Dr. Stephen W. Bayles

Seth Schwartz, MD, is a board-certified otolaryngologist/neurotologist who provides cares for a wide-range of ear problems ranging from hearing loss and chronic ear disease to skull-base tumors. He specializes in cochlear implants, acoustic neuroma, hearing reconstructive surgery, chronic ear disease, and other medical and surgical management of ear problems.Dr. Schwartz enjoys helping people to communicate better through hearing restoration surgery and cochlear implants, which is a large part of what he does as the head of the cochlear implant program at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. He finds it hugely rewarding to be able to play a part in enhancing the quality of patients' lives through this transformative surgery.When not busy practicing medicine, Dr. Schwartz enjoys skiing, biking and spending time in the outdoors. Dr. Schwartz is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Glomus Tympanum Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Acoustic Neuroma, Infant Hearing Loss, Schwannoma, Myringotomy, and Adenoidectomy.

Alex Tampio, MD, is an otolaryngologist who subspecializes in neurotology. He treats patients with conditions affecting hearing, balance, skull base and related structures in the head and neck.Approachable and communicative, Dr. Tampio emphasizes patient education and collaboration, and prioritizes communication with patients and their loved ones. It is important to him that his patients feel empowered to make the best decisions for their health and to have an exceptional clinic experience.Dr. Tampio is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He recently served as a medical volunteer in Ethiopia with Partners for Global Hearing, training local otolaryngologists in clinical and surgical skills to treat hearing loss and other ear disorders.In his free time, Dr. Tampio enjoys exploring, making his wife and kids laugh, and baking Italian bread. He is a huge fan of autumn, the World Cup and really spicy food. Dr. Tampio is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Glomus Tympanum Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Recurrent Peripheral Facial Palsy, Infant Hearing Loss, DFNB1, and Jones Syndrome.

Douglas Backous, MD, is a board-certified neurotologist specializing in treating conditions of the ear and skull base. For more than 22 years, Dr. Backous has provided leading edge treatments for patients with hearing loss, deafness, chronic ear infections, cholesteatoma acoustic neuromas and facial nerve disorders. His professional passion is ensuring access to care for patients who choose to hear with cochlear implants, brainstem implants, Baha and other hearing devices. He treats adults and children. His medical research interests focus on implantable hearing device program efficiency for improved patient access and program viability. Dr. Backous is a member of the Proliance Surgeons Board of Directors. He is also the program director for the Seattle Advanced Otology Fellowship at Puget Sound ENT. Both Doug (’84) and his wife, Julie (’86), are alumni of Seattle Pacific University, where he previously served as Board Chair. They have three adult children. Dr. Backous is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Glomus Tympanum Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Cholesteatoma, Acoustic Neuroma, Schwannoma, and Infant Hearing Loss.