Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open only to current, permanent VISN 19 Business Office Support Services employees 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:

• Assists the Chief, Health Information Management (CHIM) 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.
• Interprets and applies The Joint Commission (TJC) standards, VHA regulations and medico-legal requirements; current federal codes pertinent to health records; VHA policy memoranda, directives, handbooks and program guides pertinent to health information management; medical coding (ICD, CPT, HCPCS) and reimbursement methodologies; medical and procedural terminology; anatomy and physiology; regulations governing confidentiality of health 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 and conducting various presentations.
• Keeps current on emerging issues and trends in the HIM field, including process improvement initiatives, the electronic health record (EHR), coding and computer-assisted coding, the revenue cycle, release of information and privacy issues, records management, medical speech recognition, transcription and data entry, and health information exchange.
• Keeps HIM and clinical staff abreast of changing technology in electronic systems used to collect, process, code, protect and store health information.
• Participates in various VAMC, VISN and national committees requiring HIM subject matter expertise.
• Performs audits and analyses, preparing and presenting findings and recommendations to the CHIM, Service Line Leaders and medical staff.
• Assures the accuracy and timeliness of the capturing of patient services charges (workload) in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.
• Reviews, analyzes and reports HIM performance monitors.
• Advises Principal Investigators and other clinical staff on methodologies related to retrieval of health care data for specific studies.
• Performs data retrieval for special studies as needed.
• Utilizes advanced knowledge of VHA data sources, such as VHA Support Service Center (VSSC) and the Corporate Data Warehouse (CDW), to complete analyses of VA Medical Center data.
• Analyzes and evaluates on a quantitative basis, the effectiveness of the HIM program and operations in meeting established goals and objectives.
• As a member of the local Revenue Cycle/Charge Services Team, interacts with clinical/ancillary staff to ensure that charge order items, represented by HCPCS/CPT codes, accurately reflect services provided.
• Is the facility expert for software and computer applications related to HIM to provide technical assistance to HIM staff (e.g., coding, ROI, dictation, and medical speech recognition software).
• Serves as point of contact for health record corrections to ensure documentation accurately reflects care delivered and reported.
• 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 VISN or VHA Central Office.
• Reviews requests for new templates or additions/correction to existing templates (e.g., clinical reminder dialogs, documentation templates, PowerForms).
• Reviews requests for new paper forms and assists in the creation and implementation.

Work Schedule: Full time
Telework: Available on an ad hoc basis at the supervisor's discretion
Virtual: This is virtual position where you will work at one of the VISN 19 facilities.
Functional Statement #: PD53315-O, PD53316-O, PD53317-O, and PD53318-O
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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 identification 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 may be required to serve a 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.

English Language Proficiency. MRAs must be proficient in spoken and written English. See 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

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.

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.

Certification. Persons hired or reassigned to MRA positions in the GS-0669 series in VHA must meet one of the following:

• Coding Certification through AHIMA or AAPC.

OR,

• HIM Certification through AHIMA.

OR,

• Health Data Analyst Certification through AHIMA.

Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA as an MRAS are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, including positive education, and certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, must meet one the provisions listed in the qualification standard (dated 5/28/2020).

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Medical Records Administration Specialist, GS-5.
None beyond basic requirements.

Medical Records Administration Specialist, GS-7
Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, one year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

OR,
Education. (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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):

1. Knowledge of current classification systems, such as International Classification of Diseases, Current Procedural Terminology, and the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS).
2. Ability to effectively communicate (written and verbal) with medical center staff, patients, and external entities.
3. Ability to use data collection and analytical techniques for purposes of review, quality control, studies and analysis of health information.
4. 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.
5. 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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):

1. Knowledge of medical and legal requirements related to health information management and health records.
2. Ability to provide technical advice and guidance on health information management practices.
3. Skill in extracting data from various sources and analyzing health information to create reports.
4. Skill in researching, interpreting, and applying health information management guidelines.
5. 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.

Demonstrated Knowledges, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):

1. Skill in performance and process improvement techniques to develop and implement new or improved solutions in health information management.
2. 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.
3. Ability to plan, justify, develop, evaluate, assess, monitor, and advise on current health information management processes and recommend changes in policies or procedures.
4. Ability to determine and evaluate compliance with legal, ethical, and regulatory guidelines and accrediting bodies, as they apply to health information management.
5. Ability to acquire, manage, analyze, interpret, and transform data into accurate, consistent, and meaningful information.

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-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: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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.