Your Team

Dr. Alison Mitchell, Au.D.

"Having come from a family that has several members with communication disorders (autism, hearing loss), it is my experience and opinion that a care provider can either make or break a situation for a patient and their family. Communication is not a one-dimensional, one-person moment in time. It is multifaceted and involves everyone around you — your family, your friends, your community! Being on “the other side of the table” is a responsibility and opportunity I do not take lightly. Every patient who affords me the privilege of providing them care is a blessing. I look forward to meeting and serving you so that your experience is the best it can be!”

~ Alison Mitchell

Dr. Mitchell is an East Tennessee native who has over a decade of audiology experience in a variety of settings. While she enjoys working with all ages and has served ages newborn to 105, she has had a primary focus on pediatrics in her career. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Audiology and a Minor in Psychology from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. She then obtained her Master of Science and Doctoral Degrees in Audiology from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Her experience includes hearing aids, cochlear and bone anchored implants, sedated and unsedated auditory brainstem response testing, newborn hearing screening, diagnostic and behavioral evaluations, auditory processing disorder evaluations, and specialized tinnitus evaluation and treatment. She truly appreciates the professional, personalized, and warm atmosphere Bridgewater Balance and Hearing provides patients and their families.

Dr. Mitchell and her husband, Jacob, reside in northeast Knox County and have five sons (Yes! FIVE boys!). She enjoys cooking, exercise, music, and family time.

Dr. Brandy Breeden

Dr. Brandy was born and raised in south Louisiana and earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders from Louisiana State University in 2008 (Go Tigers!). She went on to earn her Doctorate of Audiology from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2012 (Go Vols!). She is passionate about working with amplification devices and finds that the most rewarding part of her career is finding a solution to bring sound back to her patients so they can participate more fully in their own lives!

Dr. Brandy is very excited to be part of the Bridgewater team and looks forward to serving the families of Anderson County! She lives in Clinton with her husband and their two children. In their down time, you can find them camping, boating, and spending as much time as possible in the beautiful East Tennessee outdoors!

Dr. Blaire Barnhart, Au.D.

Dr. Barnhart was born and raised in “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood,” Latrobe, Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Audiology and Speech Pathology with a minor in Psychology from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. The mountains then called her to East Tennessee where she completed her Master of Science and Doctorate degrees in Audiology at the University of Tennessee. She completed her fourth-year externship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and has a very special place in her heart for all the kiddos, but she is so happy to now serve those of all ages at Bridgewater Balance and Hearing! She is passionate about amplification devices including hearing aids and bone conduction as well as audiologic and vestibular diagnostic testing of infants, children, and adults! When she is not at the office, you can find her boating, hiking, or traveling with friends, family, and her dog, Nora!

Dr. Amy Becker, Au.D.

Dr. Becker is a Sevier County Native, born and raised in the Great Smoky Mountains. She is a recent graduate of the great University of Tennessee with her Doctorate degree in Audiology. She found Audiology later in life, due to her daughter's inability to communicate at a young age. She went back to school to facilitate her communication needs, however; the process of helping her allowed her to find her calling. She enjoys meeting and helping any individual find communication solutions. The current pandemic has been a struggle for everyone. The lesson it has taught her is that communication with friends and family makes life better. When someone has hearing loss, it could possibly make them feel isolated and less connected with their environment.

Dr. Becker's goal as an Audiologist is to help keep everyone connected, to live their best life. The Bridgewater Team is an amazing group that helps diagnose and provide treatment for individuals with hearing loss. She is so glad to be a part of the family. She currently resides with her husband, Jon, in Sevierville with their three kids, Seth, Emma, and Sutton.

Dr. Alexandra Barker, Au.D., CCC-A

Alex was born and raised in Knoxville, TN (Go Vols!) She is a recent graduate from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Alex loves Bridgewater because of the caring atmosphere between her coworkers and patients. It is an honor to be able to help her patients throughout their hearing healthcare journey. She is passionate about fitting amplification technology on her patients to help them better communicate with their loved ones. In her free time, she likes to read, kayak, paddle board, and travel with her fiancé, Mark, their friends, and their dog, Kenai!

