The Team

Meet the Team

Cape Hearing Implants (CHi) is a collaboration of independent, private healthcare service providers that specialize in implantable hearing solutions. Team members of CHi are involved in monthly meetings to discuss patients with hearing loss, considered for implantation. This to ensure quality of care by combining knowledge; skills and expertise in a multi-disciplinary environment to ensure objective evaluation of implant candidacy and patient expectation.

Dr Louis Hofmeyr

Dr Louis Hofmeyr

Dr Louis Hofmeyr is an ENT surgeon in private practice at Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital in Cape Town. He has a special interest in otology and neurotology. His scope of practice includes cochlear implantation (CI) and implantable hearing solutions. Other interests include vestibular schwannoma, vertigo, facial nerve disorders, ear disease and marble bone disease. He is also a director of the Cape Hearing Implants (CHi), a non-profit company that gives patients access to implantable hearing solutions that they would otherwise not be able to afford. He is a member of the Hearring group.

Johan nell

Dr Johan Nell

Dr Johan Nell is an ENT surgeon in private practice since 2003. He works out of theLouis Leipoldt Mediclinic, and Cure Day Hospital Bellville, a specialized day care surgical unit. He has a special interest in otology and hearing loss, including implantable hearing solutions. His other interests include Paediatric ENT disease, upper airway obstruction in children, eustachian tube dysfunction, cholesteatoma, chronic serous otitis media (CSOM), chronic rhinosinusitis, functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), septoplasty, turbinoplasty, nasal allergy and laryngology.

Jaco-Terblanche

Dr Jaco Terblanche

Dr Jaco Terblanche is an ENT surgeon in private practice since 1997 based at Netcare Kuilsriver Hospital and in Upington in the Northern Cape. He has a special interest in otology, cochlear implantation (CI) and implantable hearing solutions. His interests extend to functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) and endoscopic skullbase surgery. Dr Terblanche also has a special interest in nasal allergy, snoring and sleep apnoea, pituitary surgery, ear disease  and laryngology. He was the first ENT surgeon in the Western Cape to implant a Bonebridge implantable hearing device.

Prof Michael Strupp

Prof Michael Strupp

Prof Michael Strupp is a world renowned neurologist from Munich, Germany. He has a special interest in vertigo and balancerelated disorders and is the author of numerous books and publications. He holds a travelling Professorship from the University of Pretoria and is an honorary member of the SA ENT Society. Prof Strupp acts as a consultant for challenging cases and when in South Africa sees patientswith serious complications. He is an external consultant for Hearing Balance Cape Town. Prof Strupp has been a generous contributor to South African charitable organisations over the past few years. He returns to the country annually to teach and conduct masterclasses in vertigo and balance disorders.

Prof Wolf-Dieter Baumgartner

Austrian-born Prof Wolf-Dieter Baumgartner , is a specialist in ear, nose, and throat diseases and is the acting senior physician at the University Clinic for Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases at MedUni Vienna/Vienna General Hospital under the world-reknowned Professor Wolfgang Gstöttner. He has worked at the Vienna Clinic since 1992. Since May 2012 he has been a Professor of Otology & Cochlear Implants at Karolinska University in Stockholm. He is also a lecturer at the Rudolfinerhaus Vienna University of Applied Sciences campus and a member of the University Department of the Vienna Medical Association. He has been President of the HEARING Group since 2017. 

Prof George Sprinzl

Prof George Sprinzl is Professor of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery and leads the implant team of the Department in St. Poelten, Austria. He focuses on stapes surgery, surgery of active middle ear implants, skull base surgery and cochlear implantation. In the last few years, he has focused on clinically applied translational research in otology. He has published more than 100 articles in peer reviewed journals and partakes in international teaching and education. Prof Sprinzl has performed more than 390 Vibrant Soundbridge surgeries, making him one of the most experienced surgeons in active middle ear implants in the world.

Liezel Coetzee

Liezel Kotze

Liezel Kotze is an Audiologist and SpeechLanguage Therapist who has been in private practise for over 20 years She is the practice owner and sole director of Hearing Balance Cape Town (formerly Liezel Kotze Inc.) which has four practices across the greater Cape town region.. She has extensive experience in diagnostic hearing assessments, hearing devices and implantable hearing solutions. She is also a directors of Cape Hearing Implants CHi), a non-profit company set up to deliver advanced hearing solutions to those who might otherwise not be able to afford them.

