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Salisbury VA Health Care System

Site:
Salisbury VA Health Care System

Location:
1601 Brenner Ave
Salisbury, NC 28144

Description:
The Salisbury VA Health Care System (SVAHCS) is recruiting for an Audiology Extern for the 2024-2025 academic year, anticipated start June 2024 until May 2025.

Students will work primarily in the Salisbury VA, but will also have the opportunity to work with additional providers at our Health Care Centers (HCCs) located within 45 minutes of the main campus.    We provide predominately outpatient care, but also support inpatient services and the Community Living Center residents on the main campus.  There will be a wide range of services provided including audiologic evaluations and hearing aid fittings, evoked potential assessments, central auditory processing assessments, tinnitus management, cerumen management and vestibular clinic.

Salisbury is located in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, just 2 hours from the Blue Ridge Parkway in the mountains and 3 ½ hours from Carolina beaches.  We are one hour north of Charlotte, NC with a variety of professional sports (football, basketball, soccer, NASCAR) and US National Whitewater Center and one hour south of Winston Salem, NC with a variety of art, theater and historical venues.  There are over 200 vineyards and breweries across the state, an abundance of historical sites, festivals galore and wonderful hiking, camping, fishing and boating.

Number of externship positions:
1 position

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:  Historically our site has had 1 funded extern.

Clinical opportunities provided during the externship: 
Audiologic evaluation
Immittance measures
Otoacoustic emissions
Hearing aid selection
Hearing aid fitting
Assistive listening devices
Vestibular evaluation
Vestibular rehabilitation
Electrophysiology evaluation
Tinnitus management
Auditory Processing evaluation
Cerumen Management
Telehealth program
ENT clinic
Industrial/hearing conservation
In-patient audiologic services

Clinical opportunities not listed above:
None

Externship site expects the extern to have mastered these skills before they begin their clinical externship:
-Ability to complete comprehensive audiologic examination with interpretation
-Ability to repair, select and fit hearing aids, to take good ear impressions and to use real ear measurements equipment for verification
-Ability to write comprehensive and succinct reports
-Ability to provide basic counselling re hearing loss, impact of hearing loss on communication and communication repair strategies
-Good interpersonal skills, work ethic, professionalism and positive attitude toward feedback

Externship site expects the extern to learn/demonstrate these skills during their clinical externship:
-Increased test efficiency
-Growth in advanced audiologic assessment
-Growth in hearing aid fitting skills including things such as connectivity and accessories
-Growth in the area of vestibular assessment and treatment
-Growth in the area of tinnitus management
-Growth in electrophysiologic testing

Number of audiologists at site:
Four audiologists work at the main hospital campus and 5 at each of the HCCs

Number of staff at site:
Seven at each of the health care centers (five audiologists and two audiology health technicians) and nine at the main hospital (four audiologists, two audiology health technicians, two speech language pathologists and one administrative officer).

Audiologists holding CCC-A certification:
2

Audiologists holding ABA certification:
0

What level of supervision is provided:
Students have 100% supervision with an assigned audiologist at all times.

Number of patients seen per year:
Approximately 1900 annually per full time employee.

How many students per year both interns and externs:
Currently one extern and may add a second.

Continuing Education opportunities:
Any training available to the audiologists is also available to the extern, including regular service level trainings from vendors and opportunity to attend national level vendor sponsored training.   There are also 1-2 lectures per week with other students from a variety of disciples sponsored by our academic affairs office.  Grand Rounds occur monthly.  Any additional training provided in the service will be available to the extern.

Travel to satellites required?:
Yes

Are there interdisciplinary opportunities? If so what:
Yes.  We have regular interaction with ENT, SLP, neurology, behavioral health providers and other disciplines as required for patient management.  There are also training opportunities sponsored by our academic affairs office open to students from any discipline.

Are there research opportunities? If so what?:
No formal projects are underway, but independent study is an option based on student interest.

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?
We expect frequent communication prior to extern arrival to set up academic affiliation.  Once the student begins work, email communication at start and end of semester minimally.

Site’s application requirements:

  1. Resume detailing clinical experience and hours
  2. Three letters of recommendation, at least one academic and one clinical
  3. Transcript (unofficial or official)
  4. Letter of interest

Steps for the student/university to follow the application process:
Send comprehensive application package to the externship contact by the deadline.  Letters of recommendation directly from supervisors are preferred.

Site’s application deadline:
TBD

Site’s externship contact: 
Tracey Cater  Tracey.Cater@va.gov

Anticipated decision date:
TBD

 

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