ORL Associates, an ear, nose and throat medical practice in Palmerton, has remodeled and more than doubled its office space at 217 Franklin Ave.

The office relocated to the other end of the 20,000-square-foot medical facilities building and now occupies 5,000 square feet, said Dr. Andrew Wakstein, one of the two doctors in the practice."We have more room to work with patients," said audiologist Kim Babbish. They also "needed more space for hearing aids and supplies." She said the practice has been growing over the 10 years that she has been with them."Hearing loss is growing due to an aging population," Babbish said. "We see everything from very typical hearing loss that can be cared for with hearing aids to more serious hearing loss."In addition to Wakstein and Babbish, ORL Associates also includes Dr. Eric Holender, John Blundetto, a physician assistant; two audiologists and office staff. Both doctors are board certified in ear, nose and throat, as well as facial plastic surgery. The practice has been located in Palmerton for 20 years and has a second office at 3050 Hamilton Blvd., Allentown."We treat our patients the way we want our families treated," Wakstein said."We don't leave the office without making sure that every call has been responded to before we leave the office," Holender said. "I think that goes a long way."ORL's new Palmerton office is designed with an eye to modern-style with clean lines and a gray palette."We're trying to match the office with our graying hair," joked Holender.The waiting area has two large pictures that look like slices of a gray agate geode slab. The pictures are reminiscent of pop art mixed with geological flair. The gray tones of the walls and furniture are warmed with the tan hues of hardwood flooring.Wakstein said he and Holender designed the layout of the office and Holender's wife did the interior designing."We appreciate all of her help," Wakstein said.Just beyond the entrance door to the examining rooms hang three whimsical pictures that reflect the levity of the staff and help to clarify the scientific name of their medical specialty - otorhinolaryngology.Wakstein's wife, Peg, said people often have a hard time saying otorhinolaryngology, so she came up with the pictures to help explain it.Oto refers to ear, she said, so she found a picture of an elephant with emphasis on its ear. Rhino refers to the nose, so the picture of the rhinoceros emphasizes its nose and accompanying horn. And laryngology refers to throat. What animal has a really long neck? Yes, the giraffe, which takes its place as the third picture. Even the name of the practice, ORL, is a "tongue-in-cheek" reference to the type of medicine they practice.Many of the patients who come in like the pictures, Dr. Wakstein said. Especially the kids, said Peg Wakstein.Other parts of the medical office building are getting remodeled, too. Palmerton Pediatrics, at the other end of the building, is also expanding. NAI Summit, a commercial realty company, said two multiyear leases have been signed for the building. One office is St. Luke's Physician Group Inc., which will occupy 2,000 square feet of the building. The other is Blue Mountain Psychiatry LLC, which provides addiction psychiatry and telepsychiatry.For more information about ORL Associates, go to

www.orlassociates.com or call the Palmerton office at 610-824-5050 or the Allentown office at 610-395-8224.