Tamara Chambers, MD, appointed to state board

Tamara Chambers, MD, an associate professor of clinical otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, has been appointed to the state of California’s Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board.

The board, which is part of the Department of Consumer Affairs, regulates the practices of speech-language pathology, audiology, and hearing aid dispensers in California. It consists of two speech-language pathologists, two audiologists, two hearing aid dispensers, and three public members, one of which must be a physician specializing in otolaryngology. Chambers was appointed to the board by California Governor Gavin Newsom and will serve on the board until January 1, 2028.

“Being on this board is exciting because it serves the public interest and helps makes sure that Californians receive high quality care from speech-language pathologists, audiologists and hearing aid dispensers,” said Chambers, who is also the chief medical officer of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Los Angeles General Medical Center. “I am honored to be part of something that strengthens protections for consumers.”

Protecting the public interest

The board is responsible for licensing speech-language pathologists, audiologists and hearing aid dispensers in California. It can also suspend or revoke licenses of those practitioners who fail to adhere to the regulations or who have been accused of unprofessional conduct, incompetence, fraud, or unlawful activity.

Additionally, the board reviews pending legislation that may affect the practices under its supervision and can make recommendations to legislators about how to improve legislation.

“Part of the work of this board is to look at proposed health policies and to look at how these policies might affect the professions we oversee,” said Chambers. “Then we can make recommendations on how to strengthen that policy in a way that protects the public interest.”

The board has other responsibilities that include developing ways to streamline communications with the 35,000 professionals in California who are licensed by the board. It is also responsible for developing means to streamline the process of obtaining licenses and certifications to ensure there are enough speech-language pathologists, audiologists and hearing aid dispensers operating in the state.

Chambers has been with the Keck School of Medicine since 2012. In her practice, which is at Los Angeles General Medical Center, Chambers works closely with audiologists and speech-language pathologists. She also routinely works with patients with hearing loss and who need hearing aid devices.