Release of Information Specialist, Correctional Care

Denver Health and Hospital Authority•Denver, CO

About The Position

The Release of Information Specialist works under minimal supervision to release and copy medical records for outside agencies, patients, courts, and other requestors while following established procedures and applicable state and federal laws. The role audits records for completeness and legibility, prepares charts for copying and clinical schedules, files paperwork, maintains accurate chart organization, and answers customer questions by telephone. It also provides administrative support to the Denver Sheriff Health Services Unit and requires confidentiality and professional relationships with Denver Sheriff Health Services staff and Denver Health colleagues. Correctional Care staff work at either the Downtown Detention Center or the Denver County Jail. These settings involve greater clinical acuity and environmental hazards than inpatient and ambulatory settings. Security affects daily working conditions, personal and institutional safety, and clinical operations. Environmental awareness, critical thinking, and decisive decision-making are important in this setting. The position processes health-information requests, verifies authorizations, ensures proper and timely disclosure of protected health information, audits and analyzes records, coordinates documentation for patient transfers, and provides customer service to patients, healthcare providers, agencies, and other requestors. Non-continuity-of-care requests must be processed within three business days of receipt.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Two years of clerical experience; a combination of appropriate education and experience may substitute for the minimum experience requirement.
Ability to interact well with customers.
Self-motivated, able to multitask, and detail-oriented.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Knowledge of terminal-digit filing systems sufficient to maintain records.
Knowledge of release-of-information practices.
Knowledge of and ability to comply with state and federal regulations, HIPAA, Denver Sheriff Department requirements, NCCHC, and ACA requirements regarding release of information and patient-record privacy.
Knowledge of medical-record imaging applications, Microsoft Outlook, and Microsoft Excel.

Responsibilities

Receive and process daily health-information requests, including preparing records for departments based on next-day schedules and delivering records to health services staff as requested.
Coordinate exchanges of health information with other facilities.
Process requests and releases from Internal Affairs, Adult Probation, the Social Security Administration, State Hospital, correctional care facilities, patients, medical facilities, government entities, and other requestors.
Disclose authorized protected health information consistently and accurately while maintaining confidentiality and complying with applicable state and federal regulations, HIPAA, Denver Health and Hospital policies, Denver Sheriff Department requirements, NCCHC, and ACA requirements.
Review authorizations for completeness, confirm regulatory requirements, and verify that the requestor or authorizing party is appropriate.
Process non-continuity-of-care requests within three business days; promptly notify requestors when an authorization is invalid or a request cannot be processed as received.
Ensure the integrity of released records and prepare risk management and litigation releases.
Create new charts or order charts from other locations as needed; prepare patient charts for copying and scan charts in and out to the correct tracking-system location according to standard procedures.
Audit records, purge shelves when chart capacity is exceeded, and verify chart completeness before sending charts to the warehouse.
Review documents for accuracy, identify and correct chart misfiles, analyze records for deficiencies under applicable record requirements and hospital policies, and tag deficiencies for completion.
Audit the release-of-information log and completed releases.
Follow patient-transfer protocols for continuity of care and coordinate with Health Services staff and the Denver Sheriff’s Department to ensure required transfer documentation is complete.
Provide customer-friendly assistance to patients, outside healthcare providers, and other customers requesting records by walk-in, fax, mail, or kite.
Place telephone calls to and from agencies, patients, lawyers, and other correctional care facilities.
Provide administrative assistance to the Denver Sheriff Health Services Unit while maintaining confidentiality and professional working relationships.

Benefits

Paid time off starting at 28 days per year, inclusive of vacation, personal/sick time, and seven holidays.
100% paid parental leave for up to six weeks.
Immediate eligibility for retirement plans with employer contributions up to 9.5%.
Medical, dental, and vision plans, plus employer-paid disability and life insurance.
Well-being programs, including an on-site employee fitness center and the RESTORE Center.
Free RTD EcoPass for public transportation.
Childcare discount programs and discounts or perks on brands, travel, and more.
Tuition reimbursement and assistance.
Education, coaching, and professional development through the Workforce Development Center, supporting internal career growth and advancement pathways.
Professional clinical advancement program and shared governance.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility, free student loan coaching, and assistance navigating the PSLF program.
Eligibility for National Health Service Corps and Colorado Health Service Corps programs.