This position is located in the Health Information Management (HIM) Section of the Business Office at the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Health Care System. (ICVAHCS). MRAs perform work concerned with the management of the HIM program and the provision of services related to medical record administration. They assist in developing policies and procedures and provide advice and education on the use of health records and health information management.

Duties

The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. Major duties include, but are not limited to: Assists the Chief, Health Information Management 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 standards, VA regulations and medico-legal requirements; current Federal Codes pertinent to medical records; Veterans Administration policy memoranda, directives and handbooks pertinent to health information management; ICD-CM coding principles and nomenclature and the MS-DRG system; CPT and E&M rules; medical and procedural terminology; anatomy and physiology, regulations governing confidentiality of medical records; release of information laws and statutes; and any policies pertaining to VA medical 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 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 data 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 for users; perform equipment needs analysis for new or replacement equipment and/or equipment repair; submit work orders for correction to software errors. Supports contracting services related to HIMS needs and provide technical assistance to HIM staff (e.g., coding, ROI and dictation software). Provide support for health information documentation corrections, consist of retracting erroneous notes, re-titling notes, reassigning notes to or removing from consult requests or appointments and problem solves other documentation and workload issues; collaborate with clinicians, Clinical Applications Coordinators (CACs) and others who report problems. Establishes criteria and provides education when dealing directly with physicians, nurses and other 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 Central Office. Supports information governance principals, identifies variances in data, performs analysis of data, identifying discrepancies and dubious practices, collaborates with all levels of leadership and staff to problem-solve and resolve with appropriate solutions, striving for greater efficiencies, accessibility, improve quality and integrity of data for making better decisions. Work Schedule: Monday- Friday; 0700-1530 Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Remote: NO 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. 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. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) 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. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) Certification (See Education section for Certification requirement). 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. OR, (2) HIM Certification through AHIMA. OR, (3) Health Data Analyst Certification through AHIMA. Loss of Credential. Following initial certification, credentials must be maintained through rigorous continuing education, ensuring the highest level of competency for employers and patients. An employee in this occupation who fails to maintain the required certification must be removed from the occupation which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation for which he/she qualifies, if a placement opportunity exists. English Language Proficiency. MRAs must be proficient in spoken and written English. See 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Grade Determinations: Medical Records Administration Specialist,GS-5. None beyond basic requirements Medical Records Administration Specialist, GS-7 Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. OR, Education (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). 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: 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, 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. 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. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) AND 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. 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 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-5 to GS-11. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

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 Iowa City VA Health Care System 601 Highway 6 West Iowa City, IA 52246 US
• Name: Brittney Deery
• Phone: 701-239-3700 X3671
• Email: [email protected]