[Hiring] Medical Records Technician Auditor @GV Sonny Montgomery VAMC

Role Description

This position is in the Health Information Management (HIM) section at the G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center. 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.

Responsibilities

• Applies comprehensive knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy & physiology, disease processes, treatment modalities, diagnostic tests, medications, procedures as well as the principles and practices of health services and the organizational structure to ensure proper code selection.
• Reviews assigned codes from the current version of several coding systems to include current versions of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), and/or Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS).
• Monitors ever-changing regulatory and policy requirements affecting coded information for the full spectrum of services provided by the VAMC.
• Assists facility staff with documentation requirements to completely and accurately reflect the patient care provided.
• Provides technical support in the areas of regulations and policy, coding requirements, resident supervision, reimbursement, workload, accepted nomenclature, and proper sequencing.
• Directly consults with the professional staff for clarification of conflicting or ambiguous clinical data.
• Expertly searches the patient record to find documentation justifying code assignment based on an expanded knowledge of the organization and structure of the patient health record.
• Reviews, analyzes and reports performance monitors for inpatient, outpatient, VERA and Non-VA Medical Care (purchased care) coding.
• Reviews coding and assists coders in improving coding accuracy; provides coding guidance to various levels of staff to promote consistency in practice and compliance with coding rules and regulations.
• Analyzes audit results and prepares summary feedback for individual coders and/or clinicians, making recommendations for improvement.
• Maintains statistical database(s) to track the results and validate the program for identifying patterns and variations in coding practices with regular reports to the medical staff and management.

Work Schedule

Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility.

Qualifications

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: MRTs (Coder) must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Experience: One year of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, medical coding, and the structure and format of health records.
• 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.
• Completion of an AHIMA approved coding program, or other intense coding training program of approximately one year or more.

Requirements

• Certification: Persons hired or reassigned to MRT (Coder) positions in the GS-0675 series in VHA must have either Apprentice/Associate Level Certification or Mastery Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Advanced knowledge of current coding classification systems such as ICD, CPT, and HCPCS for the subspecialty being assigned.
• Ability to research and solve complex questions related to coding conventions and guidelines in an accurate and timely manner.
• Ability to review coded data and supporting documentation to identify adherence to applicable standards, coding conventions and guidelines, and documentation requirements.
• Ability to format and present audit results, identify trends, and provide guidance to improve accuracy.
• Skill in interpersonal relations and conflict resolution to deal with individuals at all organizational levels.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 37-50 days of annual paid time off per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year).
• After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
• After 60 days of employment, full-time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs.
• Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care insurance options.

Company Description

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit VA Qualification Standards .