Our Provider
Melinda Alegria, Au.D., CCC-A, F-AAA
Audiologist
Meet Melinda Alegria, Au.D., CCC-A, F-AAA
Dr. Alegria received her Bachelor of Science degree from Colorado State University, her Master of Science in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of South Alabama, and her Doctoral degree at A.T. Still University Arizona School of Health Sciences.
Dr. Alegria has been fortunate to serve pediatric to geriatric patients across the country since 1995. She began her career in Austin, TX., working with Ear, Nose, and Throat physicians, neurotologists, and Head and Neck plastics surgeons.
After becoming the supervising audiologist at the largest ENT practice in Austin, TX., her spouse’s military relocation moved her to Honolulu, HI., where she became the Chief of Audiology at Tripler Army Medical Center. While at this tertiary care facility, Dr. Alegria stood up a vestibular laboratory and enjoyed serving active duty members and their dependents from the Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, and Coast Guard.
Following this tour of duty, Dr. Alegria moved to Fort Rucker, AL., becoming a Principle Investigator and Clinical Audiologist at the United States Army Research Laboratory, responsible for platforms such as utilizing antioxidants in the preservation or treatment of hearing loss, ear protection monitoring and measurements for headsets used in Army Aviation, designed and conducted a publishable Tinnitus Treatment Protocol for the Army Surgeon General, and designed and conducted a research study to investigate the effects of Acoustic Blasts on Marine Breachers out of Quantico, VA. Further, Dr. Alegria also worked with her colleagues on a variety of research studies such as Spatial Disorientation, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and high-risk behaviors, and Traumatic Brain Injuries. Her hope was to identify clinical and anecdotal patterns which might assist in the prevention, protection, or recovery from several conditions often primarily associated with acoustic trauma or a variety of military engagements.
Dr. Alegria was then fortunate to move into training roles when she moved with her spouse to Joint Base Lewis McCord in Washington. She enjoyed teaching audiologists from WA, OR, IA, UT, and CO on Tinnitus Treatment devices and diagnostic audiology equipment. She loved assisting other audiologists treat their patients with challenging conditions such as bothersome tinnitus, difficulties adjusting to hearing aid amplification, and balance disorders.
Finally, Dr. Alegria feels fortunate to have moved to Sarasota, FL, where she became the Chief of Audiology for the C.W. Young VA Medical Center (Bay Pines VA) and then an Associate Director for the VA Office of Inspector General, Office of Healthcare Inspections.
Dr. Alegria recently established Healthcare Consultations, Evaluations and Treatment to serve Veteran and civilian populations. She currently enjoys giving back to the military community by performing Compensation and Pension Hearing and Tinnitus evaluations, providing Tinnitus consultations and treatments for the local community, performing diagnostic hearing evaluations, aural rehabilitation, and she even works to identify the hearing abilities of dogs, cats, and horses, providing recommendations for the hearing needs of her patients’ beloved animals.
Dr. Alegria’s primary goal is to provide excellent solutions for hearing healthcare needs, offering specialty services such as vibroacoustic and sound therapy in addition to a variety of diagnostic audiology evaluations. She feels so strongly about serving the community that she has purchased state-of-the-art audiology equipment that can travel to her patients for their convenience. In that regard, she offers extended and weekend evaluation and treatment hours. She is eager to work with her patients to find exceptional solutions which are specific to individual needs.
When Dr. Alegria is not with patients, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Eduardo, Nurse Assistant Manager of the Bay Pines VA Specialty Services, their two boys, Bear and Brett, their mastiff, old English bulldog, snowshoe Siamese cat, and their backyard chicken flock.
Welcome to Hearing Healthcare Consultations, Evaluations, and Treatment!
*St. Onge, P., McIlwain, D.S., Hill, M.E., Walilko, T.J., & Bardolf, L.B. (2011). Marine Corps Breacher Training Study: Auditory and Vestibular Findings. U.S. Army Medical Department Journal, Jul-Sep, 97-107. https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00062689/00023
*Ahroon, W., Hill, M., and Goodes, D. (2011). Review of Army-Wide Hearing Conservation database for Hearing Profiles related to Crew-served and Individual Weapons Systems. Noise and Health, 13(50):76-83. https://www.noiseandhealth.org/article.asp?issn=1463-1741;year=2011;volume=13;issue=50;spage=76;epage=83;aulast=Ahroon
*McIlwain, D, Hill, M, and Sisk, B. (2009). Cohort Case Studies on Acoustic Trauma in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Army Medical Department Journal; Apr-Jun. https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Cohort+case+studies+on+acoustic+trauma+in+operation+Iraqi+freedom.-a0207282827
*Acker-Mills, B., Hill, M., and Ebuen, A. (2006). The effects of antioxidants on cochlear mechanics. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 120, 3285 (2006);
https://asa.scitation.org/doi/10.1121/1.4777571
*Webb, C.M., Estrada, A., Kelley, A., Ramiccio, J.G., Rath, E., Reeves, E.R., Hill, M.E., Crivello, M.J., and Jones, H.D. (2011). The Effect of Spatial Disorientation on Working Memory and Mathematical Processing. USAARL Technical Report 2011-08.
*Ahroon, W.A., LaPrath, A.J., Gordon, E., Robinette, M.B., and Hill, M.E. (2006). Insertion Loss of the HGU-56/P Aircrew Integrated Helmet System with Oregon Aero Earcup Replacement Products. Fort Rucker, AL: U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory. USAARL Report 2007-01.
*Ahroon, W.A., Hill, M.E., and Lukas, K.B. (2006). Variability in real-ear attenuation at threshold evaluations of hearing protection devices. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. 102, 3161. Paper presented at the 4th joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the Acoustical Society of Japan, Honolulu, Hawaii, November 2006.
*Gordon, E., Ahroon, W.A., and Hill, M.E. (2005). Sound Attenuation of Rotary-Wing Aviation Helmets with Oregon Aero Earcup Replacement Products. Fort Rucker, AL: U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory. USAARL Report 2006-01.
*Ahroon, W.A., Hill, M., Gordon, E., and Robinette, M.B. (2004). Insertion Loss of the HGU-84/P Rotary Wing Helmet System with Oregon Aero Earcup Replacement Products. Fort Rucker, AL: U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory. USAARL Report 2004-08.
*Ahroon, W.A., Hill, M., Gordon, E., and Robinette, M.B. (2004). Hearing Protection of the RAH-66 Comanche EMD Helmet Integrated Display Sighting System with the Communications Earplug. Fort Rucker, AL: U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory. USAARL Report 2004-04.
*Karch, S., Hill, M., Casto, K., Nedostup, A., and Staton, R. (2014). Evaluation of Sound Therapy Tinnitus Treatments with Concurrent Counseling in Active-Duty Military Personnel. USAARL Report No. 2014-22.
*Hill, M., Casto, K., and Nedostup, A. (2011). Evaluation of Sound Therapy Tinnitus Treatment. Blast-Induced Tinnitus Conference, 2011. https:// blastinjuryresearch.amedd.army.mil
*McIlwain, D. S. and Hill, M. Advance for Audiology (online) http://audiology.advanceweb.com/Article/Promote-Practice-Diversity.aspx. Posted November 24, 2009.