Dr. Dena, owner of Peninsula Hearing Center, is a native San Diegan. She has worked with the hearing impaired for over fifteen years and prides herself on continuing the care of the community she calls home. Dena’s experience includes a variety of healthcare settings including private practice, hospitals, clinics, and as an educational and occupational Audiologist. She has the capability to properly assess any individual’s hearing needs no matter their age, budget, lifestyle, or type of hearing loss.

Peninsula Hearing Center is conveniently located in the village of Point Loma, with a friendly, knowledgeable, full-time staff. The staff shares a community focus, which is enhanced by Dena, who remains active in the Point Loma Association and Coronado Rotary. With this home-grown, professional expertise, Dena and her staff can accurately develop a healthy hearing plan to improve the quality of life for every patient that walks through the door. Now more than ever is a great time to hear what you’ve been missing.
Besides a beautiful private practice in Point Loma, Dr. Dena opened Coronado Hearing Center in March 2014.

Personally, Dena enjoys spending time with her husband, two daughters, and three dogs. Taking part in all Southern California has to offer, she loves taking her dogs to OB Dog Beach, running, swimming, hiking and riding bicycles with her family. Dr. Dena Riso, Au.D. is a licensed Doctor of Audiology and certified Hearing Aid Dispenser with the state of California.

Dr. Gemma Gray and her family moved to San Diego in the summer of 2019 from the UK. Gemma completed her Masters at the University of Southampton and her Doctorate was through the University of Florida. She has been in the field of Audiology since 2007 and previously was working at The Mayo Clinic in dementia research.

Gemma is now Team Manager here at Peninsula Hearing Center and we are excited to work with her as she complements our ethos of patient-centered care. This is at the heart of everything she does and she looks forward to addressing your hearing concerns so you can live life to its fullest.

When Gemma is not working, she is usually hanging out with her two young daughters, husband, and pet whippets, Dakota and Luna. They moved here to San Diego for the sun, and so you tend to find them outside exploring the area, hiking up a mountain, or playing at the beach.

Dr. Sarah Hernandez is a San Diego native and previously worked at PHC from 2014 to 2017 as an audiology assistant before leaving to receive her doctorate at A.T. Still University in Mesa, Az. During her time away, she gained multiple clinical experiences doing diagnostic balance assessments that she will now be incorporating into our Rancho Bernardo location. When Sarah is not in the office, she loves going on outdoor adventures with her husband, Luis, or spending time with her family and friends.

Dr. Jessica Moreno is a Northern California native. She graduated from Arizona State University with her Doctorate in Audiology in May and completed her Externship year with Sacramento Ear, Nose, & Throat. She has experience in adult and pediatric diagnostics and treatment, including cochlear implant, hearing aid fitting, cerumen management, and balance assessments. One of her great loves is humanitarian audiology. She has served in Malawi Africa and Mexico providing hearing healthcare to communities in need. Dr. Moreno is currently working full-time with the San Diego County Department of Education serving children with hearing loss in East County and helping to ensure their access to education. You can meet Jessica on Tuesday afternoons and Saturday mornings at our Point Loma location! Outside of the clinic, you might find her running the streets of Ocean Beach with her dog, Moses, or hiking along one of San Diego’s many state trails. She looks forward to meeting you all and will work hard to meet your hearing and communication needs!

Ruby Sortillon is a native San Diegan who married her high school sweetheart and currently lives in beautiful Chula Vista. She is a mom of 2 adult children and Glammy to her adorable grandson Joey Grey. She has worked in the hearing industry since 2007, which is where she met Dr. Dena. She is incredibly knowledgeable in hearing aids, hearing loss counseling, and insurance billing. You can always call our office and be certain that she will help you with anything you may need.

If you happen to stop by and Dr. Riso or Dr. Gray are busy, Ruby can help you clean, repair, and explain all of our hearing aid needs.

When she’s not managing the Point Loma office, Ruby enjoys spending time with her family and wonderful dog, Buchanas.

Mari, short for Maribel, joined the team in 2018 as office admin. She is a full-time college student at San Diego State University, studying Communication. Mari has two sisters, one older and one younger, and she loves hanging out with her family and making memories. When she is not at work or school, she enjoys using her annual pass to spend the day at Disneyland. Of course, that is on hold because of COVID. She is passionate about working out and staying active and participated in a variety of club sports, such as soccer, softball, volleyball, track, and cross country.

You will be greeted by her infectious smile in Point Loma on Monday, Fridays, and Saturdays, as well as Coronado on Wednesdays. She is ready to assist you with cleaning or troubleshooting your hearing aid, so come and say “hi!” sometime soon.
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