Hearing Improvement Center - West Hartford
Clinic staff


Alan Dumaine
Alan Dumaine earned his master's degree in audiology from the University of Connecticut and then served his Clinical Fellowship Year at the San Francisco Hearing and Speech Center. In 1984 he opened his own practice, the Wethersfield Hearing Center and then merged his practice with the Hearing Improvement Center of West Hartford in 1997.


Caren Barone
Caren Barone attended Southern Connecticut State University, earning her Bachelor’s degree in Communications Disorders in 2003 and her Master's degree in Audiology in 2005. After completing her Clinical Fellowship Year at Park Avenue Acoustics in Manhattan in 2006, she served as a staff audiologist at the Newington, West Haven and Northampton VA Medical Centers from 2006 to 2012. During that time Caren also earned her clinical Doctorate in Audiology from the University of Florida in 2008. She is certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Caren joined the Hearing Improvement Center in 2012.
Clinic reviews
Read 35 verified patient reviews for Hearing Improvement Center - West Hartford! Their average review score is 4.94 () from 35 reviews.
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“I liked Caren the best. ”
07/11/2019 Review received via mail
“Quick turn around. ”
04/29/2019 Review received via mail
“Mrs. Barone was very friendly, professional and aware of my hearing difficulties. She explained the hearing tests thoroughly and made sure I was comfortable and understood everything she was doing. It was a very positive experience and I'm so glad she was recommended to me. ”
03/13/2019 Review received via mail
“Dr. Barone (West Hartford, CT office) spent a good amount of time adjusting hearing aids. Dr. was patient, well informed. No waiting time at appointment, efficient making appointments. ”
12/26/2018 Review received via mail
“Exceptional service and a great product. ”
12/20/2018 Review received via mail
“My son Dan and I have had several appointments with Hearing Improvement Center and all have been very positive. Staff (Susan) and audiologist (Caren) are very caring and competent, making each and every visit a pleasure! Thank you! ”
11/15/2018 Review received via mail
“The warm friendly service is great and the product line is wonderful. I'm happy as a customer. Thank you. ”
10/26/2018 Review received via mail
“I liked everything, the caring personnel, ambiance and the level of expertise I experienced - like no other! ”
07/06/2018 Review received via mail
“Dr. Barone has an excellent approach to patients, is knowledgeable, personable and effective. She runs her office on time and is consistently professional. ”
06/20/2018 Review received via mail
“Caren responded quickly and so pleasantly to my mother. She was very patient. We wouldn't think of going anywhere else. Thanks.”
02/02/2018 Review received via mail
“Very professional, attentive attention to my needs and very good instructions. ”
11/02/2017 Review received via mail
“Excellent at explaining the problem, helping to find the solution and professionalism with a personable, caring expertise. Kind consideration. ”
06/26/2017 Review received via mail
“I liked the professional attention and advice. Service is excellent. ”
05/10/2017 Review received via mail
“Approach is totally comfortable. Listening to my needs and handled wonderfully. Excellent!!”
03/09/2017 Review received via mail
“They leave me in good spirits. ”
03/03/2017 Review received via mail
“The service that Katy and Caron provide; they work with you, they listen to you, they have a great depth of knowledge and understanding. They are great. ”
02/16/2017 Review received via mail
“The four things I liked were they were personal and professional, conveniently located, the off-street free parking and the healthy plants in the waiting room!!”
06/01/2016 Review received via mail
“I just got my two newest hearing aids about two weeks ago; Oticon Ria 2 Pro PP. This hearing aid is the best thing to happen to me! I can finally hear with better sound quality. It amazes me what today's technology has done! Purely grateful, thank you! ”
05/04/2016 Review received via mail
“The new hearing aids changed my life — I can hear. The old ones lived their life and the new ones changed mine. Dr. Barou was a help and solved my problems. She was great and most knowledgeable. ”
12/14/2015 Review received via mail
“I like their professional care; understanding, caring attitude; willingness to give continued care and assistance without further cost beyond initial cost of hearing aids. ”
11/11/2015 Review received via mail
“I appreciate their careful attention to detail. ”
10/27/2015 Review received via mail
“The excellent service I received from Caren Barone was both helpful and welcoming. ”
07/30/2015 Review received via mail
“He explained everything. He was very careful with my mother, older woman, 90 years old. He was patient with her, gentle, and explained everything. He was very good.”
03/24/2015 Review verified by phone
“Responsive service. Friendly office. Sympathetic and caring receptionist, Kathy.”
10/27/2014 Review received via mail
“Adjusting to hearing aids can be a tramatic event for first-time users. Karen at North Main St in West Hartford Connecticut patiently and kindly guided me through the whole operation - the experience was excellent. We highly recommend this facility.”
07/09/2014 Review received via mail
“I was able to hear sounds that I haven't heard for a long time. Working with audiologist Caren Bavone was a pleasure. ”
06/18/2014 Review received via mail
“I get very careful, cheerful service at the Hearing Improvement Center. The service is prompt and I feel that the providers really care about my hearing. ”
05/29/2014 Review received via mail
“Karen Barone at HIS is efficient, timely & professional - no waiting. She seems to have a high level of expertise, which inspires confidence. If I were to quibble, I would suggest she make it a point to be generous w/ batteries (e.g. put in a new one of her own)”
05/13/2014 Review received via mail
“How do you thank someone for treating you like a family member when you are with them? I have been coming to hearing improvement center for almost twenty years and always feel very comfortable. I know they want me to have a good quality of life and being able to hear is very important. I recently went to HIC because I thought my hearing was getting worse. Caren did a thorough exam and hearing test and explained my options for a new hearing aid. She answered all my questions and I never felt rushed or pushed into buying anything. However, my husband and I decided to upgrade one of my hearing aids so that it could "work" with my other aid and we are both pleased we did. Caren made sure I understood how to work with the aids, how to adjust the programs and how to set it up to work with my telephone. It has changed my life.”
05/01/2014 Review received via mail
“Good place to go! I had an excellent experience at the Hearing Improvement Center. The audiologist is knowledgeable, helpful, understanding, knows the product and wants the patient to be happy with the product. She goes above & beyond!”
04/14/2014 Review received via mail
“What I like best is that my doctor gave me Oticon for my hearing. It made a huge change in my life. I can hear my friends, my fiance & my parents along with a huge family. I enjoy what people have to say and I'm happy to hear it better! I can also hear my bosses at work better!”
02/14/2014 Review received via mail
“I like the friendly, professional service of all the staff!!”
09/24/2013 Review received via mail
“Very nice, Very professional.”
05/31/2013 Review verified by phone
“She was a very nice person.”
08/28/2012 Review verified by phone
“They were very pleasant.”
03/15/2012 Review verified by phone
Clinic details
About this hearing center
At Hearing Improvement Center our goal is to provide you the best possible hearing help, based upon your individual needs. We know that choosing a hearing professional is one of the most important decisions a hearing impaired person can make. We want to make sure that we are giving our patients the right recommendation for all their hearing needs. Our goal is to help you protect your hearing from further deterioration through education about what affects your hearing, as well as the proper use and care of hearing protection devices.
We have 2 locations to serve you:
28 North Main Street West Hartford, Connecticut, 06107
919 Silas Deane Hwy Wethersfield, Connecticut, 06109
Hearing care services
We provide a comprehensive array of services related to evaluation, rehabilitation and prevention of hearing impairment. Our services include comprehensive hearing evaluations, specialized diagnostic testing, and industrial hearing screenings.
Hours of operation
Sunday | Closed |
Monday | 8:00 am - 4:00 pm |
Tuesday | 8:00 am - 4:00 pm |
Wednesday | 8:00 am - 4:00 pm |
Thursday | 8:00 am - 4:00 pm |
Friday | 8:00 am - 4:00 pm |
Saturday | Closed |
Clinic links
Accepted forms of payment
- Visa
- MasterCard
- American Express
- Discover
- Cash
- Check
- Debit
- Insurance accepted, please call for details