Support for Ukraine: Making the World a Better Place

Everyone has the ability to give back and make the world a better place. As a business leader, Dr. Peter Marincovich of Audiology Associates, knows how important this is. Recently, his practice was able to support those with hearing difficulties in Ukraine. We had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Marincovich and learn more about what his practice has been doing, as well as his philosophy on giving back.

“As a business leader, it’s part of my responsibility to help, whether it’s across the street or across the world.” – Dr. Peter Marincovich, Owner and Director of Audiology Services at Audiology Associates

Q&A with Dr. Peter Marincovich

Tell me about how your practice has been contributing to support those with hearing difficulties in the Ukraine.

I was approached by someone, Andre, in Santa Rosa who is from Ukraine. Andre’s brother is in Warsaw contributing to a relief program that helps refugees. He learned that medical teams are having trouble getting supplies, including otoscopes. This is a problem because troops are coming in with hearing difficulties, and they don’t have adequate supplies to examine them. Andre knew of my practice and reached out to see if we could offer any help. I had to make some calls and now we are sending over 25 otoscopes.

Why is hearing healthcare so vital for those in the Ukraine right now?

Anything healthcare-related is important. These troops have noise-concussive events. It is vital to find the source of the hearing loss, whether it is noise-related or due to debris. Obviously hearing is one of the most important factors of being a troop. It is critical that you are able to hear other members of your team.

Why do you believe it’s important for a business to get involved and help people in need?

Everyone just needs to do a little bit to make a big difference. If everyone in the world agreed to do a couple of things, the power of that is magnified, as opposed to a few people trying to do a lot. It doesn’t take much. All I’m getting is 25 otoscopes and that amount is important. As a business leader, it’s part of my responsibility to help, whether it’s across the street or across the world.

What have you learned personally from this experience?

Every day, I just spent about five minutes making a call to arrange this. And every day those five minutes were the best part of my day. It makes you feel good that you can help.

What advice do you have for others who want to get involved, but aren’t sure where to start?

The city you’re in may have sister cities. Check with your chamber of commerce. See if there are individuals in your area who know of organizations that need help. That is a good place to start.