Audiology Specialist I

Kaiser Permanente; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco seeks a licensed audiologist to determine hearing levels, conduct balance assessments, and manage treatment plans for auditory and balance disorders. You will fit and program hearing aids, counsel patients and families, and maintain detailed records using clinic software.

Requires Doctorate or Master’s with clinical experience, California license (or progress toward licensure within 12 months), and valid BLS/CPR.

Qualifications

• Minimum Qualifications: Doctorate or Master’s with 2+ years in audiology
• National Provider Identifier required at hire
• Basic Life Support required at hire
• Audiologist License (California) required at hire OR Temporary License (California) required at hire
• Audiologist License (California) within 12 months of hire

Responsibilities

• Pursues effective relationships by providing resources, information, and expertise to coworkers and members.
• Completes work autonomously using up-to-date expertise to generate solutions and support projects.
• Conducts patient treatment including habilitative and rehabilitative programs and hearing aid support.
• Diagnoses and monitors patients by interpreting audiological data and tracking progress over time.
• Provides audiology education to patients and professionals on pre- and post-hearing aid care.
• Maintains diagnostic records and documentation of visits and results.

Skills

Ambiguity management

Attention to detail

Communication

Critical thinking

Decision making

Interpersonal skills

Problem solving

Teamwork

Learning agility

Organizational savvy

Education

Doctorate degree in Audiology, Speech and Hearing Science, or Communication Disorders

Master’s degree in Audiology, Speech and Hearing Science, or Communication Disorders

Tools

Audiology Equipment

Job description

Job Summary

Performs testing and examination using comprehensive audiology knowledge to determine a patients hearing level, balance assessment, and/or the site and nature of any damage. Interprets diagnostic audiological results with other diagnostic data to formulate the patients diagnosis, and plans various auditory disorder treatments to ensure that best practices are followed, and positive care outcomes are achieved. Conducts treatment for patients using foundational knowledge including habilitative, rehabilitative, or conservation programs, custom fitting, programming, and troubleshooting of hearing aids, and counseling individuals with auditory and balance disorders, their families, and other service providers. Maintains records of diagnostic findings and progress made utilizing appropriate software. Conducts and evaluates clinical and research procedures as well as improved methods of evaluation of persons with auditory and balance disorders. Provides audiology education for patients and other professionals relating to pre-hearing aid expectations, post-purchase use and care, and hearing and balance disorders.

Essential Responsibilities

• Pursues effective relationships with others by proactively providing resources, information, advice, and expertise with coworkers and members. Listens to, seeks, and addresses performance feedback; provides mentoring to team members. Pursues self-development; creates plans and takes action to capitalize on strengths and develop weaknesses; influences others through technical explanations and examples. Adapts to and learns from change, challenges, and feedback; demonstrates flexibility in approaches to work; helps others adapt to new tasks and processes. Supports and responds to the needs of others to support a business outcome.
• Completes work assignments autonomously by applying up-to-date expertise in subject area to generate creative solutions; ensures all procedures and policies are followed; leverages an understanding of data and resources to support projects or initiatives. Collaborates cross-functionally to solve business problems; escalates issues or risks as appropriate; communicates progress and information. Supports, identifies, and monitors priorities, deadlines, and expectations. Identifies, speaks up, and implements ways to address improvement opportunities for team.
• Conducts treatment for patients by: Utilizing comprehensive foundational knowledge to conduct or participate in habilitative, rehabilitative, or conservation programs; counseling individuals with auditory disorders, their families, and other service providers, independently, regarding the etiology of the disorder, its management, the recommended follow-up and treatment plan; and using foundational knowledge to custom fit and program hearing aids, troubleshoot hearing aid problems, provide in office hearing aid maintenance and repair, perform electroacoustic analysis and Rear Ear measurement to ensure patient benefit.
• Diagnoses and monitors patients by: Coordinating diagnostic audiological results with other diagnostic data, such as educational, medical, social, and behavioral information; independently interpreting the results of all auditory diagnostic data in order to reach a diagnosis; and independently monitoring changes in relevant audiometric and other diagnostic data to determine changes over time and progress through treatment.
• Provides audiology education for patients and other professionals by: Preparing and presenting patient educational classes relating to pre-hearing aid expectations, post-purchase use and care, and hearing and balance disorders; and conducting and/or participating in seminars/workshops to teach audiology to professional staff and train them to conduct routine audiometry.
• Maintains records by: Independently recording diagnostic findings and progress made utilizing appropriate software; and completing required visit documentation, reporting results, billing, and service capture.
• Conducts and evaluates research by: Contributing to the development of clinical and research procedures as well as improved methods of evaluation of persons with auditory and balance disorders; using foundational knowledge to postoperatively conduct studies to determine hearing improvement achieved through surgery; and reporting results of research and evaluation using independent judgement.
• Performs testing and examination by: Applying comprehensive audiology knowledge to physically and otoscopically examine the outer structure of the ear and its organic or inorganic nature, and administering acoustic and electro-acoustic tests, to determine a patients hearing level, balance assessment, and/or the site and nature of any damage.
• Plans treatments for patients by: Utilizing comprehensive foundational knowledge to anticipate and predict potential benefits of various auditory disorder treatments, such as hearing aids or special training; coordinating habilitative and rehabilitative programs including counseling, guidance, auditory training, and hearing conservation, as well as medical referrals as needed through the application of audiology knowledge; and coordinating, independently, with other professionals such as audiologists, surgeons, physical therapists, provider staff, and oncologists in order to ensure that best practices are followed and positive care outcomes are achieved.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: (Core)

• Ambiguity/Uncertainty Management
• Attention to Detail
• Business Knowledge
• Communication
• Critical Thinking
• Cross-Group Collaboration
• Decision Making
• Dependability
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Support
• Drives Results
• Facilitation Skills
• Health Care Industry
• Influencing Others
• Integrity
• Learning Agility
• Organizational Savvy
• Problem Solving
• Short- and Long-term Learning & Recall
• Teamwork
• Topic-Specific Communication

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: (Functional)

• Acts with Compassion
• Audiology Equipment
• Clinical Audiology
• Confidentiality
• Coordination
• Health Care Quality Standards
• Interpersonal Skills
• Literature Searches
• Maintain Files and Records
• Medical Terminology
• Patient Safety
• Presentation Skills
• Quality Assurance and Effectiveness
• Relationship Building
• Service Focus
• Time Management

Minimum Qualifications

• Doctorate degree in Audiology, Speech and Hearing Science, or Communication Disorders obtained prior to position start date, OR Masters degree in Audiology, Speech and Hearing Science, Communication Disorders obtained prior to position start date, and minimum two (2) years of experience in audiology or a directly related field.

• National Provider Identifier required at hire

• Basic Life Support required at hire

• Audiologist License (California) required at hire OR Temporary Audiologist License (California) required at hire

• Audiologist License (California) within 12 months of hire

Preferred Qualifications

• Valid Dispensing Audiologist License in state of primary practice.