[Hiring] Supervisory Medical Records Technician @VA Puget Sound Health Care System

Role Description

This position is in the Health Information Management Section (HIMS) of the Health Administration Service Line at the Puget Sound 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.

This position currently has Return to Office (RTO) mid-term extension (NTE 8/31/2027). Remote work is currently authorized; however, candidates may be subject to return to office in the event policy changes or the exemption is not extended.

Duties will include:

• 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.
• Selects and assigns codes from the current version of several coding systems.
• Adheres to accepted coding practices, guidelines and conventions.
• Applies codes based on guidelines specific to certain diagnoses, procedures, and other criteria (in inpatient and outpatient settings).
• Monitors ever-changing regulatory and policy requirements affecting coded information for the full spectrum of services provided by the VAMC.
• Timely compliance with coding changes is crucial to the accuracy of the facility database as well as all cost recovery programs.
• Performs a comprehensive review of the patient health record to abstract medical, surgical, ancillary, demographic, social, and administrative data to ensure complete data capture.
• 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.
• Insures provider documentation is complete and supports the diagnoses and procedures coded.
• Directly consults with the professional staff for clarification of conflicting or ambiguous clinical data.
• Reports incorrect documentation or codes in the electronic patient health record.
• Develops performance standards and conducts performance evaluations for subordinate staff.
• Interviews new employees, recommends selection, and carries out training and development of reassignments, awards or disciplinary action.
• Approves leave schedules.
• Implements provisions of EEO programs to ensure fair and equal treatment for all employees.
• Keeps employees informed of management goals and objectives and higher levels supervisors informed of employee participation and concerns.
• Schedules the sequence of work and operations on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis to assure even workflow and distribution, expeditious handling of priorities and the meeting of deadlines.
• Revises schedules/assignments to meet changes in workload considering peak loads, availability of manpower and time limits.
• Makes changes in organization and assignment of duties to provide improvements, promote job satisfaction and increase productivity.
• Prepares workload and production reports; reports on operations and problems encountered; and presents proposed requests for resource needs based on past experience, anticipated staffing, equipment, and space. Makes assignments that are equitable among employees.
• Other duties as assigned, as related to the needs of the program.

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 that included courses in anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, basic ICD diagnostic/procedural, and basic CPT coding.
• Equivalent combinations of creditable experience and education are qualifying for meeting the basic requirements.

Requirements

• Persons hired or reassigned to MRT (Coder) positions in the GS-0675 series in VHA must have either Apprentice/Associate Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC, Mastery Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC, or Clinical Documentation Improvement Certification through AHIMA or ACDIS.
• Mastery level certification is required for all positions above the journey level.
• Loss of Credential: Following initial certification, credentials must be maintained through rigorous continuing education.

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 for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
• 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 (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement).