about
Our audiology practice was one of the first private practices in Australia, set up by Dr Janice Milhinch in 1980. The practice has had a series of name changes as new audiologists have joined. Dr Ross Dineen joined the practice in 1992, and "Janice Pitman Milhinch" became "Milhinch and Dineen Audiology" in 1997. Ms Myriam Westcott joined the practice in 2000, with the practice name changing to "Milhinch Dineen Westcott Audiologists" in 2002.
Once Dr Jan Milhinch retired from clinical audiology in 2003, the practice was renamed Dineen and Westcott Audiologists in 2004. Ross and Myriam are both directors of the practice.
We have since expanded our practice to include Ms Mary Leung, who joined in 2004 and Ms Kate Moore in 2006.
We are a professional partnership of clinical audiologists who together offer extensive experience in hearing assessment, hearing aid fitting and hearing rehabilitation. As a result we have considerable proficiency in the evaluation and management of complex hearing and communication issues. We are accredited WorkCover providers, and are accredited to carry out hearing assessments on referral from the Department of Veteran Affairs.
The combined expertise and experience of Dr Ross Dineen and Ms Myriam Westcott has placed our practice as one of the leading centres providing tinnitus and hyperacusis therapy in Australia. We have the unique opportunity and commitment to carry out tinnitus, hyperacusis and acoustic shock injury research in an independent private practice setting.
Dr Janice Milhinch was instrumental in the identification of acoustic shock injury (ASI), carrying out the first extensive study of 103 patients with ASI. With tinnitus and hyperacusis dominant symptoms of ASI, Ms Myriam Westcott provides expert audiological evaluation and management of ASI clients, ASI workplace consultancy and regularly lectures in ASI.
Dr Ross Dineen
Is a director of Dineen and Westcott Audiologists, having joined the practice in 1994. He is an experienced Audiologist, with specialist interests in aural rehabilitation, tinnitus assessment and management, and hearing conservation.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Behavioural Science, 1974, La Trobe University, Melbourne
- PhD. Applied Science, 1999, La Trobe University, Melbourne.
Professional Associations.
Audiological Society of Australia (Audiology Australia), with current Certificate of Clinical Practice.
Australian Association of Audiologists in Private Practice.
Ross has a commitment to developing community awareness and understanding of the many issues involved in hearing rehabilitation. He has been working as an audiologist for over 29 years, variously with the National Acoustic Laboratories, the East Preston Community Health Centre, the Victorian Deaf Society HEAR (Hearing Education and Aural Rehabilitation) Service, and as a clinical supervisor and lecturer at La Trobe University.
As a student in the 1970's Ross worked in the building industry to pay his way through university. As a consequence of this experience, over the last decade he has worked with the construction unions in Melbourne on a series of research studies. This involved examining worker decision-making in relation to estimation of noise and associated hazards, with the aim of developing effective intervention/education programs for workers in industry.
In the 1980's Ross was the editor of "Hearing and Deafness Review" a journal of the Deafness Foundation of Victoria; edited two books on the applied use of hearing assistive devices; and was instrumental in the development of Tinnitus Education Workshops run by the HEAR Service. He is closely involved with the Tinnitus Association of Victoria, contributing information materials for distribution to members and regularly contributing to workshops held by the association.
In 1999 Ross completed his PhD studies investigating the "Factors influencing adjustment to tinnitus" and has a range of publications reporting on this research in both national and international journals. He regularly gives lectures to audiology students and practicing audiologists on the clinical assessment and management of complex tinnitus clients.
Some recent publications
Dineen, R and Milhinch, J. (1996). Noise and hearing in the construction industry: a study of workers views on noise and risk on a Victorian site. Pub. Incolink, Melbourne Australia.
Dineen, R., Doyle, J., and Bench, J. (1997). Audiological and psychological characteristics of a group of tinnitus sufferers: prior to commencement of tinnitus management training. Brit. J. Audiol. 31: 23-34.
Dineen, R., Doyle, J., and Bench, J. (1997b). Managing tinnitus: A comparison of different approaches to tinnitus management training. Brit.J. Audiol. 31: 331-344.
Dineen, R and Reid, J. (1998). Knock out noise injury: An evaluation of the influence of education on workers understanding and management of noise hazards in the building and construction industry. Pub. Incolink, Melbourne, Australia.
