Data Integrity Specialist - HIM

OU Health•WFH State of Oklahoma, OK

1d•Remote

About The Position

The Data Integrity Specialist I or II ensures accurate, consistent patient information in the Master Patient Index (MPI) and across the OU Health system. The role reviews electronic and medical records, resolves identity discrepancies, supports patient-matching activities for population health and payor platforms, and coordinates with departments across the enterprise to maintain accurate records. Complex or high-risk issues, including patient overlays, may require escalation or interdisciplinary review. The position performs chart corrections in Epic and investigates discrepancies through work queues, reports, and remediation workflows. It also provides Data Integrity Hotline coverage and participates in a rotating on-call schedule, including response to urgent issues that may affect patient safety, clinical care, system functionality, operations, or regulatory compliance. The specialist educates users, maintains documentation and quality records, contributes to improvement efforts, and collaborates with clinical, registration, billing, IT, and ancillary teams. Candidates must reside and work full-time in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, or Texas before their first day of employment. The position is offered at Level 1 or Level 2, depending on experience, education, and credentials. Level 1 requires a high school diploma or GED and RHIA certification within nine months of starting. Level 2 requires an associate degree in Health Information, at least three years of related experience, and RHIA certification.

Requirements

Level 1: High school diploma or GED.
Level 1: RHIA certification required within nine months of start date.
Level 2: Associate degree in Health Information.
Level 2: At least three years of experience in a related job.
Level 2: RHIA certification required.
Understanding of relevant regulatory guidelines, including Joint Commission, CMS, and HIPAA.
Strong decision-making, critical-thinking, attention-to-detail, and judgment skills.
Ability to independently make accurate decisions regarding patient record corrections, overlays, merges, and unmerges, using available tools and consulting leadership as appropriate.
Ability to understand the patient-safety relationship between a patient's medical record number and access to clinical information.
Ability to understand and apply confidentiality rules; exercise discretion and ethical judgment.
Ability to identify workflow improvement opportunities and adapt to changing workflows, priorities, and system enhancements.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools.
Must reside and work full-time in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, or Texas before the first day of employment.

Nice To Haves

Experience with MPI is strongly preferred.
Existing knowledge of the facility’s clinical and operational processes, challenges, and Epic environment.
Knowledge of current application information technologies and trends in healthcare.

Responsibilities

Research, validate, and resolve patient identity discrepancies in the MPI, including duplicates, overlays, merges, and unmerges, using approved tools and procedures.
Make merge and non-merge decisions according to documented logic and source-system requirements.
Perform chart corrections in Epic according to the Chart Correction Guide and established governance processes.
Investigate and resolve non-emergent electronic medical record discrepancies through work queues, reports, and remediation workflows.
Identify complex or high-risk identity issues and refer them for escalation, interdisciplinary review, or leadership guidance.
Coordinate with clinical, registration, billing, IT, and ancillary departments to resolve data integrity issues and downstream impacts.
Provide remediation workflow coverage and participate in rotating on-call coverage, including responding to Data Integrity Hotline inquiries and escalations 24/7.
Independently assess, prioritize, and resolve urgent on-call issues that may affect patient safety or operations.
Educate frontline users on MPI best practices and chart correction processes.
Participate in interdisciplinary chart correction and data integrity workgroups as needed.
Identify trends, recurring issues, and improvement opportunities and communicate findings to leadership or the EMPI Manager.
Support departmental projects, process improvements, and daily operations; perform other duties as assigned.
Maintain accurate documentation, productivity logs, and quality records.
Receive, triage, and respond to Data Integrity Hotline inquiries, making recommendations or routing issues as appropriate.
Protect patient safety, confidentiality, medical record integrity, and compliance through careful and ethical identity-management decisions.