Director of Audiology

Department Overview

The ENT Audiology program is in the physician’s pavilion on the main OHSU campus. The ENT audiology clinic performs over 4,000 visits annually and is forecasted to perform over 150 cochlear implant surgeries in FY25. Common visit types for adult and pediatric patients include routine diagnostic studies, cochlear implants, and hearing aids.

The Interim Director will be expected to spend a minimum of 50% of their time in the clinic seeing patients. This position is responsible for planning, directing, and managing the ENT Audiologists. The Interim Director will work in collaboration with the Director of Operations to provide patients access to high-quality care in a cost-effective manner. This position works with the neurotology and pediatric surgeons and Department leadership to develop and foster a collaborative healthcare team. The Interim Director has responsibilities in the areas of personnel management, financial management, strategic planning, operational management, and quality.

Function/Duties of Position

Clinical Responsibilities

• This position will be expected to have 50% of their schedule dedicated to clinic = 4 clinic sessions per week.  Sessions may include but are not limited to, pediatric and adult general clinic, cochlear implant, and hearing aid visits. 
• Tests performed may include pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry, electrophysiological assessments, including ABR and OAE.   

Operational Management

• Plans, organizes, directs, and monitors daily clinic performance. Maintains monthly audiology schedules. Collaborates with the Director of Operations to manage EPIC templates and workflows to optimize patient access.
• Develop/update and review annual protocols for pediatric and adult hearing aid and cochlear implant care.
• Respond to audiology patient complaints, providing patient recovery.
• Oversee audiology equipment.  Ensuring timely maintenance, calibration, and repair in collaboration with OHSU Clinical Technology Services.
• Develop, design, and create systems to improve current processes and flow.
• Manages daily productivity standards and monitors clinician and section productivity to targeted benchmarks and efficiency. 
• Initiate and maintain a research program focused on one or more clinical areas of audiology, such as cochlear implant research and clinical neurophysiology. Provide expertise and support for residents and fellow researchers.
• Where appropriate, initiate proposals for external funding.

Personnel Management 

• Recruit, hire, and train Audiologists to maintain service excellence.Provide mentorship for faculty audiologists working towards promotion. 
• Complete staff performance evaluations. Objectively evaluates/documents the performance of assigned personnel and takes corrective action as appropriate, counsels and coaches’ employees. 
• Responsible for ongoing competency and clinical training of audiology practitioners.
• Review/approve vacation requests to ensure the clinic is adequately covered with minimal patient disruption.
• Drive employee engagement through solid team support and leadership. 
• Oversee audiology operations, lead and develop the staff, build strong teams, and allocate resources effectively. 
• Educational oversight: coordinating quality organized education for Otolaryngology residents, fellows, medical students, audiology student interns, and externs.
• Holds regular staff meetings; Attends weekly Grand Rounds. Presents quarterly at Otolaryngology Grand Rounds. 
• Participates in ENT-assigned LEND fellow. Ensures mentoring, direction, and orientation and provides feedback in collaboration with team members.

Financial Management

• Develops an annual budget and strategies for meeting budget requirements in collaboration with the executive administrative team. Continuously monitors audiology budget and staffing and adjusts as appropriate to meet various clinical care and financial objectives.
• Monitors and reports revenues and expenses on an ongoing basis. Takes appropriate action to ensure the audiology division is within budget.  
• Ensure profitability through revenue and expense management. 
• Ensure operations function cost effectiveness while providing quality service by planning, proposing, and managing the capital and operating budgets.

Strategic Planning

• Provides strategic oversight and administrative leadership, including fiscal and clinical administration, long-range business planning, and compliance with federal, state, and third-party legislation and regulation for Audiology.
• Developing and leading a strategic and operational focus on vol