear implants for adults.
She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Kansas with honors in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, and went on to receive her Doctorate of Audiology degree from the University of Kansas Medical Center in May 2017. She earned her Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is a member of the Kansas Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
As a graduate student at KU Med, she liked the problem-solving aspect of diagnosing hearing and balance disorders and the collaboration between the audiologists and ENT physicians.
Dr. Combs is fluent in American Sign Language and has a passion for helping people improve their quality of life. She likes developing long-lasting relationships with her patients and their families. “I enjoy seeing my patients light up when they can hear better and communicate with their loved ones easier,” said Dr. Combs. “I also enjoy seeing my cochlear implant patients gain speech understanding after so many years of struggling to hear and understand speech with their profound hearing loss. It makes my job so gratifying!”
As someone with profound hearing loss who wears cochlear implants herself, Dr. Combs loves being able to use her personal, educational and clinical experience to help patients who are considering or currently wearing cochlear implants. Her goal is to continue to improve Mid-Kansas ENT’s cochlear program, expand it and potentially add more options for cochlear implant patients.
“The biggest hurdle for patients is navigating the hearing aid landscape,” said Dr. Combs. “There are so many options to choose from, and the choices will not be the same for everyone. I always encourage my patients to not think about the hearing aid devices alone, but rather the knowledge and expertise their hearing care provider has in treating hearing loss. At the end of the day, how well the patient performs with their hearing aids (or cochlear implants) depends on the knowledge and expertise of their hearing care professional.”
Dr. Combs was born and raised in Derby, Kan. She likes spending time outdoors with her husband, two children and dog. She also enjoys reading, cooking and watching the Kansas City Chiefs and Jayhawks play.
“My goal is to provide my patients with access to sound, allowing them to enjoy their lives fully with their loved ones without the constraints that come with untreated hearing loss.”
– Dr. Casey Combs