Meet Our Team
You’ll See the Difference Our Hearing Center Provides
Your ability to hear connects you not only to your loved ones but also to the entire world. This important part of your life shouldn’t be trusted by someone without the proper experience. At Florida Gulf Coast Hearing Center, we have a team of professionals to provide treatment and care for your hearing loss. Our staff is trained to fit patients with a variety of hearing technologies as well as offer other treatment and preventative options. Our doctors are board-certified and fellowship-trained in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Our audiologists are board-certified and are required to stay up to date on the most current technology and treatment options. You can be sure you’re getting the best care when you visit our hearing centers in Naples, and Estero, FL.
Meet the Team
Our co-founders Dr. Samuel L. Hill and Dr. Patrick M. Reidy are committed to providing the best care and services for their patients. We utilize some of the most advanced technology to diagnose hearing issues as well as to treat hearing loss. Everyone on our staff works to develop personal relationships with our patients and provide continued service as they need it. You can return to us at any time if you have further questions or you encounter a problem with your treatment or hearing devices. Learn more about our staff on this page.
Samuel L. Hill, III, MD, FACS, FAAOA
Board Certification and Medical Licensure
• American Board of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery
• State of Florida
Education
• University of Michigan - Bachelor of Science - Magna Cum Laude
Postgraduate Training
• Wayne State University - Detroit Medical Center - Doctor of Medicine
• Wayne State University - Detroit Medical Center - Internship - General Surgery
• Wayne State University - Detroit Medical Center - Residency - Otololaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery
• Ear Research Foundation at The Silverstein Institute - Fellowship - Neuro-otology/Advanced Otologic and Skull Base Surgery
Professional Memberships
• American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery
• American College of Surgeons
• American Academy of Otolayngic Allergy
• Florida Medical Association
• Collier County Medical Society
• Lee County Medical Society
• Wayne State University Medical Alumni Society
• University of Michigan Alumni Society
Patrick M. Reidy, MD
Board Certification and Medical Licensure
• American Board of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery
• State of Florida
Education
• University of Michigan - Bachelor of Science GO BLUE!!
Postgraduate Training
• Wayne State University - Detroit Medical Center - Doctor of Medicine
• Wayne State University - Detroit Medical Center - Internship - General Surgery
• Wayne State University - Detroit Medical Center - Residency - Otololaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery
• University of Chicago Medical Center - Fellowship - Rhinology / Allergy / Advanced Sinus Surgery
Professional Memberships
• Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society
• American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery
• American Rhinological Society
• Florida Medical Association
• Collier County Medical Society
• Lee County Medical Society
• University of Michigan Alumni Society
• Wayne State University Medical Alumni Society
Leela Lavasani, MD, FACS
Dr. Lavasani offers a comprehensive program of specialized ear, nose, and throat care that reflects our commitment to delivering individualized and optimal treatment to patients of all ages. She has the experience and skill to provide comprehensive diagnosis and management of diseases affecting the ears, nose and paranasal sinuses, voice, throat, thyroid, and neck.
Board Certification and Medical Licensure
• American Board of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery
• State of Florida
Education
• Macalester College– Bachelor of Arts– Biology
Postgraduate Training
• Chicago Medical School- Master of Science- Applied Physiology
• George Washington University School of Medicine– Doctor of Medicine
• Thomas Jefferson University– Residency – Otolaryngology
Professional Memberships
• American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery
• American College of Surgeons
• American Medical Women’s Association
• Alpha Omega Alpha of Otolaryngology
Shanai Hill, AU.D., CCC-A
Dr. Shanai Hill has been with Florida Gulf Coast ENT and Hearing Center since its inception in 2005. She helped to create the Audiology Department alongside her husband, Dr. Samuel Hill and his partner, Dr. Patrick Reidy. She currently provides hearing and hearing aid services including hearing aid evaluation, demonstrations, repairs, and sales at our Estero location. Dr. Hill believes that the hearing rehabilitation process should be much more than a retail transaction. She is dedicated to working closely with her patients as they embark on their journey to better hearing. She provides continuous education, counseling, validation and technological support for her patients and their families in order to improve their communication abilities and their overall quality of life.
Prior to her time with FCGHC, she practiced Pediatric Audiology at All Children's Specialty Care Center/Johns Hopkins in Ft. Myers and the Children's Hospital of Michigan. During that time, she diagnosed and treated pediatric hearing loss including participating in the Craniofacial/Cleft Palate Team and the Cochlear Implant Team. She also spent 2 years in the Michigan Public Schools System as an Educational Audiologist providing hearing therapy and hearing aid/ FM unit support for hearing impaired students.
Dr. Hill has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Disorders from Michigan State University, a Master of Science degree in Audiology from Wayne State University, and a Doctor of Audiology degree from the University of Florida. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, having fun with her husband and teenage boys, and serving at her church.
Billy T. Crooks, HIS
We welcomed Billy T. Crooks to the team in May of 2015. For many years, Billy worked as a popular radio air-personality while he was obtaining a degree in marketing from Michigan State University. Though he is a native of mid-Michigan, Billy’s musical passions moved him around the country, briefly living in St. Louis, New York City, and Nashville. He has worked as a sound engineer with a number of bands in Michigan and at a studio in New York City. He later ran his own real estate appraisal company for 11 years in Michigan, but decided he was ready to try something new and escape the cold weather.
Since his child years, Billy always had a curiosity to “see how things work,” often taking apart electronics and repairing them. This curiosity coupled with his vast music and sound knowledge made him an excellent choice for the audiology field. His longtime friend. Dr. Samuel Hill knew he’d make a great fit on our team and invited him down to sunny Florida to take over operations at Florida Gulf Coast Hearing Center. Billy became an official Hearing Aid Specialist to prepare for the job. This title requires the completion of studies with the International Hearing Society, a rigorous training process, and the successful completion of a state test.
When he’s not at the office, Billy enjoys playing his guitar and recording music at his home studio, as well as traveling, watching sports, and catching up with family and friends.
Elvera Bader, AU.D
Dr. Elvera Bader joined Florida Gulf Coast ENT in 2023 after moving to Florida with her husband and two daughters. Originally from New York, Dr. Bader earned her bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from CUNY Brooklyn College and her doctorate in Audiology from the CUNY Graduate Center in NYC.
Before joining Florida Gulf Coast ENT, Dr. Bader worked independently at a small boutique practice in NYC, specializing in the hearing healthcare needs of musicians and others in the music industry. She later joined a busy Otolaryngology practice affiliated with the Northwell Health System, where she spent five years. During this time, she was part of a comprehensive team of providers focusing on the diagnosis and treatment/management of hearing disorders from birth through adulthood.
Dr. Bader is dedicated to providing evidence-based care in a personalized, patient-centered approach, guiding her patients on their journey to improved hearing.