Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

• Coding practitioners analyze and abstract patients' health records, and assign alpha-numeric codes for each diagnosis and procedure.
• 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.
• Selects and assigns codes from the current version of several coding systems to include current versions of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), and/or Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS).
• Adheres to accepted coding practices, guidelines and conventions when choosing the most appropriate diagnosis, operation, procedure, ancillary, or Evaluation and Management code to ensure ethical, accurate, and complete coding.
• Monitors ever-changing regulatory and policy requirements affecting coded information for the full spectrum of services provided by the VAMC. Timely compliance with coding changes is crucial to the accuracy of the facility database as well as all cost recovery programs.
• Performs a comprehensive review of the patient health record to abstract medical, surgical, ancillary, demographic, social, and administrative data to ensure complete data capture.
• Assists facility staff with documentation requirements to completely and accurately reflect the patient care provided, provides technical support in the areas of regulations and policy, coding requirements, resident supervision, reimbursement, workload, accepted nomenclature, and proper sequencing.
• Insures provider documentation is complete and supports the diagnoses and procedures coded.
• Directly consults with the professional staff for clarification of conflicting or ambiguous clinical data.
• Reports incorrect documentation or codes in the electronic patient health record.
• Uses a variety of computer applications in day to day activities and duties, such as Outlook, Excel, Word, and Access; competent in use of the health record applications (VistA and CPRS) as well as the encoder product suite.
• Ensures current versions of all software applications are loaded and functional after any updates or changes.
• Works within a team environment; supports staff in meeting goals and deadlines; flexible and handles multiple tasks; works under pressure; and copes with frequently changing projects and deadlines.
• Develops performance standards and conducts performance evaluations for subordinate staff. Interviews new employees, recommends selection, and carries out training and development of reassignments, awards or disciplinary action. Approves leave schedules. Implements provisions of EEO programs to ensure fair and equal treatment for all employees. Keeps employees informed of management goals and objectives and higher levels supervisors informed of employee participation and concerns.
• Schedules the sequence of work and operations on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis to assure even workflow and distribution, expeditious handling of priorities and the meeting of deadlines. Revises schedules/assignments to meet changes in workload considering peak loads, availability of manpower and time limits. Makes changes in organization and assignment of duties to provide improvements, promote job satisfaction and increase productivity.
• Prepares workload and production reports; reports on operations and problems encountered; and presents proposed requests for resource needs based on past experience, anticipated staffing, equipment, and space.
• Coordinates with other Service representatives on matters concerning health record documentation and coding, as well as changes and challenges that may have an impact on other Units or Services.
• Keeps abreast of all regulations and guidelines governing the coding section, ensuring that staff supervised is educated as needed. Ensures that regulatory guidelines and current coding conventions are followed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm. Tour of Duty varies based on the needs of the service.
Telework: Ad-hoc telework eligibility may be authorized.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 02803F.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• 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: Must meet one of the following:
• (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 the Supervisory 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.

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).

IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE, YOU MUST MEET THE SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-10 LEVEL TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION.

GS-10 Grade Determinations:
Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-9.
Certification: Employees at this level must have a mastery level certification.

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.
• Responsible for program management of a coding section/unit to ensure performance monitors are established and met.
• Performs 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.
• Inform higher level management of anticipated vacancies or increases in workload.
• Recommend employees for promotions, reassignments, recognitions, retention or release of probationary employees, or changes of personnel.
• Make decisions on the selection of employees for vacant positions.
• Serves as an expert coding resource to ensure accuracy and integrity of coding.
• Collaborates with revenue, compliance, and other departments to support coding accuracy consistent with official guidelines for coding and reporting.
• Resolves claim edits referred to coding management and monitor reports for outstanding services, rejects, or uncoded episodes of care for inpatients and/or outpatients.
• Ensures claim denials related to coding errors are resolved, and/or daily coding rejects are corrected for accurate billing and data collection.
• Provides education to clinical and coding staff. They assess current audit findings and evaluate impact to coding and documentation practices.
• Oversees the reporting of coding and documentation audit results to leadership.
• Collects 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.
• Creates and monitor outpatient reports, inpatient case mix reports, top DRGs, and key performance indicators to identify patterns, trends, and variations, investigate potential causes for changes or problems, and take appropriate steps, in collaboration with staff, to effect resolution or explain variances.
• Participates in the formulation of objectives and strategies using coded data to support goals for patient care, teaching, research, and optimizing management of resources.

AND

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.

Physical Requirements. The work is primarily sedentary. Physical demands do not exceed those of a typical office setting. There may be some walking, standing, twisting, turning, sitting, pushing, bending, repetitive keyboarding, or carrying of light items. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.

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

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.

This position is a hybrid title 38 occupation reported among the occupations with the largest staffing shortages and, therefore, under 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference to applicants for Fiscal Year 2026.

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.