[Hiring] Supervisory Medical Records Technician (Coder) @VA Bedford Healthcare System

Role Description

This Supervisory Medical Records Technician (Coder) position is located within the Health Information Management (HIM) Service Line at the VA Bedford Health Care System. This position is full-time at 40 hours per week.

Supervisory Medical Record Technicians (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). The supervisory coder is responsible for the supervision, administrative management, and direction of coding staff. They are responsible for program management of a coding section/unit to ensure performance monitors are established and met.

• Performs a full range of supervisory responsibilities, including evaluating the performance of subordinate staff, approving sick and annual leave requests, identifying educational or training needs, resolving employee complaints, and taking disciplinary actions, when necessary.
• Informs higher level management of anticipated vacancies or increases in workload.
• Recommends employees for promotions, reassignments, recognitions, retention or release of probationary employees, or other changes of assigned personnel.
• Serves as an expert coding resource to ensure accuracy and integrity of all coding.
• Collaborates with revenue, compliance, and other departments to support coding accuracy that is consistent with the official guidelines for coding and reporting.
• Resolves claim edits referred to coding management and monitors reports for outstanding services, rejects, or uncoded episodes of care for inpatients and/or outpatients.
• Ensures claim denials related to coding errors are resolved, and/or daily coding rejects are corrected for accurate billing and data collection.
• Assesses current audit findings and evaluates impact to coding and documentation practices.
• Oversees the reporting of coding and documentation audit results to leadership.
• Collects and prepares data for studies involving inpatient stays and outpatient encounters for clinical evaluation purposes, prepares and maintains a variety of complex records and daily, monthly, or "on demand" reports, as requested.
• Creates and monitors outpatient reports, inpatient case mix reports, top DRGs, and key performance indicators to identify patterns, trends, and variations.
• Investigates and evaluates potential causes for changes or problems and collaborates with the appropriate staff to effect resolution or explain variances.
• Participates in the formulation of objectives and strategies utilizing coded data to support goals for patient care, teaching, research, and optimizing management of resources.

Qualifications

• Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.
• Basic Requirements:
• Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.)
• Experience and Education:
• One year of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, medical coding, and the structure and format of health records.
• 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.
• Certification: Persons hired or reassigned to MRT (Coder) positions in the GS-0675 series in VHA must have a mastery level certification.
• Loss of Credential: Following initial certification, credentials must be maintained through rigorous continuing education.
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.
• English Language Proficiency: MRTs (Coder) must be proficient in spoken and written English.

Requirements

• Supervisory coder assignments can be established for any of the coder subspecialties (outpatient, inpatient, outpatient and inpatient combined).
• Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
• Certification: Employees at this level must have a mastery level certification.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Ability to perform a full range of supervisory duties, including recommending awards, approving leave, evaluating work, resolving staff issues, and assigning, planning, and coordinating work.
• Advanced knowledge of current coding classification systems such as ICD, CPT, and HCPCS for the subspecialty being assigned.
• Ability to provide or coordinate staff development and training.
• Leadership and managerial skills, including skill in interpersonal relations and conflict resolution.
• Ability to collect and analyze data, identify trends, and present results in various formats.

Benefits

• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.
• Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.
• Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent non-award SF-50.
• This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay.
• Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment.
• Virtual/Remote Work Status: This position is eligible for Remote/Virtual work.