This position is located in the Health Information Management (HIM) Section of Patient Administrative Service (PAS) at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. Medical Records Administration Specialist (MRAS) in 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

Medical Records Administration Specialist (MRAS) in 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. MRASs manage, preserve, analyze, and supervise the use of diagnostic and therapeutic health records/health information management. They develop policies and procedures and provide advice on the use of health records and health information management. Duties Include: 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. Interprets and applies The Joint Commission (TJC) standards, VA regulations and medico-legal requirements; current Federal Codes pertinent to health records; Veterans Administration policy memoranda, directives and handbooks pertinent to health information management; medical coding (ICD, CPT, HCPCS) and reimbursement methodologies; medical and procedural terminology; anatomy and physiology, regulations governing confidentiality of health records; release of information laws and statutes; and all policies/procedures pertaining to VHA health records. Provides training for HIM, clinical and administrative staff on HIM topics. Designs and performs quality improvement projects regarding HIM issues. Assists the CHIM in preparing and conducting various presentations. Keeps current on emerging issues and trends in the health information management field, including process improvement initiatives for HIM, the electronic health record, coding and computer assisted coding, the revenue cycle, release of information and privacy issues, records management, transcription and data entry, and health information exchange. Keeps HIM and clinical staff abreast of changing technology in electronic systems used to collect, process, code, protect and store health information. Performs audits and analyses, preparing and presenting findings and recommendations to the CHIM, Service Line Leaders and medical staff. Reviews, analyzes and reports HIM performance monitors. Advises Principal Investigators and other clinical staff relating to methodologies of retrieving health care data for specific studies. Performs data retrieval for special studies as needed. Participates in various VAMC, VISN and national committees requiring health information management subject matter expertise. May review and test HIM related VistA software patches; test and trouble-shooting VistA menu options and functional issues when HIM users report application errors; perform equipment needs analysis for new or replacement equipment and/or equipment repair; submit work orders or Remedy tickets for correction to HIM software errors. Is the facility expert for software and computer applications related to HIM to provide technical assistance to HIM staff (e.g., coding, ROI, dictation, and speech recognition software). Serves as the point of contact for health record corrections. Documentation corrections may consist of retracting erroneous notes, re-titling notes, assigning notes to or removing from consult requests. Problem solves improperly identified documents with clinicians, Clinical Applications Coordinators (CACs) and others who report problems. Reassigns, rescinds and removes documents when they have been entered or uploaded incorrectly. Establishes criteria and provides education when dealing directly with physicians, nurses and other clinical providers requesting them to complete or adjust pertinent parts of the health records, which are found to be inconsistent or incomplete upon analysis. Assists and provides guidance to supporting clinical services to capture required medical information on patients for computer database input. Selects, compiles and trends medical, surgical and statistical data from numerous components of the health record. Retrieves diagnostic and statistical data for various reports required locally or by VISN or VHA Central Office. May assign User Classes to users at the request of the Chief HIM; responds to questions or issues related to that user class. Reviews requests for new templates or additions/correction to existing templates. Reviews requests for paper forms, creating electronic versions of these forms so that they are always available to users by computer. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Title/Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized 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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education or Experience: Experience. Three years of [creditable] experience in the field of medical records that included the preparation, maintenance, and management of [health] records and health information systems [demonstrating a knowledge of medical terminology,] medical records [procedures, medical coding, or medical, administrative, and legal requirements of health care delivery] systems. OR, Education. [Successful completion of a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university [recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, with a major field of study in health information management, or a related degree with a minimum of 24 semester hours in health information management or health information technology.] OR, Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of [creditable] experience and education that equals 100 percent may be used to meet basic requirements. [For example, two years above high school from an accredited college or university, with 12 semester hours in health information technology/health information management, plus one year and six months of creditable experience that included the preparation, maintenance, and management of health records and health information systems meets an equivalent combination. Certification. Persons hired or reassigned to MRA positions in the GS-0669 series in VHA must meet one of the following: (1) Coding Certification through AHIMA or AAPC. NOTE. See paragraph 2a above for a detailed definition of Coding Certification. OR, (2) HIM Certification through AHIMA. NOTE. See paragraph 2d above for a detailed definition of HIM Certification. OR, (3) Health Data Analyst Certification through AHIMA. NOTE. See paragraph 2c above for a detailed definition of Health Data Analyst Certification. 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: Medical Records Administration Specialist,] GS-5. None beyond basic requirements. Medical Records Administration Specialist,] GS-7 Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, [one] year of [creditable] experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. [ ] OR, Education. (Advanced Entry-Level Placement). Applicants who meet the GS-5 grade level may be appointed at the GS-7 grade level, if they possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in a major field of study in health information management, with an exemplary academic record as demonstrated by: i. A 3.0 or higher-grade point average (GPA) out of a possible 4.0 GPA ("B" or better), as recorded on their official transcript or as computed based on four years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final two years of the curriculum; or ii. A 3.5 GPA or higher out of a possible 4.0 GPA ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field of study, or the required courses completed in the major field of study during the final two years of the curriculum. Medical Records Administration Specialist,] GS-9 (a) Experience. [One] year of [creditable] experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics described at that level. OR, (b) Education. 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 Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Knowledge of current] classification systems [, such as International Classification of Diseases, Current Procedural Terminology,] and [the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS). Ability to effectively communicate (written and verbal) with medical center staff, patients, and external entities.] Ability to use data collection and analytical techniques for purposes of review, quality control, studies and analysis [of health information. Ability to utilize computer applications with varied functions to produce a wide range of reports, to abstract records, collect and analyze data and present results in various formats. Ability to work independently, adapt to shifting priorities, and meet deadlines.] Medical Records Administration Specialist,] GS-9 Experience. [One] year of [creditable] experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics described at that level. OR, Education. 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 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. iv. 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. Medical Records Administration Specialist, GS-11 Experience. [One] year of [creditable] experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that demonstrates all of the KSAs described at that level. OR, Education. Education equivalent to three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited university or college in the field of health information management. AND Demonstrated Knowledges, Skills, and Abilities 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, statues, 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 acquire, manage, analyze, interpret, and transform data into accurate, consistent, and meaningful information. References: VA Handbook 5005/130, Part II, Appendix G33; dated May 28, 2020. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-05 to GS-11. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

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 Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 820 South Damen Avenue Chicago, IL 60612 US
• Name: Cursten Sturghill
• Phone: 312-569-8850
• Email: [email protected]