Medical Records Administrator (Chief (CHIM)) - Chief Health Information Management

Department of Veterans Affairs•Des Moines, IA

48d•Onsite

About The Position

Serves as Chief of Health Information Management (CHIM) with full program responsibility for all facets of the Health Information Management (HIM) program and processes. CHIMs in this assignment provide technical advice, planning, and evaluation about health information management issues impacting the overall program on a regular and recurring basis. Responsible for complex, multi-disciplinary processes and functions, which may include multiple contacts, academic affiliations, and highly sophisticated regulatory requirements. Creates and monitors systems to ensure accurate, timely, and complete health records, in accordance with VHA policy and TJC health information protocols. Performs evaluation and analysis of programs and services for the purpose of strategic planning. Measures ongoing intradepartmental performance by establishing priorities, collecting data, monitoring, and reporting outcomes using valid and reliable techniques to analyze trends and variations, and taking appropriate action based on findings. Applies the knowledge and skills of qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques to analyze complex data, interpret results, and trend data for effective program management. Develops policies, processes, and procedures that address all VHA, Federal, regulatory, and accrediting requirements for HIM. Evaluates health records programs and independently determines the nature and extent of problem areas. Develops action plans and monitors progress until program objectives are met. Makes recommendations and develops solutions for program improvement. Develops and implements innovative solutions to correct technical, complex problems. Provides detailed technical expertise in health records science and other very technical aspects of HIM. Serves as a key advisor to the Chief of Staff, Executive Management, clinical, and administrative staff and is responsible for providing technical guidance on health information issues such as documentation requirements, encounter completion, industry and federal regulatory compliance, advance directives, informed consent, clinical documentation integrity, medical coding, release of information, transcription/speech recognition, scanning and indexing, health information exchange. Recommends improvements in health record documentation used to provide patient care, to optimize VERA workload capture in accordance with correct coding, documentation, and encounter completion requirements, third party reimbursement, and to manage resources. Establishes monitors to ensure the timeliness of health record entries and reports findings with subsequent trending of data. Serves to guide and assist on research projects and is a resource for patient data on both patient-specific and aggregate databases. Key member of the Quality Improvement (QI) team, works closely with the local Quality Management Service, and is responsible for ensuring the facility is compliant with all TJC standards regarding health information. Responsible for leading the automation of all health information systems, as the acknowledged facility authority. Working closely with Office of Information Technology (OI&T) and Clinical Informatics, the incumbent must guide the automation of health record documentation, health record tracking, and physician incomplete record tracking, including provision and use of interfaces and other functional technology for health record documentation. Actively participates at national and VISN levels as a resource for health information matters. Participates in facility or VISN research activities related to health information and EHR issues. Provides full support to accomplish VHA Central Office HIM Program Office strategic goals and objectives. Serves on task forces, work groups, or councils as requested. Assists with writing practice briefs, fact sheets, standard operating procedures, and other types of guidance documents as requested. Responds timely to all data calls. Has responsibility for contracting functions for any facility or VISN-level contracts, or national Coding Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPA) for outsourced HIM services. Participates in the recruitment, interview, selection, and orientation process of all HIM positions.

Responsibilities

Full program responsibility for all facets of the Health Information Management (HIM) program and processes.
Provide technical advice, planning, and evaluation about health information management issues impacting the overall program on a regular and recurring basis.
Create and monitor systems to ensure accurate, timely, and complete health records, in accordance with VHA policy and TJC health information protocols.
Perform evaluation and analysis of programs and services for the purpose of strategic planning.
Measure ongoing intradepartmental performance by establishing priorities, collecting data, monitoring, and reporting outcomes using valid and reliable techniques to analyze trends and variations, and taking appropriate action based on findings.
Apply the knowledge and skills of qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques to analyze complex data, interpret results, and trend data for effective program management.
Develop policies, processes, and procedures that address all VHA, Federal, regulatory, and accrediting requirements for HIM.
Evaluate health records programs and independently determines the nature and extent of problem areas.
Develop action plans and monitors progress until program objectives are met.
Make recommendations and develop solutions for program improvement.
Develop and implement innovative solutions to correct technical, complex problems.
Provide detailed technical expertise in health records science and other very technical aspects of HIM.
Serve as a key advisor to the Chief of Staff, Executive Management, clinical, and administrative staff and is responsible for providing technical guidance on health information issues.
Recommend improvements in health record documentation used to provide patient care, to optimize VERA workload capture in accordance with correct coding, documentation, and encounter completion requirements, third party reimbursement, and to manage resources.
Establish monitors to ensure the timeliness of health record entries and reports findings with subsequent trending of data.
Serve to guide and assist on research projects and is a resource for patient data on both patient-specific and aggregate databases.
Key member of the Quality Improvement (QI) team, works closely with the local Quality Management Service, and is responsible for ensuring the facility is compliant with all TJC standards regarding health information.
Responsible for leading the automation of all health information systems, as the acknowledged facility authority.
Actively participate at national and VISN levels as a resource for health information matters.
Participate in facility or VISN research activities related to health information and EHR issues.
Provide full support to accomplish VHA Central Office HIM Program Office strategic goals and objectives.
Serve on task forces, work groups, or councils as requested.
Assist with writing practice briefs, fact sheets, standard operating procedures, and other types of guidance documents as requested.
Respond timely to all data calls.
Has responsibility for contracting functions for any facility or VISN-level contracts, or national Coding Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPA) for outsourced HIM services.
Participate in the recruitment, interview, selection, and orientation process of all HIM positions.