Milhinch, J., Dineen, R., & Doyle, J. (1998). Noise and hearing in the construction industry. Noise Effects 98: 7th International Congress on Noise as a Public Health Problem. Sydney, Australia. 131-134.
Dineen, R., Reid, J., & Livy, P. (1998). Knock out noise injury. Noise Effects 98: 7th International Congress on Noise as a Public Health Problem. Sydney, Australia. 135-138.
Dineen, R., Doyle, J., Bench, J. and Perry, A. (1999). The influence of training on tinnitus perception: an evaluation 12 months after tinnitus management training. Brit.J Audiol. 33: 29-51.
Dineen, R. (2000). An investigation of factors influencing adjustment to tinnitus. PhD thesis. La Trobe University Press.
Dineen, R. (2002). Measures of tinnitus distress: what should we be measuring? Proceedings VII th International Tinnitus Seminar. Fremantle, Australia. 150-156.
Dineen, R. (2005). Severe Tinnitus: What Are We Treating? Audiology Now. Issue 23 .
Click here to download paper
Dineen, R. (2006). "A Number of Issues with the Neuromonics Tinnitus Treatment". Audiology Now. Issue 25.
Myriam Westcott
Is a director of Dineen and Westcott Audiologists, having joined the practice in 2000. She is an experienced Audiologist, with specialised interests in aural rehabilitation; tinnitus, hyperacusis, acoustic shock injury assessment and management; and central auditory processing assessment.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science, University of Melbourne, 1973
- Postgraduate Diploma of Audiology, 1974 - the first year an academic qualification in audiology was available in Australia
- Melbourne, 2000: Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) course run by Professor Pawel Jastreboff, who developed the neurophysiological model of tinnitus and, with Dr Jonathan Hazell, developed TRT.
- Melbourne, 2001: Advanced TRT course run by Professor Pawel Jastreboff.
Professional Associations
Audiological Society of Australia (Audiology Australia), with current Certificate of Clinical Practice.
Australian Association of Audiologists in Private Practice.
Member of TRTA (Tinnitus Retraining Therapy Association).
Myriam started her audiological working life at National Acoustic Laboratory (NAL, now known as Australian Hearing) for six years. Her commitment to hearing rehabilitation, including hearing aid fitting and supporting the emotional reactions to hearing problems, stemmed from this time.
Following periods as an audiologist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Royal Children's Hospital, Myriam joined the Victorian Deaf Society HEAR (Hearing Education and Aural Rehabilitation) Service where she remained for fourteen years. While there, she was drawn to the challenge of providing effective tinnitus and hyperacusis management. Myriam had the opportunity at HEAR Service to focus intensively on tinnitus and hyperacusis therapy for five years, co-ordinating the HEAR Service Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Program for most of that time.
Myriam is experienced in providing audiological evaluation and management of acoustic shock injury (ASI) clients, ASI workplace consultancy and regularly lectures in ASI. She is committed to the research and development of new and innovative approaches to tinnitus, hyperacusis and ASI management, utilising her clinical experience of Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) and psychological strategies. Myriam is closely involved with the Tinnitus Association of Victoria, contributing information material for their website and regularly being a guest speaker at their meetings.
Myriam has researched the various contemporary approaches to CAPD evaluation, and put together a comprehensive test battery, evaluating central auditory processing in depth.
Publications / presentations
Westcott M: "Case Study. Management of Hyperacusis associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder". In: Patuzzi R, editor. Proceedings of the Seventh International Tinnitus Seminar, Fremantle, 5th-9th March 2002. Perth: Uni of W.A, 2002;280-285.
Westcott M: "Acoustic Shock Injury (ASI)". In: Acta Oto-Laryngologica Vol.126 Supplementum 556, December 2006, containing a selection of papers from the VIIIth International Tinnitus Seminar, Pau, France 6th -10th September 2005. Click here to download paper.
Westcott M: "Decreased Sound Tolerance (Hyperacusis, Misophonia and Phonophobia)" in "Acoustic Shock Injury" Patuzzi R, editor (currently in publication)
Westcott M: "Acoustic Shock Injury (ASI)". Audiological Society of Australia. Audiology Now. Issue 25.
Westcott M: "Acoustic Shock Injury (ASI) case studies" Audiological Society of Australia Conference, Canberra, May 2008.
Westcott M: "Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome - an explanation for everyday sounds causing pain in tinnitus and hyperacusis clients" IXth International Tinnitus Seminar, Gothenburg, Sweden, June 2008.
