Sites:
NWI- Omaha and Lincoln

Location:

Omaha Main Campus
4101 Woolworth Avenue
Audiology, Stop 126
Omaha, NE 68105

Lincoln CBOC
420 Victory Park Drive
Lincoln, NE 68510

Description:
The NWIHCS Audiology and Speech Pathology department offers two challenging and comprehensive Externships annually.  One position serves at the Omaha main campus, and one is at the Lincoln, NE CBOC.  Application packages are submitted to each facility separately.

In addition to comprehensive audiological evaluations and hearing aid services the department offers several specialty clinics including a comprehensive vestibular program, auditory implant program, Progressive Tinnitus Management program, auditory processing evaluations, electrophysiological evaluations, Tele-audiology clinic, and multi-disciplinary team opportunities.  The Omaha VA is an ENT surgical site which allows for multiple opportunities to work with ENT patients and to observe surgeries.   Our clinicians and externs enjoy a fast-paced, challenging caseload between scheduled appointments and our walk-in clinic for hearing aid patients.

Number of externship positions:
2 funded

Funding is assigned by the Office of Academic Affairs and may not have been determined by the application deadline. OAA funding is announced nationally at the same time which should allow sites to know funding at approximately the same time.

Historically our site has been awarded the maximum allocation of funded 4th year externships each 3-year application cycle. Currently, the maximum awarded to any VA facility for the current 3-year cycle is 2 stipends. After the September 22 deadline, all applications are reviewed and interview requests are sent out to students soon thereafter. Selections will be made NLT October 20 with the understanding that funding is not guaranteed until OAA releases official information, typically this occurs in mid-late January. Ultimately if funding is not awarded for all externship positions, without compensation (WOC) positions will be offered.

Clinical opportunities provided during the externship:

• Audiologic evaluation
• Immittance measures
• Otoacoustic emissions
• Hearing aid selection
• Hearing aid fitting
• Assistive listening devices
• Vestibular evaluation
• Electrophysiology evaluation
• Tinnitus evaluation
• Tinnitus management
• Cochlear Implant evaluation
• Cochlear Implant management
• Osseointegrated implant evaluation
• Osseointegrated implant management
• Cerumen Management
• Telehealth program
• ENT clinic

Externship site expects the extern to have mastered these skills before they begin their clinical externship:
Knowledge and skills consistent with completion of 3 years in a clinical and didactic program of study in an accredited AuD program.

Externship site expects the extern to learn/demonstrate these skills during their clinical externship:
1) Veteran centered care delivery.
2) Understanding and demonstration of foundational audiological principles and techniques.
3) Emerging skills in subspecialty areas.

Number of audiologists at site:
8-Omaha, 5-Lincoln

Number of staff at site:
11-Omaha, 7-Lincoln

Audiologists holding CCC-A certification:
8

Audiologists holding ABA certification:
0

What level of supervision is provided:
Direct and indirect depending on knowledge and skills of extern

Number of patients seen per year:
27,000

How many students per year both interns and externs:
10

Continuing Education opportunities:
Externs are offered and involved in the same on-site (or virtual) training opportunities available to full-time staff. Funded externs are permitted to request approval to attend one off-site training as they are available.

Travel to satellites required:
No

Are there interdisciplinary opportunities? If so what:
ENT
Speech Pathology
Telehealth

Are there research opportunities? If so what:
No

Do you have a consortium or collaborative arrangements with other sites that provides additional experience:
No

What communication or other support do you expect or require from university during externship?
Deadlines for mid-term and final evaluations/assessments, program expectations, support for remediation if needed

Site’s application requirements:
Cover letter
CV/resume
3 letters of recommendation
Graduate and undergraduate transcripts (unofficial or official)
Virtual interview required

Steps for the student/university to follow the application process:
Please electronically submit all required materials to:

NWI-Omaha main campus program: Jodi.Winfrey@va.gov

Lincoln CBOC campus program:   Hillary.Howard@va.gov

Site’s application deadline:
September 22, 2023

Site’s externship contact:
Jodi Winfrey, Au.D., CCC-A

Anticipated decision date:
Initial offers may be extended as early as September 29, no later than October 20, 2023