Supervisory, Medical Record Technician (Coder Outpatient/Inpatient)
This position is located in the Health Information Management Section, Health Administration Service at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center. The Health Information Manager (HIM) at this level is the Supervisor of Coding in a multilevel care medical center. The duties and responsibilities are carried out throughout the facility center including all administrative and clinical areas involved with the service. Works closely with the Chief, HIM Section, the Clinical Applications Coordinators (CAC), Medical Care Cost Recovery (MCCR) section staff as well as other service care line managers and employees within the facility on various projects, process improvement initiatives, etc. Incumbent is responsible for the supervision, administrative management, direction of Medical Record Technician (Coder) staff. Has full supervisory responsibility over a section or equivalent work unit. Typical duties include:
preparing work assignments, monitoring performances of Medical Record Technician (Coder) staff, evaluating employee performance, selecting staff, recommending awards and advancements, and, when appropriate, taking disciplinary actions. The duties are required in order to provide oversight to a customer-focused, forward-thinking, and efficiently managed operation. All health information and medical record functions are essential to the optimal operation of a federally owned and operated health care facility. Incumbent serves as overseer and coordinator of the HIM Coding Program. Functions as technical expert in documentation requirements for a medico-legal health record in compliance Joint Commission Standards, VHA handbooks and regulations, medical center bylaws, resident supervision requirements and to support correct code assignment. Incumbent will contribute to the organization's mission and goals by assisting in the planning, development, implementation, and maintenance of a facility-wide coding compliance program. Performs duties under the direct supervision of the Chief, Health Information Management and serves as a primary source to Health Administration Service and all clinical services/sections for Diagnosis Related Group (DRG), Ambulatory Payment Classifications (APC), as well as other disease and procedure classification systems. Keeps abreast of regulatory changes affecting the health information management program and code assignment. Maintains continuous monitors to ensure that Patient Treatment File (PTF) transactions, Patient Care Encounters (PCE), monthly closeout, annual patient census, as well as other recurring special data collection projects delegated by the facility are completed within specified time frames. VHA Headquarters reports/requests for various health information projects (Resident Supervision Monitor, review of VISN CBI audit results, IMed Consent, etc) are submitted in an accurate and timely manner. Area of Consideration Order:
Facility, Agency, and then all other Federal. Work Schedule:
8:
00 am - 4:
30 pm, Monday - Friday Financial Disclosure Report:
Not required 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:
(1) 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, (2) 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, (3) 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, (4) 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:
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. 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:
Persons hired or reassigned to Supervisory MRT (Coder) positions in the GS-0675 series in VHA must have a Mastery Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC. Physical Requirements:
May include but not limited to standing up to two hours per day, use of both hands, use of fingers, and sitting up to eight hours per day. English Language Proficiency:
MRTs (Coder) must be proficient in spoken and written English as required 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). Grade Determinations:
-Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. -Certification. Employees at this level must have a mastery level certification. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
Ability to perform a full range of supervisory duties, to include recommending awards, approving leave, evaluating work, resolving staff issues, and assigning, planning, and coordinating work to ensure duties are completed in an accurate and timely fashion 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 provide or coordinate staff development and training. Leadership and managerial skills, including skill in interpersonal relations and conflict resolution to deal with employees, team leaders, and managers. Ability to collect and analyze data, identify trends, and present results in various formats. Assignment. For all assignments above the journey level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Supervisory MRTs (Coder)are responsible for supervising coding staff at the facility level. Supervisory MRTs(Coder) must be able to perform all duties of a MRT (Coder). The supervisory coder is responsible for the supervision, administrative management, and direction of coding staff. They are responsible for program management of a coding section/unit to ensure performance monitors are established and met. They perform a full range of supervisory responsibilities, to include evaluating the performance of subordinate staff, approving sick and annual leave requests, identifying educational or training needs, resolving employee complaints, and taking disciplinary actions, when necessary. They inform higher level management of anticipated vacancies or increases in workload. They recommend employees for promotions, reassignments, recognitions, retention or release of probationary employees, or other changes of assigned personnel. They make decisions on the selection of employees for vacant or new positions. They serve as an expert coding resource to ensure accuracy and integrity of all coding. They collaborate with revenue, compliance, and other departments to support coding accuracy that is consistent with the official guidelines for coding and reporting. They resolve claim edits referred to coding management and monitor reports for outstanding services, rejects, or uncoded episodes of care for inpatients and/or outpatients. The supervisory coder ensures claim denials related to coding errors are resolved, and/or daily coding rejects are corrected for accurate billing and data collection. They provide education to clinical and coding staff. They assess current audit findings and evaluate impact to coding and documentation practices. They oversee the reporting of coding and documentation audit results to leadership. They collect and prepare data for studies involving inpatient stays and outpatient encounters for clinical evaluation purposes, prepare and maintain a variety of complex records and daily, monthly, or on demand reports, as requested. The supervisory coder creates and monitors outpatient reports, inpatient case mix reports, top DRGs, and key performance indicators to identify patterns, trends, and variations. They investigate and evaluate potential causes for changes or problems and collaborate with the appropriate staff to effect resolution or explain variances. They participate in the formulation of objectives and strategies utilizing coded data to support goals for patient care, teaching, research, and optimizing management of resources. Supervisory MRTs whose assignments involve two or more MRT specialty areas will be assigned the parenthetical title for the predominant specialty area. References:
MEDICAL RECORDS TECHNICIAN (CODER) QUALIFICATION STANDARD GS-0675 Veterans Health Administration VA Handbook 5005/122 PART II APPENDIX G57, December 10, 2019 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS 10.
Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
preparing work assignments, monitoring performances of Medical Record Technician (Coder) staff, evaluating employee performance, selecting staff, recommending awards and advancements, and, when appropriate, taking disciplinary actions. The duties are required in order to provide oversight to a customer-focused, forward-thinking, and efficiently managed operation. All health information and medical record functions are essential to the optimal operation of a federally owned and operated health care facility. Incumbent serves as overseer and coordinator of the HIM Coding Program. Functions as technical expert in documentation requirements for a medico-legal health record in compliance Joint Commission Standards, VHA handbooks and regulations, medical center bylaws, resident supervision requirements and to support correct code assignment. Incumbent will contribute to the organization's mission and goals by assisting in the planning, development, implementation, and maintenance of a facility-wide coding compliance program. Performs duties under the direct supervision of the Chief, Health Information Management and serves as a primary source to Health Administration Service and all clinical services/sections for Diagnosis Related Group (DRG), Ambulatory Payment Classifications (APC), as well as other disease and procedure classification systems. Keeps abreast of regulatory changes affecting the health information management program and code assignment. Maintains continuous monitors to ensure that Patient Treatment File (PTF) transactions, Patient Care Encounters (PCE), monthly closeout, annual patient census, as well as other recurring special data collection projects delegated by the facility are completed within specified time frames. VHA Headquarters reports/requests for various health information projects (Resident Supervision Monitor, review of VISN CBI audit results, IMed Consent, etc) are submitted in an accurate and timely manner. Area of Consideration Order:
Facility, Agency, and then all other Federal. Work Schedule:
8:
00 am - 4:
30 pm, Monday - Friday Financial Disclosure Report:
Not required 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:
(1) 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, (2) 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, (3) 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, (4) 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:
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. 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:
Persons hired or reassigned to Supervisory MRT (Coder) positions in the GS-0675 series in VHA must have a Mastery Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC. Physical Requirements:
May include but not limited to standing up to two hours per day, use of both hands, use of fingers, and sitting up to eight hours per day. English Language Proficiency:
MRTs (Coder) must be proficient in spoken and written English as required 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). Grade Determinations:
-Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. -Certification. Employees at this level must have a mastery level certification. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
Ability to perform a full range of supervisory duties, to include recommending awards, approving leave, evaluating work, resolving staff issues, and assigning, planning, and coordinating work to ensure duties are completed in an accurate and timely fashion 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 provide or coordinate staff development and training. Leadership and managerial skills, including skill in interpersonal relations and conflict resolution to deal with employees, team leaders, and managers. Ability to collect and analyze data, identify trends, and present results in various formats. Assignment. For all assignments above the journey level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Supervisory MRTs (Coder)are responsible for supervising coding staff at the facility level. Supervisory MRTs(Coder) must be able to perform all duties of a MRT (Coder). The supervisory coder is responsible for the supervision, administrative management, and direction of coding staff. They are responsible for program management of a coding section/unit to ensure performance monitors are established and met. They perform a full range of supervisory responsibilities, to include evaluating the performance of subordinate staff, approving sick and annual leave requests, identifying educational or training needs, resolving employee complaints, and taking disciplinary actions, when necessary. They inform higher level management of anticipated vacancies or increases in workload. They recommend employees for promotions, reassignments, recognitions, retention or release of probationary employees, or other changes of assigned personnel. They make decisions on the selection of employees for vacant or new positions. They serve as an expert coding resource to ensure accuracy and integrity of all coding. They collaborate with revenue, compliance, and other departments to support coding accuracy that is consistent with the official guidelines for coding and reporting. They resolve claim edits referred to coding management and monitor reports for outstanding services, rejects, or uncoded episodes of care for inpatients and/or outpatients. The supervisory coder ensures claim denials related to coding errors are resolved, and/or daily coding rejects are corrected for accurate billing and data collection. They provide education to clinical and coding staff. They assess current audit findings and evaluate impact to coding and documentation practices. They oversee the reporting of coding and documentation audit results to leadership. They collect and prepare data for studies involving inpatient stays and outpatient encounters for clinical evaluation purposes, prepare and maintain a variety of complex records and daily, monthly, or on demand reports, as requested. The supervisory coder creates and monitors outpatient reports, inpatient case mix reports, top DRGs, and key performance indicators to identify patterns, trends, and variations. They investigate and evaluate potential causes for changes or problems and collaborate with the appropriate staff to effect resolution or explain variances. They participate in the formulation of objectives and strategies utilizing coded data to support goals for patient care, teaching, research, and optimizing management of resources. Supervisory MRTs whose assignments involve two or more MRT specialty areas will be assigned the parenthetical title for the predominant specialty area. References:
MEDICAL RECORDS TECHNICIAN (CODER) QUALIFICATION STANDARD GS-0675 Veterans Health Administration VA Handbook 5005/122 PART II APPENDIX G57, December 10, 2019 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS 10.
- Department:
0675 Medical Records Technician - Salary Range:
$58,260 to $75,740 per year
Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
|
|
 | |