Westcott M: "A perspective on tinnitus, hyperacusis and acoustic shock injury research" ENT News, Vol 17, No 5, November/December 2008.
Westcott M: " Somatosensory tinnitus and tonic tensor tympani syndrome (TTTS)" 3rd Tinnitus Research Initiative Meeting, Stresa, Italy, June 2009.
Westcott M: "Acoustic Shock Disorder" Tinnitus Discovery - Asia and Pacific Tinnitus Symposium, Auckland, September 2009.
Westcott M: "Hyperacusis: a clinical perspective on management" Tinnitus Discovery - Asia and Pacific Tinnitus Symposium, Auckland, September 2009.
Kate Moore
Is an experienced Audiologist, and joined Dineen and Westcott Audiologists in April 2006 after relocating to Melbourne.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Biological Sciences, 1994, LaTrobe University
- Post-graduate Diploma in Audiology, 1995, Macquarie University Sydney
Professional Associations
Audiological Society of Australia (Audiology Australia) with current Certificate of Clinical Practice.
Kate worked for Australian Hearing in Rockhampton for a short time prior to joining a private practice in Central Queensland. During her time in Queensland she travelled to Mackay, Emerald, Gladstone and various aboriginal communities providing audiological assessment and rehabilitation.
In 2001 Kate returned to Ballarat, Victoria where she worked in private practice and within the major public hospital Ballarat Health Services. While in Ballarat she performed diagnostic assessments on infants and toddlers, as well as fitting hearing aids and providing rehabilitative support for people with hearing difficulties.
In 2005 Kate and her family moved to Melbourne where she commenced work with the professional body for audiologists - Audiology Australia. This involves overseeing the quarterly magazine publication "Audiology Now ", generating their electronic newsletter, managing the continuing professional development program, and responding to office enquiries of a clinical nature. Kate enjoys juggling her managerial role at Audiology Australia with her clinical role at Dineen and Westcott Audiologists.
Mary Leung
Is an experienced Audiologist who joined Dineen and Westcott Audiologists in 2004. She has a special interest in aural rehabilitation.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science, 1990, University of Melbourne
- Postgraduate Diploma in Audiology, 1991, University of Melbourne
- Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology, 2005, Swinburne University
Professional Associations
Audiological Society of Australia (Audiology Australia) with current Certificate of Clinical Practice.
Mary began work as an Audiologist with Australian Hearing Services (now known as Australian Hearing) in Sydney, where she gained invaluable experience providing hearing assessments and hearing aid fittings to elderly and paediatric clients.
In 1993, Mary joined the Victorian Deaf Society HEAR (Hearing Education Aural Rehabilitation) Service where she remained for ten years. In her time there, Mary had the opportunity to develop her interest in issues affecting how hearing impaired people adapt to their hearing loss. These issues include the use of hearing aids and other assistive listening devices, hearing impaired people's psychological responses to their hearing loss and the use of effective communication strategies. She was able to explore these issues with clients both on a one-to-one and group basis. Mary was also the manager of the HEAR Service Audiology program for three and a half years, juggling both an administrative and clinical workload.
In 2000, Mary spent a year working in the United Kingdom, at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. During her time there, she was able to observe, learn about and work within a different, predominantly public, audiology program.
Mary's Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology was undertaken with the intention of furthering her interest in psychological issues surrounding hearing loss. Her thesis examined how hearing impaired people cope with their hearing loss.
The privacy of personal information is of primary importance to everyone.
To meet the privacy management requirements of our clients, their dependants and our employees we are committed to meet the legally binding National Privacy Principles and the health information obligations by:
- Collecting personal information essential to conducting our business within the legal framework in Australia. Also to ensure individuals understand the consequences of not providing personal information.
- Use and disclosure of personal information only with consent and where reasonably expected by the individual to disclose such information for the benefit of the individual.
- Data quality to seek each individual's assistance to ensure the personal information we hold is current and accurate.
- Data Security to ensure personal information is stored and used in a secure environment.
- Openness to ensure individuals know that they may obtain their personal information on request.
- Access and correction to provide access to personal information by individuals for correction.
- Complaints to provide a means for individuals to resolve breaches of privacy.
- Identifiers that are unique and in compliance with state and federal laws.
- Transborder data flows as required to provide a secure means of transferring personal information overseas, which at times may require legal advice.
- Training of all record keepers in the National Privacy Principles as they apply to Dineen & Westcott Audiology Pty Ltd.