Adri-Schlichting

Adri Schlichting

Adri Schlichting is an independent Audiologist and SpeechLanguage therapist with more than 27 years’ experience. She has a special interest in cochlear implants and all other implantable hearing solutions. She obtained additional qualification and registration with the HPCSA in 2005 to perform cochlear implant specific assessments, mapping and rehabilitation of adult and paediatric patients with cochlear implants.

Kimberley Liddle

Kimberley Liddle is an  Audiologist and Speech-Language Therapist. She has gained experience working for a hearing aid company and in private practice. She also received additional paediatric hearing loss training at Red Cross Children’s Hospital.In Cape Town. Her interests include hearing preservation, early hearing loss detection, diagnostic audiology, hearing aids, and implantable hearing solutions for adult and paediatric patients.   

Tammy

Tammy

Tammy is an audiologist. She studied at the University of the Witwatersrand and graduated with distinction. She enjoys working with neonates and the geriatric population. She has a special interest in vestibular assessment and rehabilitation as well as implantable hearing solutions for adult and paediatric patients. She strives to provide audiological services that are person-centred, contextually relevant, and evidence-based with the aim of improving patient outcomes and overall quality of life.

Heleen

Heleen is an Audiologist. She has experience in the public and private sector performing cerumen management, diagnostic hearing tests, hearing loss management, tinnitus treatment, hearing preservation, neonatal and paediatric screening, hearing aid fittings and patient counselling. Heleen is passionate about helping patients understand their hearing loss and take control of their hearing health. She is experienced in developing individual, personalized treatment plans and going the extra mile for her patients.

hearing problems

Carianne Vermeulen

Carianne Vermeulen is an independent Speech Language Therapist in private practice in Bellville. She has a special interest in the assessment and verbal rehabilitation of adult and paediatric patients with cochlear implants. Her other interests include neurologic communication disorders, voice pathology and facial nerve disorders, including mime therapy. She is currently the only therapist in Cape Town trained in mime therapy.

hearing implants

Natasha Kritzas

Natasha Kritzas Is a counselling psychologist in private practice at the Blaauwberg Therapy Centre in Tableview and at the Clairwood Medical Practice in Gardens. She makes use of a narrative approach to therapy and focuses mainly on having conversations with teenagers and adults about their lives and the circumstances they find themselves in, especially as it relates to hearing loss and cochlear implantation. She enjoys working with a wide range of psychological challenges.

Clive Farao

Clive Farao is a qualified Hearing Aid Technician with over 33 years of experience. He works at the hearing aid laboratory of Hearing Balance Cape Townin Belville. He has vast experience in the manufacturing and modification of hearing aid moulds. He also offers a same-day, on-site service for the convenience of patients, understanding that waiting for a hearing aid or mould repair is not an option for patients

Georgina Hugo

Georgina Hugo

Gina Hugo is Hearing Balance Cape Town’s bookkeeper and personnel officer with indepth understanding of the unique needs of an audiology practice. She previously worked for well-known auditing firms and has over 43 years of experience. She is a director of Cape Hearing Implants (CHi), a non-profit company specialising in implantable hearing solutions.

 

Suzette Boshoff

Suzette Boshoff is the practice manager of the Cape Town branch of Hearing Balance Cape Town and a secretary at Cape Hearing Implants (CHi), a non-profit company specialising in implantable hearing solutions. With more than 15 years of experience within the medical field, she applies this knowledge to enhance the quality of life for both children and adults presenting with hearing or vestibular challenges. 

Retha van Rooyen

Retha van Rooyen is the practice manager of the Bellville branch of Hearing Balance Cape Town and a secretary at Cape Hearing Implants (CHi), a non-profit company specialising in implantable hearing solutions. She has 23 years of experience in medical practices, including as a training manager. She has been involved in the successful establishment of practices and implementing unique operating procedures.  

Soné Ebersohn

Soné Ebersohn is the practice manager of the Kuils River branch of Hearing Balance Cape Town and a secretary of Cape Hearing Implants (CHi), a non-profit company specialising in implantable hearing solutions. Growing up with an older deaf sibling, she has a deep understanding of the impact of hearing loss.    

Isabel Schulz

Isabel Schulz is the practice manager of the Blaauwberg branch of Hearing Balance Cape Town and a secretary at Cape Hearing Implants (CHi), a non-profit company specialising in implantable hearing solutions. She has over 20 years experience as a medical receptionist and prides herself on going the extra mile to guarantee patient satisfaction.