Medical Records Administrator Specialist

Veterans Health Administration • Johnson City, TN

3d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is in the Health Information Management (HIM) Section of the Business Office Service at the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center. The Medical Records Administration Specialist manages health record programs and provides medical record administration and health information services. The role assists the Chief, Health Information Management, and the HIM Department with identifying short- and long-range goals, program objectives, and tasks that support the medical center’s mission and vision. It also provides subject-matter expertise to service line leaders and medical center staff.

The specialist interprets and applies Joint Commission standards, VHA regulations and medico-legal requirements, federal codes relevant to health records, VHA policies and guidance, medical coding and reimbursement methodologies, medical and procedural terminology, anatomy and physiology, health-record confidentiality regulations, release-of-information laws, and VHA health-record policies and procedures. The full performance level is GS-11. The work is primarily sedentary, with some walking, bending, reaching, and carrying documents or supplies; computer data entry and word processing may involve repetitive motion and eyestrain. The work schedule is 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework is not available, and the position is not virtual.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated limited exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Meet one of the specified certification options: coding certification through AHIMA or AAPC; HIM certification through AHIMA; or Health Data Analyst certification through AHIMA.
• Meet the basic education or experience requirement through one of the stated alternatives: three years of creditable medical-records experience; a qualifying bachelor's degree or higher with a health information management major or a related degree including at least 24 semester hours in health information management or technology; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Meet the grade requirement through one year of creditable experience at the next lower grade level demonstrating the required KSAs, or the stated graduate-education alternative in Health Information Management, and demonstrate the specified KSAs.
• Demonstrate skill in performance and process-improvement techniques for developing and implementing health information management solutions.
• Be able to advise management and staff on health-record documentation requirements and HIM practices based on current standards, policies, statutes, laws, and regulations.
• Be able to plan, justify, develop, evaluate, assess, monitor, and advise on HIM processes and recommend policy or procedural changes.
• Be able to evaluate compliance with legal, ethical, regulatory, and accrediting-body guidelines applicable to HIM.
• Be able to acquire, manage, analyze, interpret, and transform data into accurate, consistent, meaningful information.
• Meet applicable background/security investigation and onboarding requirements.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as required for VA health care personnel.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, as applicable.
• Submit required application documents; submit transcripts if relying on education to qualify, and provide foreign-education equivalency documentation when applicable.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Chief, Health Information Management, and the HIM Department in identifying short- and long-range goals, program objectives, and tasks.
• Provide subject-matter expertise to service line leaders and medical center staff.
• Interpret and apply applicable Joint Commission standards, VHA regulations and policies, federal codes, medico-legal requirements, coding and reimbursement methodologies, terminology, confidentiality rules, release-of-information laws, and health-record procedures.
• Perform workflow analyses, recommend process improvements, identify and implement best practices, and implement changes to improve HIM productivity and quality controls.
• Conduct data mining and complex data analysis, and transform data into accurate, consistent, timely information supporting HIM and organizational business and operational needs.
• Prepare workload and production reports, monitor trends to identify efficiencies and outliers, and recommend actions, collaborating with staff at all levels as needed.
• Design and conduct health information management quality-improvement projects and recommend ways to eliminate, combine, simplify, or improve procedures and processes.
• Compile diagnostic, procedural, and statistical data and present reports locally, regionally, or nationally.
• Participate in facility, regional, and/or national committees requiring health information management expertise.
• Communicate organizational information and provide training and education to individuals and groups at multiple levels, internally and externally.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package; eligibility depends on position type and other applicable conditions.
• Eligible selected applicants may request consideration for prior work or military service credit toward annual leave accrual; approval is not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

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