YOUR HEARING IS OUR TEAM'S TOP PRIORITY

Why settle for one audiologist when you can have a whole team working to help you hear? When it comes to your personalized treatment plan, multiple heads really are better than one; that’s why our audiologists share their expertise and ideas with one another, collaborate, and problem solve together. All to bring you the best care possible. 

 

This is a stellar team you have working for you. Each of our audiologists are university-degreed, graduated top in their class and have more than 100 years of combined experience serving patients. They have a fervor for this field and see their chosen profession as a calling, not just a job. Get to know these intelligent, compassionate, fun-loving, teammates below. There’s a lot of personality beneath those white lab coats.

DR. MEGAN JOHNSON

AUDIOLOGIST

Practice founder and owner

Dr. Megan Johnson is an Audiologist and owner of Johnson Audiology. She founded the practice in 2009. She loves a great cup of coffee and thinks no day is complete without a trip to Starbucks for a caramel macchiato and a warm slice of pumpkin bread. Dr. Megan has been helping people hear better for more than 20 years. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders from Western Carolina University, her Master's degree in Audiology from the University of Tennessee, and her Doctoral degree in Audiology from the University of Florida. As a child, she watched her Dad struggle with hearing loss and was inspired to make healthy hearing her life's work.

DR. ANNA WADE

AUDIOLOGIST

Office location: Cartersville

Dr. Anna Wade has walked in her patients' shoes. Her passion for audiology developed when she was growing up with a sibling and other family members with hearing loss. Then as a teenager, she also was diagnosed with hearing loss. A licensed audiologist of 14 years, Dr. Anna received her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders from Auburn University and her Master’s and Doctoral degrees from the University of Tennessee. Going on outdoor adventures with her family makes her happy. They love to hike, deer and turkey hunt, fish and kayak together.

DR. SUSAN PORTER

AUDIOLOGIST

Office location: Chattanooga

In 15+ years as an Audiologist, Dr. Susan Porter has passed on an appreciation for healthy hearing to countless patients, but she also teaches her two daughters about how important our ears are. In fact, her daughter wrote a poem for elementary school entitled, My Ears. After heralding all the things she loves to hear, the young poet  capped the final stanza this way: "Listening and listening with joy and with glee. I think my ears are the best part of me." Could we have an Audiology legacy in the making here? Dr. Susan's blood runs deep orange as she graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and her Master's and Doctoral degrees in Audiology, all from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. She says her family brings joy to her life every day, and her daughters' sweet smiles are like rays of golden sunshine on her heart.

DARNELL SCAFE

AUDIOLOGIST

Office location: Hixson

Audiologist Darnell Scafe has had a front row seat as the Digital Age has revolutionized hearing aids. A 40-year+ veteran of the field of Audiology, Darnell has seen hearing aids of yesteryear morph into today's sleek, sophisticated, modern marvels of technology with crisp, clear sound quality packaged in ever-smaller devices. Darnell knew from a young age she would be an Audiologist. She grew up on a working farm in North Carolina, and one of the farmhands was totally deaf. That experience impressed on her the importance of being able to hear and communicate. Darnell received her Bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology from Appalachian State University and her Master’s in Audiology from the University of Tennessee. Darnell's happy place is a sunny beach with the sand between her toes.

DR. RACHEL GLAZE

AUDIOLOGIST

Office location: Hixson

Dr. Rachel Glaze relishes helping people reconnect with the world around them through hearing and describes it as her career joy factor. She's a born and raised North Georgia girl but spent 22 years living in other places for her university training and early career. She's tickled to be back in her hometown close to family.  Dr. Rachel has her Bachelor's degree in Communications Disorders from Brigham Young University and her Doctoral degree from the University of Memphis. On the weekends, you will find her digging in the dirt; she and her parents share a garden plot and raise delicious summer vegetables, which she shares generously with her workmates at Johnson Audiology. She loves Major League Baseball, and seeing a game in every MLB stadium is a top tier bucket list item.


DR. KELSEY ALPETER

AUDIOLOGIST

Office location: Chattanooga

As a child, Dr. Kelsey Alpeter always loved listening to and mimicking accents. When a career aptitude test as a college freshmen revealed she was a great match for the profession of Speech Pathology, everything felt right. Dr. Kelsey dialed in further when undergraduate coursework in hearing and the anatomy and physiology of the human ear opened up the world of Audiology to her. She completed her Bachelor's degree in Communication Disorders from Auburn University and her Doctoral degree in Audiology from the University of South Alabama. Now, she practices a specialty within her specialty as Cochlear Implant Program Director at Johnson Audiology. Dr. Kelsey is a go-getter by nature. Proof positive: she hiked Hawaii’s Kalalau Trail, which Outside magazine named one of the 20 most dangerous hikes in the world. When she’s not extreme adventuring, she loves to hit the trails closer to home with her husband, TJ, their young son, Wyatt, and their two dogs, Oliver and Jax.

