About Ascent Hearing Centers
Personalized Hearing Care Close to Home
At Ascent Hearing Centers, we believe better hearing starts with listening. Every patient has different hearing needs, communication challenges, lifestyles, and goals, so our care is never one-size-fits-all.
Our team provides hearing evaluations, hearing aid consultations and fittings, hearing aid repairs, second opinions, insurance benefit checks, and ongoing follow-up care. Whether you are having your hearing checked for the first time or already wear hearing aids, our goal is to help you understand your options and feel confident about your care.
With eight convenient locations across Northern Indiana and Southwest Michigan, Ascent Hearing Centers combines local, personalized service with access to today’s advanced hearing technology.
Hearing Care Built Around You
We take the time to understand where you are having difficulty, what matters most in your daily life, and what you want to improve. From your first evaluation through fitting, adjustments, and long-term support, our team is here to provide clear answers and practical solutions tailored to you.
We also welcome patients who received their hearing aids elsewhere. If you need a second opinion, adjustments, repairs, or want to transfer your care, our team is happy to help.
Meet the Ascent Hearing Centers Team
Trent Harris
Owner
Hearing Aid Specialist & Audioprosthologist
Owner Trent Harris is a dedicated hearing specialist who brings years of experience in hearing health care. He is committed to helping those with hearing loss discover what they have been missing and reconnect with the world around them.
Trent works with his patients to provide them with the most advanced hearing technologies and a solution that will fit their unique lifestyle.
Ascent Hearing Center is a family-owned and operated hearing health office right here in your neighborhood!
Josh Elzinga, Au.D.
Doctor of Audiology
Dr. Josh Elzinga
Josh specializes in maximizing speech clarity and performance of prescriptive hearing devices. By combining his patients’ distinctive lifestyle and hearing needs with their real-world listening challenges Josh is able to deliver personalized results for each patient.
Josh received his bachelor’s degree in Audio arts and acoustics from Columbia College Chicago and his doctorate in Audiology from Indiana University Bloomington.
Sara Rothchild, Au.D.
Doctor of Audiology
Dr. Sara Rothchild is a dedicated audiologist known for her personalized patient care. Focusing on understanding each patient’s unique lifestyle, listening environments, and specific hearing needs allows her to deliver customized solutions. Combining her clinical expertise with compassionate care, she tailors hearing treatment plans that maximize clarity and comfort. Dr. Rothchild’s patient-centered approach ensures that every individual receives comprehensive, practical solutions to enhance their quality of life and overall hearing experience.
Dr. Sara received her bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Colorado Boulder and her Doctorate in Audiology from the University of Florida.
Julie Pabst, CCC-A
Audiologist
Julie Pabst
Julie Pabst is a dedicated audiologist known for her personalized patient care. Focusing on understanding each patient’s unique lifestyle, listening environments, and specific hearing needs allows her to deliver customized solutions. Combining her clinical expertise with compassionate care, she tailors hearing treatment plans that maximize clarity and comfort. Julie’s patient-centered approach ensures that every individual receives comprehensive, practical solutions to enhance their quality of life and overall hearing experience.
Julie Pabst received her Bachelor of Arts from Purdue University and her Master of Arts in Audiology form Michigan State University in 1987. She is licensed in Michigan and Indiana and holds a Certificate of Clinical Competency from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Kassie Poplawski, HIS
Hearing Aid Specialist
Kassie works closely with her patients to provide the best possible care and treatment available. She has a true passion for helping patients hear and communicate better. Kassie has been helping patients hear better at Ascent Hearing Centers since 2020.
Her greatest joy is seeing her patients reconnect with friends and loved ones after receiving hearing treatment.
Mike Ponce, HIS
Hearing Instrument Specialist
Mike Ponce
As a licensed Hearing Instrument Specialist, Mike Ponce helps patients rediscover the sounds that make life meaningful. His expertise covers every step of the process — comprehensive hearing assessments, precise fitting and fine-tuning of advanced hearing aids, and long-term support to keep patients hearing their best.
Mike believes hearing care is as much about connection as it is about technology. He takes the time to understand each patient’s listening goals, ensuring every solution supports clearer communication at work, home, and in social settings. Known for his approachable manner and technical precision, Mike builds lasting trust through personalized care and patient education.
He continues to stay current with the latest hearing-aid technology, Bluetooth connectivity, and adaptive noise-reduction systems so his patients benefit from the most effective tools available. Mike’s mission is simple: to restore confidence in hearing — and help people fully engage in the conversations and moments that matter most.
Amy Eriks, HIS
Hearing Instrument Specialist
Amy Eriks is a Licensed Hearing Instrument Specialist dedicated to helping patients hear better and live more fully. She provides comprehensive, patient-centered hearing care including diagnostic testing, hearing aid selection, fittings, programming, and ongoing follow-up support.
With a strong background in clinical care and years of experience in business and sales leadership, Amy brings both technical expertise and a personalized approach to every patient interaction. She takes the time to understand each individual’s lifestyle and communication needs to ensure the best possible hearing solution.
Amy is passionate about building lasting relationships and guiding patients through every step of their hearing journey with clarity, compassion, and confidence.
Randy Mikutis, HIS
Hearing Instrument Specialist
Randy Mikutis is a Hearing Instrument Specialist dedicated to helping patients improve their hearing and stay connected to the people and moments that matter most. He takes a personalized approach to hearing care, listening carefully to each patient’s concerns, lifestyle and communication needs.
Randy works with patients to select, fit and adjust hearing aids for greater clarity, comfort and confidence in everyday listening situations. His approachable manner and commitment to ongoing support help patients feel informed and comfortable throughout their hearing journey.
Scott Whiteford, HIS
Hearing Instrument Specialist
Scott Whiteford
As a Hearing Instrument Specialist at Acoustic Audio Hearing Centers, Scott Whiteford is dedicated to providing personalized hearing care solutions tailored to each individual's lifestyle.
With a commitment to exceptional service, Scott collaborates closely with patients to address their unique hearing needs, ensuring they receive the most advanced hearing technologies available. His expertise and compassionate approach have made him a trusted professional in the community, helping individuals reconnect with the world around them through improved hearing.
Insurance Policy
We work with many major insurance plans.
We offer a COMPLIMENTARY insurance benefits check.
We will help verify your benefits in advance to minimize your out-of-pocket costs.
We will also help you get the help you understand and make the most of the benefits available through your plan.
If you're a new patient, we recommend downloading, completing and printing our New Patient Form. Bringing that with you will help reduce time spent doing so at your appointment.