Medical Care Review: Specials Magazine

Gone are the days when Tahoe residents had to leave their mountain town for specialized hearing care. Tahoe Family Hearing Clinic is bringing world-class audiology services within reach, helping the local community eliminate the need for long-distance travel. From hearing aids and medically implanted devices to highly specialized pediatric audiology, the clinic ensures expert hearing care is accessible, serving a long-overlooked need in the region. At the clinic, hearing care goes beyond standard tests. Rather than assessing hearing ability in the artificial quiet of a sound booth, Dr. Jenelle Sandy, founder, focuses on how patients process speech in real-world situations. Background noise, conversations in a busy cafe or the hum of everyday life can make a significant difference in how someone experiences sound. By tailoring assessments to these challenges, the clinic ensures each patient receives solutions fine-tuned to their specific needs. Offering solutions from all major hearing aid manufacturers and implant devices, the clinic prioritizes personalized interventions that help patients reconnect with the world around them. One such case involved a middle school student who had received cochlear implants as an infant but was struggling with word comprehension. When tested in the sound booth, his speech understanding was alarmingly low despite his devices functioning properly. But rather than relying on standard adjustments, Dr. Sandy took a collaborative approach. Working closely with the student’s cochlear implant manufacturers, she thoroughly reviewed his case, fine-tuned his device settings and guided him through a series of followup appointments. Over time, his speech clarity and sensitivity to sound improved considerably. “We rely on our ears every day, yet we rarely prioritize their care like we do for our eyes or teeth,” says Dr. Sandy. “That’s why our clinic offers personalized solutions that fit each patient’s lifestyle, ensuring they don’t just hear better—they live better.” The clinic provides solutions beyond traditional hearing aids and implants, catering to a range of lifestyles. Whether it’s hunters and motorsports enthusiasts who need earplugs that block harmful noise while maintaining environmental awareness, musicians who rely on highfidelity plugs to protect their hearing without distorting sound, swimmers who need custom water-resistant plugs or light sleepers searching for comfort and quiet— each solution is designed to fit seamlessly into everyday life while preserving longterm hearing health. The clinic’s comprehensive approach begins with the first phone call from the patient for the appointment. The front office manager carefully gathers patient history and insurance details to prevent surprises. Upon arrival, patients are personally greeted by the team, who guide them through a thoughtful process—a conversation about hearing concerns and medical history, a thorough ear examination and age-appropriate diagnostic tests. Together, the patient and provider review results and develop personalized solutions, ensuring support at every step, from consultation through ongoing care.

Away from the noise of big hospitals, a quiet awakening is taking root near Buffalo—where women navigating menopause, hormonal imbalances, and agerelated challenges are finally being heard, healed, and empowered. At the forefront is Chellino Health, led by Tracy L. Chellino, MSN, ANP-BC, a board-certified Nurse Practitioner and nationally recognized expert in Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT). Founded on the belief that women deserve personalized, rootcause solutions—not symptommasking prescriptions—Chellino Health offers holistic, science-backed alternatives to conventional hormone care. While many clinics focus narrowly on pellet therapy, Chellino’s approach is more comprehensive, targeting the entire endocrine system, including thyroid function, testosterone, and more. Chellino’s journey is deeply personal. After a hysterectomy, she found little relief from traditional healthcare. “My primary care physician couldn’t help me. My endocrinologist couldn’t help me. I felt dismissed and helpless,” she recalls. That experience catalyzed her mission to change women’s healthcare. Determined to rewrite the narrative, Chellino pursued advanced training in BHRT and endocrinology—learning from the Hormone Health Institute and top practitioners in Texas. She holds a Master’s in Adult-Gerontology Primary Care from Daemen University, is board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and has earned a Master’s Certification in BHRT, hormone health, and Platelet Rich Plasma vaginal rejuvenation. With dual bachelor’s degrees in Nursing and Psychology—both earned summa cum laude—Chellino brings scientific depth and empathetic insight to her practice. Treating the Whole Hormonal System What sets Chellino Health apart is its root-cause, full-spectrum approach. Rather than masking symptoms with antidepressants or creams, Chellino focuses on restoring hormonal balance naturally. “Everything in your wellness begins with hormones. They are the foundation of health. When we rebuild that foundation, everything else improves—energy, mood, weight, sleep, relationships,” explains Chellino, founder and owner. Unlike most clinics that prioritize only estrogen and progesterone, Chellino highlights testosterone’s role in women’s vitality, strength, and emotional well-being.