This position is currently located in the Audiology and Speech Pathology Clinic at Colmery O'Neil VA Medical Center in Topeka, KS. The duties and responsibilities are carried out throughout the medical center including all clinical and patient care areas involved with the service.

Duties

Major duties include, but are not limited to: Assess the nature, type, and severity of hearing/communication/vestibular disorders. Special clinic program responsibilities for the medical center's Vestibular Assessment Center with administrative responsibility over this program. The audiologist with special clinic program responsibilities conducts and oversees a full range of audiologic, vestibular and electrophysiologic evaluations to determine the type and degree of balance disorder, determine patients' need for rehabilitation, measures and reports program effectiveness and determines need for program modifications in conjunction with associated services Responsibility for the balance center involves program development, coordination with many internal and external programs and services including direct patient care, student training and academic affairs, bio-medical engineering, neurology, otology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, primary care, in-patient care, traumatic brain injury, polytrauma, fall prevention, and compensation and pension. The responsibilities include coordination of; all the equipment (assisting with SOWs, set up and maintenance), updating vestibular consults as needed, acting on all incoming vestibular consult referrals, training students, training of other staff and other disciplines, education to hospital staff, providing the assessments, review and interpretation of the findings, reporting back to referral staff and liaison for vestibular questions from hospital staff. Identifies and evaluates individuals with hearing disorders in the reception and perception of speech, language, and other acoustic signals. Administers the full range of tests including auditory evoked potentials, videonystagmography, tinnitus, and balance assessment; evaluates the type and degree of hearing loss; administers compensation and pension evaluations and provides an expert opinion regarding etiology of auditory dysfunctions as needed. Recommends remedial measures to mitigate hearing loss. Responsible for direct services of a remedial and preventative nature. The services encompass the following: selection, evaluation and fitting of hearing aids, assistive listening devices, and accessories; issuance of hearing protection. Incumbent plans, conducts, and coordinates auditory (aural) rehabilitation, tinnitus and/or vestibularrehabilitation programs for patients; designs patient-centered treatment plans to assist patient and caregivers to maximize and restore to the greatest extent possible physical and social functioning; and designs, monitors, and conducts a comprehensive hearing conservation program for employees at risk for noise exposure. Counsels patients and family members regarding management of hearing communication, and vestibular disorders. Counsels patients family and other health care providers on hearing loss, hearing loss management and provides patient educational resources. Incumbent serves as a consultant to other facility personnel involving the most difficult and complex cases. Provides professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional audiology to other health care professionals. Serves as consultant to other health care professionals and are recognized subject matter experts (SME) on matters related to hearing, tinnitus, and balance disorders. The supervisor may assign staff audiologists to any VHA program and setting, such as inpatient or outpatient medicine, primary care, surgery, hearing health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, geriatrics, compensation and pension. Independently applies professional contemporary audiology treatments to the full range of patient populations. Applies clinical skills in such areas as hearing conservation, electrophysiological assessment and interpretation, central auditory function assessment and treatment, counseling for coping with tinnitus, and analysis and fitting of advanced amplification technology. Applies knowledge, theories, and techniques to a full range of complex adult patients. Applies knowledge of embryology; genetics; pharmacology; basic physiology/disease processes; the effects of high intensity noise on the auditory mechanism. Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 0800-1630 Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education: Doctor of Audiology (AuD) from an audiology program recognized by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) or other doctoral degree in hearing science or a directly related field from an institution accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the USDE. Licensure: Individuals must hold a full, current and unrestricted license to practice audiology at the doctoral level in a United States state, territory, commonwealth or the District of Columbia. English Language Proficiency: Audiologist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f) Grade Determination: In order to qualify for the GS-13, candidates must possess at least two years of experience as a professional audiologist, with at least one year comparable to the next lower grade level and hold a valid unrestricted license and demonstrate all the KSA's listed in the announcement:1. Advanced knowledge in a focused area of contemporary audiology practice to provide oversight of a specialty program.2. Skill to evaluate the specialty program to ensure deadlines and goals are met.3. Skill to coordinate initiatives and build consensus among interdisciplinary team members.4. Ability to monitor and report on work progress in the specialty program to adjust workload and processes.(5) Ability to serve as the SME and provide education relating to the specialty program. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G29The full performance level of this vacancy is GS13. Physical Requirements: Requires light lifting and carrying (under 15 pounds); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking, standing, and repeated bending. Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously. Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4. Far visions correctable in one eye to 20/50 and to 20/100 in the other. Both eyes required. Must have depth perception and ability to distinguish basic colors and shades of colors. Hearing (Aid permitted).

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System 2200 SW Gage Blvd Topeka, KS 66622 US
• Name: Christye Greene
• Phone: 813-966-4360
• Email: [email protected]