The ENT team at PMC consists of highly trained professionals which cover a wide range of services, from routine check-ups to intricate surgical procedures. ENTs use various diagnostic tools to evaluate and treat patients, and can perform surgical interventions when necessary. ENTs often work closely with other medical specialists such as audiologists, speech therapists and oncologists, all of which are available at PMC.

PMC is unique in that it offers ENT services for pediatric and patients. PMC Otolaryngologist Dr. William Hoskins, DO and Julie Spears, APRN see adult patients and specialize in treating pediatric patients, as well. Dr. Wayne Colin, DMD, MD specializes in treating head and neck cancers, diagnosing and treating both benign and malignant tumors in this region.

Dr. Brian Helton, MD, Dr. Mark Veronneau, DO and Dr. Colin practice a wide range of ENT duties and are also vital in trauma situations, offering facial plastic and reconstructive surgery services when necessary. These valuable services can be utilized to provide cosmetic enhancements and reconstructive surgery following cancer treatment.

For hearing and balance-related concerns, PMC Audiologist Dr. Julie Helfen, Au. D., CCC-A provides care for both adults and children. Dr. Helfen specializes in hearing testing, hearing aids, balance and dizziness, and adult and pediatric auditory brain stem response. To make an appointment with Dr. Helfen, patients can talk to their doctor for a referral.

PMC Otolaryngologists are all board-certified and work diligently to care for their patients’ diverse and intricate medical needs.

Otolaryngologists use various diagnostic tools such as endoscopes, detailed imaging studies and hearing tests to evaluate and treat patients and can perform surgical interventions when necessary. ENTs often work closely with other medical specialists, such as audiologists, speech therapists and oncologists, all of which are available at PMC, to provide comprehensive care.

PMC is unique in that it offers pediatric otolaryngology services as well as adult and geriatric otolaryngology. PMC Otolaryngologist William Hoskins, DO, sees adult patients, but he specializes in treating pediatric patients, allowing families to receive treatment close to home, eliminating the need to refer patients to specialists two or three hours away.

Wayne Colin, DMD, MD, specializes in treating head and neck cancers, diagnosing and treating both benign and malignant tumors in this region. Early detection and intervention can make a significant difference in treatment outcomes.

Brian Helton, MD, Mark Veronneau, DO and Dr. Colin practice a full range of ENT duties, and are also vital in trauma situations, offering facial plastic and reconstructive surgery services when necessary. These valuable services can also be utilized to provide cosmetic enhancements and reconstructive surgery following cancer treatment.

PMC Otolaryngologists are all board-certified and work diligently to care for their patients’ diverse and intricate medical needs. To learn more or to make an appointment to see a PMC Otolaryngologist on the 9th floor of the PMC Clinic building, call (606) 430-2209.

Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) has an experienced team of physicians, nurses and support staff on the 9th floor of the PMC Clinic building who specialize in both testing and treatment for allergies in adults and children. Depending on the type and severity of a patient’s suspected allergic reactions, a decision will be made as to which type of allergy test would be most beneficial.

PMC performs both percutaneous and intradermal allergy testing. Percutaneous, or scratch testing, is the most common type of allergy skin test where reactions to specific substances on the skin are noted. Intradermal testing injects a small amount of an allergen under the skin and is typically used to test for one or a few particular substances suspected of causing allergic reactions, like penicillin or bee venom.

When allergic reactions are noted, the next step is to determine the type of treatment necessary. Many times, patients are advised to begin immunotherapy, which exposes a patient to the allergen on a regular basis and gradually increases the amount over time. This method increases the patient’s ability to tolerate the allergen rather than reacting to it through sneezing, a stuffy nose or itchy, watery eyes. At Pikeville Medical Center, these types of allergy treatments are offered in the form of weekly allergy shots or sublingual treatments in the form of drops placed under the patient’s tongue.

For more information about allergy testing and treatments offered at Pikeville Medical Center, visit www.pmcky.org/otolaryngology-ear-nose-throat/ or call 606-430-2209.

Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) is proud to offer comprehensive allergy testing on the 9th floor of the PMC Clinic building.  Here, providers offer two types of allergy testing, percutaneous and intradermal. Both methods involve introducing a variety of allergens just below the top layer of the skin and monitoring for an allergic reaction which typically happens within 15 minutes.

“Finding out what someone is allergic to is an important first step to effective allergy treatment,” said PMC Otolaryngologist William Hoskins, DO. “When combined with a detailed medical history, allergy testing can identify specific things that trigger allergic reactions. Things are much different now than in years’ past when the allergy testing experience was uncomfortable. We now provide a topical ointment to apply on the skin prior to arriving at our office which numbs the skin prior to the beginning of the test.”

Allergic reactions occur when the body attempts to fight off the allergen as if it were a germ. This reaction can appear as sneezing, itching, swelling, vomiting or more serious reactions such as hives or difficulty breathing.

PMC’s 9th floor clinic offers allergy testing for adults and children and is one of the few allergy treatment centers in the region offering medication, weekly allergy shots and sublingual immunotherapy, which is an alternative way to treat patients without injections.

For more information on allergy services performed at PMC or to make an appointment, call 606-430-2210 or  watch the short video below on allergy services available at Pikeville Medical Center.

Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) offers a talented and experienced group of providers in its otolaryngology department located on the 9th floor of the PMC Clinic.  The team consists of PMC Audiologist Julie Helfen, Au. D., CCC-A, PMC Otolaryngologist Brian Helton, MD, PMC Otolaryngologist William Hoskins, DO, PMC Otolaryngologist Mark Veronneau, DO, along with physician assistant Danita Thompson, PA-C, and nurse practitioner Julie Spears, APRN.

