This position is located in the Health Administration Service, Health Information Management (HIM) Section at the Hampton Virginia VA Health Care System. The incumbent must be able to perform all duties of a Coder and will serve as expert of current coding conventions and guidelines related to professional and facility coding.

Duties

** NOTE: Current permanent Veterans Health Administration employees should apply to job announcement CBTA-12147642-24-STE for this vacancy ** Duties include but are not limited to: Perform a comprehensive review of documentation within the health record to accurately assign ICD-10-CM codes for diagnoses, CPT/HCPCS codes for surgeries, procedures and evaluation/management services. Reviews coding and assist 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; initiates various reports and analyze data. Review provider health record documentation to ensure that it supports the diagnostic and procedural codes assigned and is consistent with required medical coding nomenclature. Directly consult with the clinical staff for clarification of conflicting, incomplete, or ambiguous clinical data in the health record. Query clinical staff with documentation requirements to support the coding process. Responsible for performing audits of coded data, developing criteria, collecting data, graphing and analyzing results, creating reports and communicating in writing and/or in person to appropriate leadership and groups. Collaboratively work with coding staff and clinical staff to provide support and education on coding issues. Provides training and education to coding and clinical staff. Researches complex coding issues and participates in process improvements related to coding. Assist in the development of guidelines for data quality, consistency, and monitoring for compliance to improve the quality for clinical, financial, and administrative data to ensure that all coded data is fully documented and supported. Such efforts are conducted to ensure the accuracy of billing denials and prevention against fraud and abuse and to optimize the medical center's authorized reimbursement for utilization of resources provided. As a technical expert in health information coding matters, provide advice and guidance on documentation and coding requirements. Maintain current knowledge to ensure that coding and documentation meets regulatory guidelines and audit standards, and results in appropriate data capture and reimbursement. Analyze audit results and prepare summary feedback for individual coders and/or clinicians, making recommendations for improvement. Provide coding consultation to coders and/or clinicians related to coding and documentation questions. Maintain 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: 7:30am-4pm (Monday thru Friday) Telework: Available (Note: this is not a remote position) 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. English Language Proficiency: MRTs (Coder) must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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: (a) 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. (b) 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: Mastery Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC. This is considered a higher-level health information management or coding certification and is limited to certification obtained through AHIMA or AAPC. To be acceptable for qualifications, the specific certification must represent a comprehensive competency in the occupation. Stand-alone specialty certifications do not meet the definition of mastery level certification and are not acceptable for qualifications. Certification titles may change and certifications that meet the definition of mastery level certification may be added/removed by the above certifying bodies. However, current mastery level certifications include: Certified Coding Specialist (CCS), Certified Coding Specialist - Physician-based (CCS-P), Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT), Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA), Certified Professional Coder (CPC), Certified Outpatient Coder (COC), Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC). 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: In addition to the Basic Requirements above, candidates must also meet any additional requirements to include KSAs based on grade assignment, GS-9, below. Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the journey grade level, GS-8, of a MRT (Coder). Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/122 Appendix G57 Part II, dated December 10, 2019. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-9. Physical Requirements: Work is predominantly sedentary. A computer will be used for the entirety of the employee's tour of duty that requires them to type, navigate within and between appropriate programs and visualize content on the screen.

Education

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

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Hampton VA Medical Center 100 Emancipation Drive Hampton, VA 23667 US
• Name: Shemena Escoe
• Phone: (918) 351-3068
• Email: [email protected]