Audiologist

Veterans Health Administration•Saint George, UT

11d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is in the Audiology & Speech Pathology Service at the Salt Lake City VA Medical Center’s St. George, Utah Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC). The Audiologist plans, conducts, and coordinates diagnostic evaluation and treatment of hearing impairment and balance disorders, providing care throughout the medical center’s clinical and patient-care areas. The full-performance level is GS-12; applicants may be selected at GS-11 or GS-12. The role provides a full range of contemporary audiology services, including evaluation and treatment of hearing and balance disorders, hearing-aid and amplification-system selection and fitting, auditory rehabilitation, and counseling for Veterans and their families. The Audiologist assesses patients with varying levels of complexity, including patients who may not be able to provide consistent or reliable responses during diagnostic testing. The position also delivers patient-centered treatment and rehabilitation for people with significant physical or psychological complicating conditions. The Audiologist plans and conducts auditory, tinnitus, and vestibular rehabilitation; supports hearing conservation for employees at risk of noise exposure; and consults on difficult and complex cases. Care may be delivered through telehealth in coordination with telecommunication technicians. The position maintains professional competency, participates in staff and interdisciplinary meetings and training, and is responsible for maintaining and calibrating specialized electro-acoustic and calibration instruments. The Audiologist orders and repairs hearing aids through ROES and provides clinical direction and oversight to audiology technicians and telecommunications technologists, without supervising them. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework and virtual work are not available. Relocation and recruitment incentives, and permanent change of station, are not authorized.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated limited exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
Proficiency in spoken and written English.
Doctor of Audiology (AuD) from an audiology program recognized by ACAE or CAA/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 accreditor.
Full, current, and unrestricted doctoral-level audiology license in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia, except that qualifying non-licensed applicants may be considered for a temporary GS-11 graduate audiologist appointment under the stated conditions.
For GS-11: knowledge of principles and techniques for assessing and treating auditory and balance disorders; ability to perform 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 next lower grade; skill in determining the nature, type, and severity of hearing, communication, and vestibular disorders; skill in counseling patients and families; ability to advise and consult with other health-care professionals; and ability to independently apply contemporary audiologic treatments across patient populations.
Foreign education used to qualify must be evaluated by a specialized credential-interpretation organization and deemed equivalent to U.S. education; the required foreign-equivalency documentation must be provided.
Meet applicable pre-employment requirements, including background/security investigation, onboarding, acceptable identification, and seasonal influenza vaccination.
Serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to evaluation and written certification for continued employment.
The work requires extended movement about the work unit and recurring bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, and repositioning or transferring patients; the incumbent may encounter combative patients and must respond effectively in stressful situations and take prompt emergency action.

Responsibilities

Plan, conduct, and coordinate clinical and administrative aspects of audiology practice, including diagnostic evaluation and treatment of hearing and balance disorders.
Provide direct patient care, including hearing and balance evaluations, treatment, hearing-aid and amplification-device selection and fitting, auditory rehabilitation, and counseling for Veterans and their families.
Identify and evaluate hearing disorders affecting reception and perception of speech, language, and other acoustic signals across a range of patient complexity.
Administer diagnostic tests, including tests of vestibular nerve function, and assess hearing loss in patients who may not provide consistent or reliable responses.
Plan, deliver, and monitor patient-centered treatment and rehabilitation, including digital hearing-aid programming; fitting assistive and listening devices; issuing hearing protection; and inspecting, modifying, or repairing amplification devices and ear molds.
Plan, conduct, and coordinate auditory rehabilitation, tinnitus rehabilitation, and/or vestibular rehabilitation programs.
Design patient-centered plans to help patients and caregivers maximize or restore functioning.
Design, monitor, and conduct a comprehensive hearing-conservation program for employees at risk of noise exposure.
Consult with facility personnel on difficult and complex cases and serve as a subject matter expert on hearing, tinnitus, and balance disorders.
Deliver care through telehealth and coordinate with telecommunication technicians.
Maintain professional competency through professional reading, continuing education, professional learning, and communication with professionals in audiology and related fields.
Attend staff and interdisciplinary health-care team meetings, review policies and procedures, and attend in-service training.
Maintain and calibrate specialized electro-acoustic and calibration instrumentation.
Order and repair hearing aids through ROES in accordance with the Independent Hearing Aid Program.
Provide clinical direction and oversight to audiology technicians and telecommunications technologists involved in patient care.