Sarah S. Connell, MD

Biography

Clinical Associate Professor

Clinical Science

Dr. Sarah Connell is a Southern California Permanente Medical Group Head and Neck Surgeon based at the Woodland Hills Medical Center and a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Science at KPSOM. She provides medical students with observational experiences in Otolaryngology, both in the clinic and operating room, and collaborates with students on clinical research related to cochlear implants, with the goal of presenting their work at national Head and Neck Surgery meetings. In addition to her clinical work, she has held several leadership roles with Kaiser Permanente and has been recognized for her teaching and scholarly work studying best practices for cochlear implant patients.

Profile headshot of Sarah S. Connell, MD

Education and Training

Degrees
BA, Rice University, Biochemistry and Chemistry, cum laude
MD, Baylor College of Medicine
Postdoctoral Training
Internship, General Surgery, University of California, Davis
Residency, Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, Davis
Fellowship, Neurotology, Miami Ear Institute

Professional Positions

Medical Director, Hearing Aid Center
The Permanente Medical Group
2016–2018
Assistant Chief, Head and Neck Surgery
The Permanente Medical Group
2016–2018
Physician Lead, Cochlear Implant Program
Southern California Permanente Medical Group
2018–present
Physician Lead, Care Without Delay Surgical Services
Southern California Permanente Medical Group
2018–present
Perioperative Director
Southern California Permanente Medical Group
2018–present
Clinical Associate Professor, Clinical Science
Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine
2025–present

Honors and Awards

Department of Otolaryngology Outstanding Resident Teaching Award
UC Davis
2002

Community Engagement

Volunteer, Native American Outreach Ministries
Joseph City, AZ
2012–2013
Physician Wellness Champion, Connect the Docs Program
The Permanente Medical Group
2013–2018
Volunteer
Ventura County Medical Explorers Post 911
2022–2023

Scholarly Activities

Peer-reviewed research manuscripts
  • Slattery WH, Lev MH, Fisher LM, Connell SS, Iqbal Z, Go JL; NF2 Natural History Consortium. MRI evaluation of neurofibromatosis 2 patients: a standardized approach for accuracy in interpretation. Otology & Neurotology. 2005 Jul;26(4):733-40. doi: 10.1097/01.mao.0000169048.15889.80. PMID: 16015177.
  • Balkany TJ, Connell SS, Hodges AV, et al. Conservation of residual acoustic hearing after cochlear implantation. Otology & Neurotology. 2006;27(8):1083-1088. doi:10.1097/01.mao.0000244355.34577.85.
  • Connell SS, Balkany TJ. Cochlear implants. Clinical Geriatric Medicine. 2006 Aug;22(3):677-86. doi: 10.1016/j.cger.2006.04.003.
  • Teufert KB, Linthicum FH Jr, Connell SS. The effect of organ of corti loss on ganglion cell survival in humans. Otology & Neurotology. 2006;27(8):1146-1151. doi:10.1097/01.mao.0000232006.16363.44.
  • Connell SS, Angeli SI, Suarez H, Hodges AV, Balkany TJ, Liu XZ. Performance after cochlear implantation in DFNB1 patients. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. 2007 Oct;137(4):596-602. doi: 10.1016/j.otohns.2007.02.017.
  • Connell SS, Balkany TJ, Hodges AV, Telischi FF, Angeli SI, Eshraghi AA. Electrode migration after cochlear implantation. Otology & Neurotology. 2008;29(2):156-159. doi:10.1097/MAO.0b013e318157f80b.
  • Patterson DM, Telischi FF, Connell SS, et al. Cochlear implantation in organ transplantation. Laryngoscope. 2008;118(1):116-119. doi:10.1097/MLG.0b013e31814a52e2.
  • Brown KD, Connell SS, Balkany TJ, Eshraghi AE, Telischi FF, Angeli SA. Incidence and indications for revision cochlear implant surgery in adults and children. Laryngoscope. 2009;119(1):152-157. doi:10.1002/lary.20012.
  • Connell SS, Chang RN, Royse KE, et al. Seven-Year Revision Rates for Cochlear Implants in Pediatric and Adult Populations of an Integrated Healthcare System. Otology & Neurotology. 2024;45(5):529-535. doi:10.1097/MAO.0000000000004191.