Audiologist

Veterans Health Administration • Salem, VA

20d • 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 care for patients with hearing and balance disorders.

The Audiologist evaluates hearing, communication, and vestibular disorders; recommends and provides remedial and preventive services; counsels patients, families, and health care providers; and consults with other professionals as a subject matter expert. The position applies contemporary audiology treatments to complex adult patient populations, including hearing conservation, electrophysiological assessment, central auditory function assessment and treatment, tinnitus counseling, and advanced amplification fitting. The supervisor may assign staff audiologists to VHA programs and settings including inpatient or outpatient medicine, primary care, surgery, hearing health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, geriatrics, and compensation and pension.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework is ad hoc; this is not a virtual position. Relocation, recruitment incentives, and permanent change of station are not authorized. The full performance level is GS-12, and selection may be at GS-11 or GS-12.

Requirements

• 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 a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting institution.
• Full, current, and unrestricted doctoral-level audiology license in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia. A qualifying non-licensed applicant may be temporarily appointed as a graduate audiologist at GS-11 and cannot advance to GS-12 until licensed.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Knowledge of principles and techniques for assessing and treating auditory and balance disorders.
• Ability to perform functions within contemporary audiology scope of practice as defined by the American Academy of Audiology or ASHA.
• 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.
• For GS-12, skill in counseling patients and family members about management of hearing, communication, and vestibular disorders.
• For GS-12, ability to provide professional advice and consultation to other health care professionals in audiology.
• For GS-12, ability to independently apply contemporary audiologic treatments to the full range of patient populations.
• U.S. citizenship is required, except that non-citizens may be appointed when recruiting qualified citizens is not possible under the cited authority.
• Selected applicants must pass a pre-employment physical examination and background/security investigation; applicants in testing-designated positions are subject to pre-appointment drug screening.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA health care personnel.
• Applicants must complete required application and onboarding steps and serve a one- or two-year trial period.
• Foreign education must be evaluated by a private organization specializing in foreign educational credentials and deemed equivalent to U.S. education; a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency must accompany transcripts when used to qualify.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must meet Selective Service registration requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Audiology licensure within the United States or a U.S. territory.
• Experience with hearing aids.

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 tests, including auditory evoked potentials, videonystagmography, tinnitus evaluations, and balance assessments.
• Evaluate the type and degree of hearing loss and conduct Compensation and Pension evaluations.
• Provide expert opinions regarding the etiology of auditory dysfunction when needed and prepare medical opinions for disability determinations.
• Select, evaluate, and fit hearing aids, assistive listening devices, and accessories; provide follow-up and issue hearing protection.
• Plan, conduct, and coordinate aural rehabilitation, tinnitus rehabilitation, and/or vestibular rehabilitation programs.
• Design patient-centered treatment plans to help patients and caregivers maximize or restore physical and social functioning.
• Design, monitor, and conduct a comprehensive hearing conservation program for employees at risk for noise exposure.
• Counsel patients, family members, and health care providers on hearing loss, hearing-loss management, and hearing communication and vestibular disorders; provide educational resources.
• Serve as a consultant and subject matter expert to other health care professionals on hearing, tinnitus, and balance disorders, including difficult and complex cases.
• Apply contemporary audiology treatments across patient populations, including hearing conservation, electrophysiological assessment and interpretation, central auditory function assessment and treatment, tinnitus counseling, and advanced amplification analysis and fitting.
• Adapt clinical procedures and techniques, exercise clinical judgment, and document patient-care information in the medical record.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package available to the employee and family, subject to eligibility based on position type.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual for qualifying prior federal service 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