Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. Job Announcement is open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies, and all US Citizens.

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Outpatient CDISs serve as the liaison between health information management and clinical staff. They are responsible for facilitating improved overall quality, education, completeness, and accuracy of health record documentation through extensive interaction with clinical, coding, and other associated staff to ensure clinical documentation supports services rendered to patients, appropriate workload, and resource allocations. They review documentation and facilitate modifications to the health record to ensure accurate complexity of care and utilization of resources. They identify opportunities for documentation improvement by ensuring that diagnoses and procedures are documented to the highest level of specificity, accurately address all acute and chronic conditions, and reflect the true health status of patients. They recommend changes and/or updates to medical center policy pertaining to clinical documentation improvement. They serve as a technical expert in health record content and documentation requirements. They query clinical staff to clarify ambiguous, conflicting, or incomplete documentation.

Responsible for reviewing the overall quality and completeness of clinical documentation. Outpatient CDI focuses on improving clinical staff documentation of outpatient encounters through retrospective, ideally prior to coding and billing, review of outpatient encounters and extensive provider education.

Applies comprehensive knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy & physiology, disease processes, treatment modalities, diagnostic tests, medications, procedures as well as the principles and practices of health services and the organizational structure to ensure proper code selection.

Reviews clinical documentation and provides education to clinical staff on both inpatient and outpatient episodes of care including admissions and discharges, observation, emergency department/urgent care, and clinic visits.

Prepare and conduct provider education on documentation processes in the health record to include the impact of documentation on coding, workload, quality measures, reimbursement, and funding.

Provides education to providers on the need for accurate and complete documentation in the health record, appropriate code selection of Evaluation and Management (E/M), Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and ICD-10 diagnosis codes, and ensuring documentation supports the codes selected to the highest degree of specificity.

Adheres to accepted coding practices, guidelines and conventions when choosing the most appropriate diagnosis, operation, procedure, ancillary, or evaluation and management (E/M) code to ensure ethical, accurate, and complete coding.

Reviews VERA input on missed opportunities in provider documentation identified by the VERA coordinator and coordinate provider documentation education with the VERA coordinator. Ensures documentation supports codes based on guidelines specific to certain diagnoses, procedures, and other criteria used to classify patients under the Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation (VERA) program that categorizes all VA patients into specific classes representing their clinical conditions and resource needs.

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 8:00-4:30pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Remote: Yes-This position is Remote 100% Outside the Area (Remote work outside parent station. Employee works 100% of the time in non-VA-owned or leased space outside the local commuting area of parent station.)
Functional Statement #: 000000
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

***This position is remote work eligible and is exempted from return to office requirements. Remote exempted positions are reviewed annually and do not imply permanent remote work status.***

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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.
• 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: (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. Persons hired or reassigned to MRT (Coder) positions in the GS-0675 series in VHA must have either (1), (2), or (3) below:

• (1) Apprentice/Associate Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC.
• (2) Mastery Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC.
• (3) Clinical Documentation Improvement Certification through AHIMA or ACDIS.
  • NOTE: Mastery level certification is required for all positions above the journey level; however, for clinical documentation improvement specialist assignments, a clinical documentation improvement certification may be substituted for a mastery level certification.
• 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 and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations: Medical Records Technician (Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist (CDIS-Outpatient)), GS-9

Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the journey grade level of a MRT (Coder-Outpatient);OR,
An associate's degree or higher and three years of experience in clinical documentation improvement (candidates must also have successfully completed coursework in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, medical coding, and introduction to health records);OR,
Mastery level certification through AHIMA or AAPC and two years of experience in clinical documentation improvement; NOTE: See the definitions section of this standard (paragraph 2g above) for a detailed definition of mastery level certification. OR,
Clinical experience, such as Registered Nurse (RN), Medical Doctor (M.D.), or Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), and one year of experience in clinical documentation improvement.

Certification. Employees at this level must have either a mastery level certification or a Clinical Documentation Improvement Certification.

Preferred Experience:

• An Associate Degree or higher in a healthcare related field and three (3) years of experience in Clinical Documentation Improvement.
• Mastery level certification through AHIMA or AAPC and two (2) years of experience in Clinical Documentation Improvement.
• Clinical experience, such as RN, MD, or DO, and one year of experience in Clinical Documentation Improvement.
• Knowledge of anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology to interpret and analyze all information in a patient's health record, including laboratory and other test result.
• Knowledge inpatient acute care and/or outpatient surgical and ancillary medical coding and introduction to health records.
• Knowledge and use of Clinical Documentation Integrity Artificial Intelligence (AI) software platforms.
• Ability to establish and maintain strong verbal and written communication with providers.
• Experience working with CDI metrics, developing excel reports, designing excel graphics, and presenting this date to various committees.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-9. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-9.

Physical Requirements: "The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds."

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal agency employees.

"Note: 38 U.S.C. 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans preference to external applicants for appointments made from this announcement."

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.