Hartsville welcomes new Audiologist
Dr. Rachel Worley (left) and Dr. Aubreigh Cupp (right) pose for a picture during the recent welcome reception. PHOTO BY STEPHAN DREW
By Stephan Drew, Editor
The Greater Hartsville Chamber of Commerce and Empire Audiology hosted a reception at The Rustic Room on Tuesday, July 14, to formally welcome Dr. Aubreigh Cupp to the Empire Audiology staff — and to the Hartsville community she and her husband now call home.
Dr. Cupp and her husband, originally from Virginia, made the move to Hartsville in June and are settling in ahead of an exciting milestone: the couple is expecting their first child this fall.
Dr. Cupp’s academic path took her to James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where she completed both her undergraduate and graduate studies. She rounded out her clinical training with an externship year at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, gaining hands-on experience before making the move to the Pee Dee region.
Her connection to audiology is deeply personal. Dr. Cupp discovered her own hearing loss at age 15 — an experience that has shaped both her empathy for patients and her particular passion for working with children.
At the reception, Dr. Rachel Worley, Chief Audiologist and owner/founder of Empire Audiology, welcomed guests and offered heartfelt thanks to Dr. Cupp for her enthusiasm, dedication, and decision to bring her talents to Hartsville.
Dr. Worley launched Empire Audiology in 2020 with a clear mission: to bring comprehensive hearing healthcare to the rural Hartsville community, sparing local residents — including veterans — the long drives once required to access quality audiology services.
For Dr. Worley, the work is far from just professional. “My connection with audiology is personal; I have had hearing loss since childhood,” she shared. “My passion is to see better hearing lead to better quality of life for those with hearing loss!
Success with amplification is best achieved with early intervention for both children and adults. We are the professionals who get to educate our communities and make the gift of hearing and communicating a long-lasting reality!”
Her journey into the field began unexpectedly at just 18 years old, when a hearing aid dispenser mentored her, taught her the fundamentals of hearing aid fitting, and helped fit her with her own first set of devices — all while she pursued her Bachelor of Science degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences. After graduation, she explored other paths for a time, but a return visit to a sound booth reaffirmed her calling. Recognizing the need to deepen her expertise, she enrolled in the graduate audiology program at the University of Arizona.
Ten years, five years of dispensing experience, and eight years of formal education later, Dr. Worley emerged as a doctor of audiology, ready to build the kind of practice she had once needed herself. “I have wonderful relationships with patients and their families and love seeing the positive impact of clear sound and better hearing with every satisfied smile on the faces in my office,” she said.
Empire Audiology is a private practice audiology clinic located at 2364 W. Old Camden Rd. in Hartsville, in the former Rescue Squad Building. The clinic serves patients of all ages and offers:
• Best-practice, high-end hearing technology
• Veteran services
• Infant and newborn hearing testing
• Accessible hearing aid options
• Tinnitus support
• Aural rehabilitation
Families are welcome to make use of the clinic’s dedicated children’s playroom while loved ones are seen by the doctor, making visits easier for parents and grandparents alike.
Hours:
Monday–Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday by phone only.
Phone: 843-703-5083
Email: empireaud@gmail.com
With Dr. Cupp now on board, Empire Audiology continues its mission of bringing skilled, compassionate hearing healthcare closer to home for Hartsville and its surrounding communities.