At the beginning of December, PMC proudly announced the addition Wayne Colin, DMD, MD to the Otolaryngology team. Dr. Colin is Board Certified in oral and maxillofacial surgery, otolaryngology – head and neck surgery with Fellowship training in Head and Neck Microvascular Reconstruction. He provides a wide range of services including skin cancer care and reconstruction relating to the head, neck, and face, oral cancer care, larynx cancer care and other general ENT services.

“I am excited to join the PMC team and look forward to working with this amazing group to provide quality care to the patients of the region,” explained Dr. Colin. “At times, serious medical issues involving the ears, nose, throat, head or neck require a patient to be transferred to a facility outside this region, putting an added burden on patients and their families. I look forward to helping to keep our patients close to home.”

Dr. Wayne Colin offers ENT services to adult patients and is already seeing patients on the 9th floor of the PMC Clinic building. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 606-430-2209, or visit pikevillehospital.org/otolaryngology.

Symptoms such as laryngitis, chronic sinus infections, swollen lymph nodes, vertigo, hearing loss, sleep apnea, tonsillitis and ear infections are all indicators for a patient to seek an Otolaryngologists, also known as an ENT or “ear, nose and throat” physician. These specialized physicians treat conditions affecting the ear, nose, and throat.

William Hoskins, DO, William Brian Helton, MD, and Mark Veronneau, DO, are all board certified Otolaryngologists dedicated to providing specialty care close to home. These three physicians specialize in treating tonsils/adenoids, ear infections, sinus diseases, allergies, thyroid surgery, head and neck cancer surgery, hearing impairment, environmental allergy testing and more.

“I have always felt strongly that people should not have to leave our area to receive specialty care,” said Dr. Helton. “It is an honor to be able to provide these services to the residents of Eastern Kentucky in an attempt to improve their quality of life.”

“We continue to see an increase in patients suffering from ear, nose, and throat conditions in our region,” said Dr. Veronneau. “We strive to provide quality specialized treatment for those disorders.”

This prestigious group of ENT physicians offers the region specialty skills that include diagnosing and managing diseases of the larynx (voice box), oral cavity, ears and upper pharynx (mouth and throat) as well as in the neck and face.

“The patients we treat deserve to have the best possible quality of life,” said Dr. Hoskins. “Issues affecting a patient’s ears, nose and/or throat can cause serious problems affecting a patient’s physical and emotional health. We are here to address those issues and offer solutions.”

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 606-430-2209 or visit the otolaryngology pages on this site.

The three Otolaryngologists at Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) are part of a specialized team dedicated to treating patients of all ages, but are particularly skilled in the treatment of their youngest patients.

According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology, the most common childhood surgery performed with anesthesia each year is ear tube surgeries with more than half a million performed annually. Children who get frequent ear infections or who have persistent fluid backup behind the eardrum may be candidates for ear tubes, especially if there is hearing loss or delayed speech development.

Other children who visit an ENT are battling tonsillitis, a common condition in children older than two years old.  Inflamed tonsils can cause a severe sore throat, trouble swallowing and fever.  If the problem persists or is recurring, it may be necessary to remove them with a procedure known as a tonsillectomy.

Both ear tube surgeries and tonsillectomies are routinely performed by PMC’s Otolaryngologists who are committed to bringing relief and restoring health to their patients.

For more information about PMC’s Otolaryngology services, visit the otolaryngology pages on pikevillehospital.org.

Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) recognizes the problems that can develop during peak allergy seasons. While allergies may be seasonal for some patients, others have triggers that bring on reactions throughout the year.

PMC has made the ninth floor of the PMC Clinic Building home to a team of highly skilled physicians to provide advanced care to help identify and treat allergies, tonsils, adenoids, ear infections, and sinus disease. They also provide thyroid surgery, head and neck cancer surgery, environmental allergy testing, and more.

This specialty is called otolaryngology or ENT (ears, nose, throat). The physicians practicing at PMC are William Hoskins, DO, William Brian Helton, MD, and Mark Veronneau, DO. They are all board-certified and bring years of experience to their patients. They treat both adults and children, providing relief patients so desperately need to function better at work, home, and school. ENT is one more specialty that is readily available to patients of the region, keeping them close to home.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 606-430-2209, or please visit our Otolaryngology page.

Allergic reactions can cause symptoms such as itchiness, swelling, difficulty breathing, vomiting, hives and other severe symptoms.

“Finding out what someone is allergic to is an important first step to effective allergy treatment. Today, allergy tests are more convenient and accurate than before. When combined with a detailed medical history, allergy testing can identify the specific things that trigger allergic reactions,” said PMC Otolaryngologist, William Hoskins, DO.

Allergy testing is performed on the skin. When combined with a physical examination and medical history review, testing can reveal information about substances and their positive or negative effects on patients.

“We provide a topical ointment to apply on the skin prior to arriving at our office,” said Dr. Hoskins. “This allows the patient’s skin to be numbed in order for the test to be more comfortable.”

Dr. Hoskins says ignoring allergy symptoms could lead to chronic sinus problems and cause patients to develop secondary sinus infections.

“Allergies can make patients feel fatigued and experience drainage that could lead to sore throat and mimic other  illnesses. It’s important to get tested,” added Dr. Hoskins.

PMC’s 9th Floor Clinic offers allergy testing for adults and children and is one of the few allergy treatment centers offering medication, weekly allergy shots and sublingual immunotherapy which is an alternative way to treat patients without injections. Small doses of  allergen drops are administered under the patient’s tongue to boost tolerance and reduce symptoms.

“Patients are able to take these medicinal drops home. This cuts down on the weekly trips for shots to a doctor’s office,” said Dr. Hoskins.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment with one of PMC’s Otolaryngologists, please call 606-430-2209 or visit our Otolaryngology page.