This position is located in the Health Information Management (HIM) section at the Black Hills Health Care System. MRTs (Coder) are skilled in classifying medical data from patient health records in the hospital setting, and/or physician-based settings, such as physician offices, group practices, multi-specialty clinics, and specialty centers. These coding practitioners analyze and abstract patients' health records, and assign alpha-numeric codes for each diagnosis and procedure.
Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Experience and Education Experience. One year of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, medical coding, and the structure and format of a health records OR, Education. An associate's degree from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education with a major field of study in health information technology/health information management, or a related degree with a minimum of 12 semester hours in health information technology/health information management (e.g., courses in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, medical coding, and introduction to health records); OR Completion of an AHIMA approved coding program, or other intense coding training program of approximately one year or more that included courses in anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, basic ICD diagnostic/procedural, and basic CPT coding. The training program must have led to eligibility for coding certification/certification examination, and the sponsoring academic institution must have been accredited by a national U.S. Department of Education accreditor, or comparable international accrediting authority at the time the program was completed; OR Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of creditable experience and education are qualifying for meeting the basic requirements. The following educational/training substitutions are appropriate for combining education and creditable experience: Six months of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology, general understanding of medical coding and the health record, and one year above high school, with a minimum of 6 semester hours of health information technology courses. Successful completion of a course for medical technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or hospital training obtained in a training program given by the Armed Forces or the U.S. Maritime Service, under close medical and professional supervision, may be substituted on a month-for-month basis for up to six months of experience provided the training program included courses in anatomy, physiology, and health record techniques and procedures. Also, requires six additional months of creditable experience that is paid or non-paid employment equivalent to a MRT (Coder). Certification. Persons hired or reassigned to MRT (Coder) positions in the GS-0675 series in VHA must have either (1), (2), or (3) below: (1) Apprentice/Associate Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC. (2) Mastery Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC. (3) Clinical Documentation Improvement Certification through AHIMA or ACDIS. NOTE: Mastery level certification is required for all positions above the journey level; however, for clinical documentation improvement specialist assignments, a clinical documentation improvement certification may be substituted for a mastery level certification English Language Proficiency. MRTs (Coder) must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: Supervisory Medical Records Technician (Coder), GS-10 Experience. One year of creditable experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level, which includes, but not limited to: Ability to work with a team to provide technical guidance, plan, organize, and coordinate activities in order to effectively complete job duties of assignment, such as distributing workload, monitoring the status and progress of work, monitoring accuracy of work, etc.; Advanced knowledge of current coding classification systems for the subspecialty being assigned (outpatient, inpatient, outpatient and inpatient combined) and the ability to research and solve complex questions related to coding conventions and guidelines in an accurate and timely manner; Ability to effectively communicate, both orally and in writing, in order to meet program objectives; Knowledge of training methods and the ability to provide training to new coding staff; Ability to collect and analyze data and present results in various formats, which may include presenting reports to various organizational levels; Leadership skills, including interpersonal relations and conflict resolution between employees, managers, and clinical staff. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to perform a full range of supervisory duties, to include recommending awards, approving leave, evaluating work, resolving staff issues, and assigning, planning, and coordinating work to ensure duties are completed in an accurate and timely fashion. Advanced knowledge of current coding classification systems such as ICD, CPT, and HCPCS for the subspecialty being assigned (outpatient, inpatient, outpatient and inpatient combined). Ability to provide or coordinate staff development and training. Leadership and managerial skills, including skill in interpersonal relations and conflict resolution to deal with employees, team leaders, and managers. Ability to collect and analyze data, identify trends, and present results in various formats. AND Certification. Employees at this level must have a mastery level certification which is described in the additional information section. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS10. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS10.
Major Duties Include, but are not limited to, the following: Supervisory MRTs (Coder) are responsible for supervising coding staff at the facility level. Supervisory MRTs(Coder) must be able to perform all duties of a MRT (Coder). Responsible for program management of a coding section/unit to ensure performance monitors are established and met Perform a full range of supervisory responsibilities, to include evaluating the performance of subordinate staff, approving sick and annual leave requests, identifying educational or training needs, and resolving employee complaints Inform higher level management of anticipated vacancies or increases in workload Recommend employees for promotions, reassignments, recognitions, retention or release of probationary employees, or other changes of assigned personnel Make decisions on the selection of employees for vacant or new positions Serve as an expert coding resource to ensure accuracy and integrity of all coding Collaborate with revenue, compliance, and other departments to support coding accuracy that is consistent with the official guidelines for coding and reporting. Resolve claim edits referred to coding management and monitor reports for outstanding services, rejects, or uncoded episodes of care for inpatients Ensures claim denials related to coding errors are resolved, and/or daily coding rejects are corrected for accurate billing and data collection Provide education to clinical and coding staff Assess current audit findings and evaluate impact to coding and documentation practices Oversee the reporting of coding and documentation audit results to leadership Collect and prepare data for studies involving inpatient stays or "on demand" reports, as requested Creates and monitors productivity and efficiency reports, inpatient case mix reports, top DRGs, and key performance indicators to identify patterns, trends, and variations Investigate and evaluate potential causes for changes or problems and collaborate with the appropriate staff to effect resolution or explain variances Participate in the formulation of objectives and strategies utilizing coded data to support goals for patient care, teaching, research, and optimizing management of resources Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, either 7:30am-4:00pm or 8:00am-4:30pm Mountain Time Telework: Ad-Hoc only, per supervisor's discretion Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized