Director of Health Information Management & Administration

Upstream Rehabilitation • Birmingham, AL

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Health Information Management & Administration owns Upstream Rehabilitation’s health information management and records release process from request intake through fulfillment and case closure. This role sets policies and standards for releasing protected health information, oversees the systems and vendors that support the process, and is accountable for turnaround time, accuracy, and compliance across request types. The Director partners with Compliance, Legal, Sales, Information Technology, Clinic Operations, and other stakeholders to establish workflows, escalation paths, and accountability.

The role leads the Manager of Medical Records and, through that leader, the broader Medical Records team. It uses operational data to assess staffing, capacity, and performance and recommends improvements to Company leadership. Travel of up to 25% may be required.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Health Information Management, Healthcare Administration, or a related field.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in Health Information Management (HIM), Release of Information (ROI), medical records operations, or a related healthcare function.
• 3+ years of experience leading teams, programs, or operational functions within a multi-site healthcare environment.
• Expert knowledge of HIPAA privacy requirements, state medical records and release-of-information regulations, records certification requirements, and legal hold practices.
• Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, and leading high-volume, multi-channel request management processes with established service, quality, compliance, and performance standards.
• Experience managing technology vendors, outsourced service providers, and business partners against defined service-level agreements and performance expectations.
• Ability to establish clear ownership, decision-making authority, and cross-functional accountability where stakeholders do not report directly to the role.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including using volume, turnaround, productivity, quality, and error data to drive operational and staffing decisions.
• Executive-level written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in Health Information Management, Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Experience in outpatient rehabilitation, physical therapy, or another multi-site ambulatory healthcare setting, including oversight of legal, workers' compensation, and personal injury records requests.
• Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA), Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security (CHPS), Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC), or similar healthcare compliance, privacy, or information management certification.
• Experience leading technology implementations, process transformation initiatives, or vendor transitions within a records management or health information environment.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end records release process across intake channels, including processing, triage, certification, fulfillment, and case closure.
• Define workflows, accountability, and service standards for intake, processing, certification, notarization, mail and shipping, and case closure.
• Establish turnaround time, quality, and compliance standards by request type.
• Develop process metrics and report on request volume, turnaround times, error rates, unlocatable records, legal holds, escalations, and overall performance.
• Identify and resolve recurring process errors at their source in partnership with Clinic Operations and Patient Access.
• Develop and maintain records release policies, procedures, and standards, including those for certification, legal holds, escalated requests, and regulatory compliance.
• Partner with Compliance and Legal on court orders, subpoenas, legal holds, regulatory changes, and complex or high-risk disclosure matters.
• Set service expectations, monitor vendor and system performance, and lead resolution of recurring operational or technology issues.
• Own relationships and performance management for records management systems and vendors, including ChartStream and Infinx.
• Represent records management and release requirements in technology evaluations, system implementations, and process improvement initiatives.
• Establish escalation paths for Sales, Account Management, and law firm partners, with standards for case ownership, communication, and closure.
• Serve as the senior escalation point for complex or high-risk requests; account and relationship management remain with Sales and Account Management.
• Lead the Manager of Medical Records and, through that leader, the broader Medical Records team.
• Evaluate staffing models, organizational design, and capacity needs using volume, productivity, and performance data, and recommend improvements to Company leadership.
• Travel up to 25% as needed.
• Perform other projects and duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Annual paid Charity Day to give back to a cause meaningful to you.
• 100% employer-paid medical health insurance premium option available.
• Dental and vision insurance.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Generous PTO and paid holidays.
• Ongoing education, leadership development programs, and professional growth opportunities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director