An exemplary method of initializing a sound processor includes detecting a condition prompting an initialization of a sound processor for a cochlear implant patient, verifying, in response to the detecting, an integrity of program data stored by the sound processor, and performing, in response to the verifying, a quick initialization of the sound processor by selectively rewriting header information stored by the sound processor to associate the sound processor with the patient without rewriting the program data stored by the sound processor. Corresponding methods and systems are also described.