This position is located in the Health Information Management (HIM) Section of Health Administration Service at the Tomah VA Medical Center (VAMC). Medical Records Administration Specialist (MRAS) in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) perform work concerned with the management of a health record program or the provision of services related to medical record administration/health information services.

Duties

Major duties (GS 11 FPL) Develop policies and procedures and provide advice on the use of health records and health information management. Perform data mining; complex data analysis; and interpret and transform data into accurate, consistent, and timely information in support of the business and operational needs of the HIM department and the organization. Perform workflow analyses, recommend process improvements, identify and implement best practices, and implement changes as needed to improve the productivity and quality controls of the HIM department. Prepare workload and production reports, monitor trends to identify efficiencies and outliers, and recommend appropriate actions which may involve collaborating with staff at all levels for resolution. Designs and performs quality improvement projects related to health information management to identify and recommend ways of eliminating, combining, simplifying or improving procedures and processes. Compile diagnostic, procedural, and statistical data, and present reports locally, regionally, or nationally. Participate in various facility, regional, and/or national committees requiring health information management subject matter expertise. Assists the Chief, Health Information Management (CHIM) and the HIM Department in identifying and setting short and long-range goals, program objectives, and tasks to meet the mission and vision of the VAMC. Provides subject matter expertise to Service Line Leaders, and medical center staff. Serves as point of contact for health record corrections to ensure documentation accurately reflects care delivered and reported. Provides education when dealing directly with physicians, nurses and other clinical providers requesting completion or adjustment of pertinent parts of the health records, which are found to be inconsistent or incomplete upon analysis. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: For ad hoc purposes Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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: The following are the basic requirements and qualifications for a Medical Records Administration Specialist at the entry level at the GS-5 grade. English Language Proficiency United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Certification Requirement: Persons hired or reassigned to MRAS positions in the GS-0669 series in VHA must have either (1), (2), or (3) below: Copy of certification required. Mastery certification obtained through AHIMA or AAPC to include: Certified Coding Specialist (CCS), Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) - Physician-based (CCS-P), Certified Professional Coder (CPC), Certified Outpatient Coder (COC), and Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC). HIM Certification through AHIMA to include: Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) and Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) Health Data Analyst Certification through AHIMA to include: Certified Health Data Analyst (CHDA). Grade Determination: In addition to the basic requirements above, the following is the amount of experience required to qualify for an MRAS at the GS-9 and GS-11 grade levels. Specialized Experience GS-9: I possess at least one (1) full year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-7. OR Education equivalent to two full years of progressively higher level graduate education or a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited college or university in a field directly related to health information management AND Can demonstrate the Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs): Knowledge of medical and legal requirements related to health information management and health records. Ability to provide technical advice and guidance on health information management practices. Skill in extracting data from various sources and analyzing health information to create reports. Skill in researching, interpreting, and applying health information management guidelines. Knowledge of performance and process improvement techniques to develop new or improved solutions in health information management Specialized Experience GS-11: I possess at least one (1) full year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-9. OR Education equivalent to 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in the field of health information management. AND Can demonstrate the Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs): Skill in performance and process improvement techniques to develop and implement new or improved solutions in health information management. Ability to advise management and staff at various levels regarding health record documentation requirements and health information management practices based on current industry standards, policies, statutes, laws, and regulations. Ability to plan, justify, develop, evaluate, assess, monitor, and advise on current health information management processes and recommend changes in policies or procedures. Ability to determine and evaluate compliance with legal, ethical, and regulatory guidelines and accrediting bodies as they apply to health information management. Ability to plan, justify, develop, evaluate, assess, monitor and/or advise on current HIM processes and recommend changes in policies or procedures. Ability to successfully apply principles and techniques of sound resource management (i.e., staffing, space, contracts, equipment) Ability to provide the full range of supervisory duties, to include assignment of work, completing performance evaluations, selection of staff, and recommendation for awards, advancements, and disciplinary actions, when appropriate. References: VA Handbook 5005/130, Part II, Appendix G33, Medical Records Administrator/Medical Records Administration Specialist. Qualification Standards dated 05/28/2020. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary, but may require walking, bending, standing, and /or carrying of light items such as files and manuals. The work does not require any special physical effort or ability. The work area is usually an adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated office or medical facility setting. The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions.

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 Tomah VA Medical Center 500 East Veterans Street Tomah, WI 54660 US
• Name: Joseph Tourek
• Email: [email protected]