Get Help Hearing Better Today

Thank you for your amazing support of our team at this year’s Polar Plunge! We gleefully paid in goosebumps so our community could help the Special Olympics of Washington!

POLAR PLUNGE 2025

We’ve been delivering “Better Living through Better Hearing” for nearly 50 years!

That means you will get the best medical care available with an experienced and educated team using razor’s edge diagnostics combined with the best technology to ensure your hearing meets your needs everyday of the year!

ENGAGE Your hearing with our new packages that match big box store pricing but still give you the professional medical care you’ve come to expect from Columbia Basin Hearing Center.

We Can Help

The effects of hearing loss can be minimized if:

  1. Your problem is CORRECTLY diagnosed.

  2. You receive the RIGHT kind of treatment.

  3. You are working together with the right team of EXPERIENCED HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS who have the skill and resolve to solving the problem.

Meet our Providers and Assistants

  • Shannon Marie, Au.D.

    Owner and Tinnitus Specialist

    Dr. Shannon Marie is the owner and one of the Doctors of Audiology at Columbia Basin Hearing Center. Throughout her career, she has become a leading expert in tinnitus treatment and has helped thousands of patients find “better living through better hearing.” Beyond her work with Columbia Basin Hearing Center, Dr. Shannon is a serial entrepreneur and nature therapist who has served on multiple professional boards and is known as an inspirational speaker and mentor.

    She is also the owner of Abundant Wanderings, where everyone can learn to find healing and balance in the nature that surrounds them everyday.

  • Melanie Muhlestein, Au.D.

    Clinical Audiologist and APD Specialist

    Melanie Muhlestein, AuD, has had a long journey to return to her Tri-Cities home as an Audiologist. After earning her Master’s degree in Audiology from Utah State University in 1996, she dedicated time to raising her two boys. Their challenges paved the way to her specialty interests later. As they got older, she worked her way back to Audiology, first in the schools, then in clinic work at Better Hearing and Audiology in Idaho, where she learned how to be methodical and patient in fitting hearing aids and solving communication problems.

    In searching for answers for her boys’ Auditory Processing Disorder, she completed Master Classes in APD evaluation and treatment, and went back to graduate school to earn her Doctor of Audiology degree from AT Still University, where her boys were by her side at graduation. She recently returned to her home community and joined the team at Columbia Basin Hearing Center. She knew it was a good fit for her because of their dedication to full diagnostic evaluations, best practices, and best fit technology, as well as a whole person approach.

  • Cassidy White, Au.D.

    Clinical Audiologist Tele-Health

    Dr. Cassidy White is a licensed Audiologist working for us remotely from beautiful Livingston, Tennessee. She received her Doctorate of Audiology from Idaho State University in 2020. Dr. White has experience treating diverse populations, from infants to geriatrics, and all stages in between. She has worked in a variety of clinics, including private practice and Veteran’s Affairs. Dr. White’s greatest interests include hearing aid dispensing, counseling and education, and tinnitus management. She is passionate about improving communication and quality of life through better hearing.

  • Corrin Stevens

    Hearing Instrument Specialist and CAOHC Certified Industrial Screener

    Corrin was born and raised in the Seattle area. She received her bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of Washington. After graduating, she worked at Seattle Children’s Hospital for 13 years. Her family moved to the Tri-Cities in 2016, and she had absolutely no idea what to expect. She quickly grew to enjoy the seasons, the atmosphere, and how everything is just 15 minutes away. She was fortunate to return to the field of audiology through Columbia Basin Hearing Center and loves both her work and the people she gets to work with. With so much changing in the world of technology, she is excited to see what comes next.

  • Ellija Snapp

    Audiolog Assistant - IT Specialist and CAOHC Certified Industrial Screener

    Born and raised in the Tri-Cities, Ellija is a CAOHC Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist, an Audiology Assistant, and our in-house IT Specialist. With a long history in the medical field and a lifelong passion for electronics, hearing aid care is a perfect fit for his special set of skills.

    When he isn't juggling his many hats at work he enjoys reading, coding, and playing with his cat.

  • Kimberly Andrade

    Audiology Assistant

    Kimberly grew up in sunny California and has made her way to Washington to start a new and exciting chapter in her life. Since her big move she has been in health care as a phlebotomist for two years and has enjoyed the one-on-one relationships she has made with her patients. Wanting to grow in the healthcare world, she has found her way over to us as an audiology assistant. Kimberly is always looking for ways to better help her patients and making sure they are getting the best service possible. Outside of work she enjoys being out in nature and spending time with her loved ones.

  • Avery Palazzo

    Audiology Assistant - CAOHC Certified Industrial Screener 

    Avery grew up on the west side of Washington before moving to the Tri-Cities as a teenager. She is a Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist and Audiology Assistant who is deeply committed to patient care. Avery began her professional journey as a paraeducator with the Richland School District, where she developed a passion for helping others. Her interest in the medical field—and specifically audiology—grew during her time working as a Patient Ambassador.

    Today, Avery takes pride in making a meaningful difference in the lives of her patients through compassionate care and support. Outside of work, she enjoys spending quality time with friends and family, as well as paddle boarding during the summer months.

We Help Heroes Everyday

“My boss would say something and now I could hear him. It’s blessing to finally hear my kids and grandkids”

Dempsey B.

“Frankly I thought about ending my life (due to tinnitus). What I found at Columbia Basin Hearing Center was a Miracle.”

Lorrie R.

“I had to do something as I could not hear my students. I was surprised at how bad my hearing had gotten. After treatment I stopped asking ‘what?’ all the time!”

Lynn S