South Lake Tahoe welcomes new audiologist to town

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Catch yourself saying "what?" or "huh?" often, or getting up to turn the television volume higher? Dr. Jenelle Sandy, Au.D., CCC-A just might be the answer to your hearing issues. She has just opened a private practice in South Lake Tahoe which is dedicated to audiology services for newborns, pediatrics, and adults.

As her website states, "From hearing safety to hearing technology, we’re 'hear' to serve all of Tahoe’s hearing needs."

Dr. Sandy and her husband moved to the South shore with their two children, ages 4 and 6, because of their passion for the outdoors and skiing. The family had set out on a five-year plan to relocate to South Lake Tahoe, it took ten years, but they are here and loving it.

The doctor works with all ages and has spent years specializing in pediatric patients. One is never too young, or too old to have their hearing checked and improved. Dr. Sandy opened the practice on Sept. 22 and her first patient scheduled for the day was an Incline Village resident over 100 years old.

Signs of hearing issues in kids can be a delay in their speech or a history of ear infections and fluid blocks. For adults, background noise problems, a sense that others are mumbling, always turning up the volume, experiencing fatigue, and tinnitus, ringing in the ears, are all signs there could be a hearing issue. Dr. Sandy said the brain is a muscle, and it needs to be used, and working on hearing helps work the brain.

Lake Tahoe Unified School District has no audiologist on staff and uses a mobile service to test students, otherwise many would not get their hearing checked. She can be a resource for parents who have been told to have their child's hearing checked, and it is recommended one has their hearing checked every three years.

Dr. Sandy said things are changing, and the stigma of wearing hearing aids is changing. They can now be tiny and hard to see, they are hooked up to Bluetooth and the television, like a little computer connected to the ears.

With many currently having to travel to Sacramento, Reno, or further to have their hearing addressed, the South Lake Tahoe office allows them to not spend the days on the road to visit an audiologist.

The practice also offers hearing protection, for those who work around loud noises like pilots and machine operators, and facing some hearing loss, as well as those who've been hurt by noise in motocross, snowmobiling or rock music.

The practice moved into the office space adjacent to Borjes Chiropractic on Lake Tahoe Blvd. and is called Tahoe Family Hearing. The office takes private insurance and Medi-Cal and they are working with Medicare.

Dr. Sandy also speaks Spanish, and, she can make house calls! Some of her equipment is portable, allowing her to go into the home.

She isn't doing surgeries in South Lake Tahoe but can provide follow-up support. She's had years of experience and all of the big city equipment. Dr. Sandy is coming from a large audiology practice in Chicago.

Giving back to the community is huge to her and she is excited in looking for volunteer opportunities outside of the office, and she said she would love to be part of health fairs. Dr. Sandy said she can also supervise students of audiology and they can do rotations while in medical school

She does pediatric testing - by law in 45 states that newborns be tested, including Nevada and California. Newborns need to be screened for hearing loss no later than one month of age and before leaving the hospital after birth.

Her husband Robert Sandy runs the front office. He was a business developer and their running a medical office together was part of the plan.

Appointments can be scheduled directly on her website, www.tahoefamilyhearing.com, or by phone (530) 318-5922 or email info@tahoehearing.com.

Anyone with questions about their hearing is welcome to contact Dr. Sandy.