Lauren Joy, MPH

Lauren attended the University of Alabama where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a minor in Psychology. She is currently completing her Doctorate of Audiology along with her Master of Public Health through the University of Memphis. Lauren is a Knoxville native and she is excited to be back as a resident at Bridgewater for the coming year.

Lauren has experience working with hearing aids and cochlear implants in both pediatric and adult patients through her clinical rotations. She found the field of audiology after observing several medical professions before entering college. After shadowing Dr. Baerman, she knew she wanted to study audiology and working at Bridgewater brings her full circle. Communication is a gift and Lauren finds it a privilege to be in this field, helping restore hearing ability for individuals.

In her free time, Lauren enjoys reading, walking her dog, Rosie, and teaching fitness classes.

Natalie Wallace, M.S.

Natalie has her Master’s in Audiology. Before joining Bridgewater, she was a student clinician at UT Audiology clinic from 2020-2023 and completed off campus placements at Farragut ENT, Greater Knoxville ENT, and the Knoxville VA.

When Natalie was young, she had a hearing loss that was corrected. The audiologist she worked with was very helpful and made her feel comfortable. She realized she wanted to be able to do the same thing for people who have hearing loss. Now, she enjoys helping others be able to hear and communicate better. It is important to Natalie to have good relationships with her patients. That is why she ensures they are truly being taken care of and their hearing concerns are addressed.

Natalie enjoys spending time with her family and friends, being outside, and reading on her patio.

Gail Mcteer

Gail is our Insurance Coordinator Specialist for all locations and she will also be doubling as the Patient Care Coordinator at the Halls location. Gail has a wealth of knowledge, having worked in the hearing healthcare industry for 15+ years. If you have insurance needs, she is a valuable resource! Gail’s most crowning achievements are her three beautiful daughters and two granddaughters. She loves to work outdoors in her yard and read murder mysteries.

Savannah Hermosillo

“I was born and raised in Knoxville, TN, and am proud to be an East Tennessee native. I currently reside in West Knoxville with my family and three chihuahuas: Lil Man, Stormee, and Tybee. My hobbies include yoga, disc golf, walking my dogs, and spending time with family and friends. In 2016, I received two Associates of Applied Science Degrees in Business and Health Care Office Administration from Pellissippi State Community College. I have been working as an office administrator in the hearing healthcare industry for three years, and thoroughly enjoy my career. I can’t wait to see what the future may bring!”

Kaitlin Cooper

Kaitlin was born and raised right here in East Tennessee and serves as our front office Patient Care Coordinator in our West Knoxville location! Kaitlin has been blessed to work in hearing healthcare for nearly a decade and truly enjoys the part she gets to play in delivering a better quality of life for all our patients! In her free time, Kaitlin enjoys spending time with her Husband, Tyler, and their two children, Madelyn and Camden. Kaitlin truly enjoys helping all patients and feels incredibly honored to be a part of such an amazing team at Bridgewater!

Heide Ramesdofer-Silver, Patient Care Coordinator

“I was born and raised in West Creek New Jersey. My husband and I moved here after he received a job with the Sevierville Fire Department. In New Jersey, I worked in a dental office as a Dental Assistant and as their Office Manager, after moving here I knew right away I wanted to get back into the health care field in some way. I always considered my patients to be my friends and family, and I have found an amazing office that makes it possible to do that. In my spare time my husband and I love to travel back to New Jersey with our two pups, Shadow and Leo, to see our parents and friends who still reside there. We are in love with our new state we call home and cannot wait to see what our future has in store for us!”

Elizabeth Hutchinson

Eliizabeth joined the Bridgewater team in April 2023 at our Halls location. She has previous experience in a pediatric medical office, which is when she began to interact with our office, sending and receiving patient referrals. She also has 20+ years of experience as a Certified Pharmacy Technician. With all of her experience in the medical field, it is easy to see that Elizabeth has a calling to help others. Elizabeth loves the atmosphere at Bridgewater and enjoys building relationships with our patients. Elizabeth has been married for 22 wonderful years with the help and grace of God above and has two amazing children. She lives on a small farm and loves caring for all of her animals. In her “spare time,” Liz enjoys reading and working in her flower beds.