Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current permanent VA Nationwide employees, Federal employees of other Agencies and U.S. Citizens. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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Duties include but are not limited to:

• Serves as technical expert in health record content and documentation requirements.
• Responsible for performing quantitative and qualitative reviews of health record documentation.
• Responsible for ensuring that all patient care data entered in VistA and/or Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) is accurate, timely, and completed.
• Adheres to established documentation requirements as outlined by The Joint Commission regulations, Veterans Health Administration (VHA) guidelines, as well as medical-legal requirements.
• Reviews records for adherence with CMS guidelines related to student, resident supervision and attending physician presence and documentation.
• Compiles reports to ensure provider specific and service compliance.
• Maintains a control system to ensure completion of all inpatient and outpatient records in accordance with VA, The Joint Commission, CMS and other regulatory agencies' standards.
• Review's health records to ensure that all records contain sufficient information to meet medical/legal requirements, to ensure continuity of patient care, and to support education and research needs.
• Assists clinicians with completion of delinquent/incomplete health records.
• Consults with the appropriate clinician(s) for clarification when conflicting or ambiguous information appears in the health record documentation.
• Assists physicians with the completion of delinquent/incomplete health records and serves as the expert resource for clinical staff regarding requirements for complete documentation.
• Responsible for expediting the completion of the health record when the patient is transferred for care at another medical center, for legal requests, regulatory agencies review, and reimbursement purposes.
• Tracks electronic signatures and documents deficiencies and communicates these deficiencies to clinical staff for correction.
• Prepares complex weekly and monthly reports noting the status of all incomplete/delinquent records and compliance reports and submits the reports to the appropriate administrative and clinical staff.
• Preforms analytical tasks associated with the resolution of "filing" errors on reports uploaded by a transcription vendor.
• Generates various statistical reports to track errors. Makes appropriate recommendations for changes or solutions and implements appropriate recommendations for corrective action when authorized so continued filing errors do not occur.
• Identifies reviews, verifies, and corrects all statistical data concerning medical transcription to maintain accuracy of medical and statistical reports.
• Participates in routine and focused reviews for the purpose of identifying problems and potential problems in record documentation as part of the health record review process.

Work Schedule: 7:30 am - 4:00 pm, Monday - Friday - subject to change based upon the needs of the facility
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized.
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
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: Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 00008F, 00011F, 00013F, 00989F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

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

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.
• Experience and Education.
  (1) Experience. One year of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, and a general understanding of health records. Six months of the required one year of creditable experience must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to perform MRT HIT work.
  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, physiology, legal aspects of health care, and introduction to health records).
  OR,
  (3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of creditable experience and education are qualifying towards meeting basic experience 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, privacy and release of information, the health record, and one year above high school with a minimum of six semester hours of health information technology/health information management.
  (b) Six months of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology, privacy and release of information, the health record, and successful completion of a course for medical technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or hospital training obtained in a training program given by the U.S. 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.
• English Language Proficiency. MRTs HIT 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 (HIT), GS-4 (Entry Level):
Experience or Education. None beyond basic requirements.

Medical Records Technician (HIT), GS-5 (Developmental Level 1):
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower level.
OR,
Education. A bachelor'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 management, or a related degree with a minimum of 24 semester hours in health information technology/health information management (e.g., courses in medical terminology, anatomy & physiology, legal aspects of health care, and introduction to health records).
(4) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external customers.
(b)Ability to utilize health information technology and various office software products used in health information management positions (e.g., Microsoft Excel, electronic health records, and delinquency tracking software).
(c)Knowledge of health record documentation guidelines and industry standards.
(d)Ability to manage priorities and coordinate work to complete duties within required timeframes.
(e)Ability to apply knowledge of medical terminology and human anatomy to fully understand the content of a health record.

Medical Records Technician (HIT), GS-6:
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:(a)Ability to navigate efficiently through the health record to locate needed information.
(b)Ability to analyze health record documentation to ensure compliance with guidelines and industry standards.
(c)Skill in investigating potential health record errors and making corrections, when appropriate.
(d)Skill in interpreting and applying health information guidelines and using judgment to complete assignments.
(e) Ability to follow up on incomplete health record documentation.

Medical Records Technician (HIT), GS-7 (Full Performance Level):
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Ability to judge whether health records contain sufficient information for regulatory requirements, are acceptable as legal documents, are adequate for continuity of patient care, and support education and research needs.
(b) Ability to take appropriate actions if health record content is not adequate, accurate, timely, and/or reliable.
(c) Ability to communicate both orally and in writing with individuals or groups, to facilitate compliance with established policies and regulations.
(d) Skill in using appropriate software and computer applications to analyze and record documentation trends.
(e) Ability to apply qualitative and/or quantitative methods for assessment and improvement of health records.
(f) Ability to work independently and utilize problem-solving techniques in the accomplishment of work.

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS07. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS04 to GS07.

Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.
Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

How you will be evaluated

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

Area of Consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:
Current permanent VA employees of the Alexandria VA Health Care System
All other VA employees
Current Permanent Federal employees of other agencies
All other applicants

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 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.