DR. KRISTEN PANZARELLA ALESIA

AUDIOLOGIST

Office location: Murfreesboro

Dr. Kristen Panzarella Alesia watched her grandmother— affectionately known as Nonna—struggle with hearing loss. Her grandmother experienced profound damage to her hearing from a bomb explosion when she was a child growing up in Italy during World War II. When the time came to choose a career path, Dr. Kristen knew her calling—to be an audiologist. Now she positively impacts lives, advocates for those with hearing loss and educates the public. Dr. Kristen pursued her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders from Illinois State University in Normal, IL. She completed her doctoral work in Audiology at Louisiana State University in New Orleans. With her big smile and sunny disposition, it’s not surprising to learn that Dr. Kristen was a cheerleader in high school and college. Now she is on the Rah-Rah Squad for Team Johnson Audiology, rooting for her patients as she helps them address hearing loss. Ggggoooooo, healthy hearing!

DR. MARY TJADER

AUDIOLOGIST

Office location: Franklin

Dr. Mary Tjader has always adored animals, and her teenage self envisioned a future in veterinary medicine. All that changed when she saw her dad put on his first set of hearing aids after struggling with hearing loss for years; she knew her true calling was to be an Audiologist. She plotted her new life course as she entered the doctoral program in audiology at the University of South Florida in Tampa after completing her undergraduate work in psychology at the University of Florida in Gainesville. She laughs and says the first hurdle she always clears with a new patient is the pronunciation of her last name. Dr. Mary’s husband, David, has Swedish roots, and the surname Tjader is pronounced “Chay-der”. Don’t worry, calling her Dr. Mary is fine, too. Her two young daughters are where she and her husband’s hearts reside, and they love spending time together at the parks and green spaces that Middle Tennessee has to offer. Ever the animal lover, Dr. Mary’s two sweet cats, Maya and Cleo, round out their family circle. 

DR. CARLY DUCHARME

AUDIOLOGIST

Office location: Cartersville

For Dr. Carly Ducharme, the importance of communication was instilled at a young age. Her brother was born with a lung disorder, which is often accompanied by hearing loss. At the age of six, she taught herself the alphabet in sign language, in case she needed that skill to interact with her brother. Dr. Ducharme received her Bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Louisiana State University, and her Doctorate of Audiology at the University of South Alabama. In her free time, Dr. Ducharme enjoys strolling around downtown Woodstock with her husband, daughter, and dog. Born in Metairie, Louisiana, Dr. Ducharme loves Cajun food and is always up for a good crawfish boil!

DR. KAYLEIGH MENKE MCCOLLOM

AUDIOLOGIST

Office location: Chattanooga

Dr. Kayleigh Menke McCollum says that her path to audiology developed out of a deep desire to help people, and when her college sorority chose a philanthropy project that assisted people with hearing loss, she knew she had found her calling. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Missouri State University (MSU). She loved it so much, she pursued a minor in sign language. She went on to complete her Doctorate in Audiology also at MSU. A new resident of Chattanooga, Dr. Kayleigh, her husband, and their beloved rescue dog have been hitting the Scenic City’s hiking trails and are so pleased to live near such abundant outdoor recreation opportunities. Fun fact: Dr. Kayleigh and her husband participate as a hot air balloon crew every Labor Day weekend, helping balloon pilots set up and take down balloons. Up, up and away!

DR. HANNAH DEARTH

AUDIOLOGIST

Office location: Chattanooga & Hixson

As a college freshman, Dr. Hannah Dearth thought she knew what she wanted to do with her life. She declared her major in Communication Sciences and Disorders at West Virginia University with plans to be a Speech Pathologist. Problem was, she realized Speech Pathology was not her cup of tea. What she relished were the Audiology classes she was taking! Time for a life course correction! She went on to complete her doctoral work in Audiology also at West Virginia University. Her career mantra? Communication is the lifeline of a person’s most precious relationships. Nothing makes her flash her megawatt smile quicker than seeing a patient’s face light up when better hearing helps them reconnect with loved ones. New to Chattanooga, she and her husband love taking their beloved mini-golden doodle, Auggie, to the city’s dog friendly restaurants, parks, and hiking trails. The family also loves to travel, and she has a goal of seeing all 50 states before she is 50.

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