Audiologist

Veterans Health Administration • Salem, VA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Audiologist serves within the Salem VAMC Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service, providing comprehensive audiologic care. The role includes diagnostic hearing, balance, and auditory evoked potential evaluations; hearing aid assessment, fitting, programming, and follow-up; Compensation and Pension (C&P) examinations; expert medical opinions for disability determinations; and rehabilitative services for patients with hearing and balance disorders.

The Audiologist assesses hearing, communication, and vestibular disorders and recommends remedial and preventative measures. Services include evaluating and fitting hearing aids, assistive listening devices, and accessories; issuing hearing protection; coordinating auditory, tinnitus, and vestibular rehabilitation; and designing patient-centered treatment plans. The incumbent also provides counseling and education to patients, families, and health care providers, consults on complex cases, and serves as a subject matter expert to other health care professionals.

The position requires independently applying contemporary audiology treatments across a full range of complex adult patients and clinical settings. The supervisor may assign staff audiologists to VHA programs and settings such as inpatient or outpatient medicine, primary care, surgery, hearing health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, geriatrics, and compensation and pension. The full performance level is GS-12; selection may be at GS-11 or GS-12. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework is unavailable, and the position is not virtual.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when recruiting qualified citizens is not possible under VA policy.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Doctor of Audiology (AuD) from an audiology program recognized by ACAE or CAA of ASHA, or another doctoral degree in hearing science or a directly related field from an institution accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
• A full, current, and unrestricted doctoral-level audiology license in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia. Eligible non-licensed applicants may be temporarily appointed as graduate audiologists at GS-11; they may not be promoted or converted to GS-12 until licensed.
• For GS-11, knowledge of principles and techniques for assessing and treating auditory and balance disorders; ability to perform functions within contemporary audiology scope of practice; and ability to interact with patients, families, and other health care professionals.
• For GS-12, one year of professional experience comparable to the GS-11 level.
• For GS-12, skill in determining the nature, type, and severity of hearing, communication, and vestibular disorders; skill in counseling patients and family members; ability to advise and consult with health care professionals; and ability to independently apply contemporary audiologic treatments across patient populations.
• Meet applicable pre-employment requirements, including background/security investigation, pre-employment physical examination, and seasonal influenza vaccination.
• Complete required application and onboarding documentation; selected applicants must serve a one- or two-year trial period.

Nice To Haves

• Audiology licensure within the United States or a U.S. territory.
• Hearing aid experience.

Responsibilities

• Assess the nature, type, and severity of hearing, communication, and vestibular disorders.
• Identify and evaluate individuals with disorders affecting reception and perception of speech, language, and other acoustic signals.
• Administer diagnostic evaluations, including auditory evoked potentials, videonystagmography, tinnitus, and balance assessments; evaluate the type and degree of hearing loss.
• Conduct Compensation and Pension evaluations and provide expert opinions on the etiology of auditory dysfunction as needed.
• Recommend remedial and preventative measures to mitigate hearing loss.
• Select, evaluate, fit, and follow up on hearing aids, assistive listening devices, and accessories; issue hearing protection.
• Plan, conduct, and coordinate auditory rehabilitation, tinnitus rehabilitation, and/or vestibular rehabilitation programs.
• Design patient-centered treatment plans to help patients and caregivers maximize and restore physical and social functioning.
• Design, monitor, and conduct a comprehensive hearing conservation program for employees at risk of noise exposure.
• Counsel patients, families, and health care providers on hearing loss, hearing-loss management, and hearing, communication, and vestibular disorders; provide patient educational resources.
• Consult with facility personnel and other health care professionals on complex audiology cases and serve as a subject matter expert on hearing, tinnitus, and balance disorders.
• Independently apply contemporary audiologic treatments across patient populations, including hearing conservation, electrophysiological assessment and interpretation, central auditory function assessment and treatment, tinnitus counseling, and advanced amplification technology.
• Apply knowledge of embryology, genetics, pharmacology, physiology, disease processes, and the effects of high-intensity noise on the auditory mechanism.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package for employees and their families.
• Potential annual leave accrual credit based on prior federal work or military service, subject to request and approval.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree