The incumbent serves as Medical Records Technician (Cancer Registrar) Coordinator and functions as the coordinator of the South Texas Veterans Health Care (STVHCS) Cancer Program within the Medicine Service. Responsible for all activities associated with the cancer registry and cancer program within the Oncology Section. The incumbent is responsible for developing, monitoring, and coordinating the Cancer Program to assure that the program meets registry and reporting system requirements.

Duties

Duties assigned are essential tasks related to the care of patients followed through Cancer Registry. Demonstrate the ability to analyze complex situations and apply policy. All duties assigned are consistent with the Scope of Practice as applicable to Oncology services, in addition to the observance of Federal national and local regulatory, policy, and accreditation requirements governing this Health Care System. The incumbent must be proficient in the performance of the following duties: Organize work, ensure an even flow and distribution of work, and ensure schedules, deadlines and requirements are met. Coordinate with representatives of other units to solve problems related to Cancer Registry functions. Inform staff of matters relevant to them and has the authority to prepare and follow-up on personnel actions. Maintain a reliable accounting system for all department overtime and staff workload and provide quarterly reports to the Oncology Section Chief. Prepare staff work schedule, maintain, implement, and modify, as necessary to meet the needs of the department. Provide advice to staff through consultation with offices within the VA on matters of appropriate interpretations of regulatory references, problems/deficiencies identified by the Inspector responsible for interpreting policy on own initiative in terms of established program objectives. Some travel is required to attend workshops and conferences essential to the continued education of the employee and to the quality of data collected. Participate in the selection of new staff including candidate interviews and is responsible for the orientation of new employees to the section. Provide consultation on policy matters. The work is reviewed for overall program effectiveness with VA, Joint Commission, American College of Surgeons (ACoS), and Commission on Cancer (CoC) requirements. Plan and carry out assignments, handle problems and deviations in the work assignment using established policies, instructions, and accepted practices in medical record management and in Cancer Registry guidelines and ACoS CoC standards. Ensure patients with malignant disease are registered and followed in accordance with established procedures and professional ethics required by various accrediting agencies. Retrieve and analyze registry data and disseminates cancer data as required. Manage program contracts as the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR). Ensure facility work orders are submitted when needed. Procure office supplies and office equipment supplies. Maintain, records equipment maintenance and calibration and perform inventories of equipment. Ensure enough supplies and personnel are available to meet operating requirements. Report estimates of production capability of Cancer Registry and anticipated workload (based on experience) to higher level management. Responsible for lifetime follow-up of all cancer patients accessioned into the Cancer Registry database. Perform case ascertainment on STVHCS patients with a malignancy or certain pre-malignant and benign conditions diagnosed and/or treated at the STVHCS to ensure inclusion in the Cancer Registry database. Plan and develop priorities, standards and working guides, and recommend policy changes for STVHCS Cancer Program. Submit recommendations for changes, additions, or deletions in the Cancer Program and cancer registry systems administration policies and procedures to simplify operations, reduce patient inconvenience, improve efficiency and quality of operations, and assure confirmation to governing policies and criteria and adapting requirements to facility operational capabilities. Provide technical advice on one or more of the following areas in the cancer program: utilization patterns, clinical outcomes, advance clinic access/wait times, performance measures/monitors, patient satisfaction, patient demographics, workload capture and coding documentation, and costs of services. Organize and maintain a data system which conforms to the standards of "cancer registry" operations and meeting the needs of users of the registry data, make recommendations to ensure the system is optimally operational to manage resources. Screen requests for information on data available in cancer registry database. Knowledge and skill in adapting analytical techniques and evaluation criteria to the measurement and improvement of the Cancer Registry Program to include conducting detailed analyses of complex functions and work processes. Computer literate to create and manage several different follow-up and chart pull lists and to perform on-line data entry into a specialized Cancer Registry software database. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 07:30am to 4:00pm Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

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 experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology and general understanding of the health record. Six months of the required one year of experience must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to perform MRT work. OR Education. Two years above high school with a minimum of 12 semester hours directly related to MRT work (e.g., courses in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and introduction to health records). OR Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. The following educational/training substitutions are appropriate for combining education and experience: Six months of experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology and general understanding of the health record and one year above high school with a minimum of six 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. Training 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 medical record techniques and procedures. The position requires six additional months of experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology and general understanding of the health record. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service. English Language Proficiency. MRT (Cancer Registrar) candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized 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: MRT (Cancer Registrar) Coordinator, GS-9 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge and understanding of ACoS and/or facility requirements for administering, monitoring, and reporting compliance of the cancer program to the governing bodies. (b) Ability to interpret data to set, evaluate, and adjust the cancer program and/or facility goals and objectives. (c) Ability to inform cancer registry staff on the technical components of the cancer database, coordinate workflow and monitor data for accuracy and quality measures. (d) Ability to multitask. (e) Ability to communicate with diverse disciplines regarding the facility requirements of the cancer program. (f) Ability to analyze and interpret data for use in facility strategic planning. (g) Ability to develop cancer program/cancer registry policies and procedures to ensure patient-centered care for cancer patients in accordance with government wide, agency, and facility requirements. Preferred Experience: Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR) Coordinates all Cancer Care Registry activities associate with Cancer Care Program. 1 year of CTR experience References: VA Handbook 5005/128, Part II, Appendix G35, Series GS0675 Qualification Standards, dated March 5, 2020. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-09. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary in nature and takes place in an office environment. It requires standing, walking, bending, twisting, carrying light items under 15 pounds, both hands. Use of fingers; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16", Far vision 20/30; hearing (aid may be permitted); and sit for extended periods.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Audie L Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital 7400 Merton Minter Boulevard San Antonio, TX 78229 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]