Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. Area of consideration (AOC): 1st AOC: Current permanent employees of CW Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Station 516) including satellite locations. 2nd AOC - Current employees of the Department of Veteran Health Administration as well as Current/Past VHA Health Professional Trainee (HPT) Graduates.

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Medical Records Administration Specialist duties include but not limited to:

• Performs data mining; complex data analysis; and interpret and transform data into accurate, consistent, and timely information in support of the business and operational needs of the HIM department and the organization.
• Prepares workload and production reports, monitor trends to identify efficiencies and outliers, and recommend appropriate actions which may involve collaborating with staff at all levels for resolution.
• Designs and performs quality improvement projects related to health information management to identify and recommend ways of eliminating, combining, simplifying or improving procedures and processes.
• Provides subject matter expertise to Service Line Leaders, and medical center staff.
• Interprets and applies The Joint Commission (TJC) standards, VHA regulations and medico-legal requirements; current federal codes pertinent to health records.
• Provides training for HIM, clinical and administrative staff on HIM topics.
• Performs audits and analyses, preparing and presenting findings and recommendations to the CHIM, Service Line Leaders and medical staff.
• Interacts with clinical/ancillary staff to ensure that charge order items, represented by HCPCS/CPT codes, accurately reflect services provided.
• 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.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm
Telework: Ad-hoc Only
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Functional Statement #: 22138F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
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 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 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:

Citizenship. Candidates must be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).

Experience or Education:
(1) 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,

(2) 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,

3) 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.

**If you are basing your qualifications on education (or a combination of education and experience) you must submit a copy of your transcripts with your application.

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

(1) Coding Certification through AHIMA or AAPC. Certifications include: Certified Coding Specialist (CCS), Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) - Physician-based (CCS-P), Certified Professional Coder (CPC), Certified Outpatient Coder (COC), and Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC).OR,

(2) HIM Certification through AHIMA. Certificate include: Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) and Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) OR,

(3) Health Data Analyst Certification (CHDA) through AHIMA.

*** Note: A copy of your current certification must be submitted with your application.

Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA [as an MRA] are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, including positive education, and [registration and/or] 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 the following provisions apply:

1. Such employees may be reassigned, promoted up to, and including, the full performance ([journeyman]) level, or [changed to lower grade] within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the [journeyman] level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
2. Employees who [were] appointed on a temporary basis, prior to the effective date of the qualification standard, may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
3. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/[registration/]certification[, and] meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard, must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
4 MRAs who are converted to title 38 [hybrid status] under this provision [and subsequently leave the] occupation [lose] protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry [, as a medical records administrator].

Grade Determinations:

Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-09) that demonstrates the KSAs described below.
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.

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.

**If you are basing your qualifications on education (or a combination of education and experience) you must submit a copy of your transcripts with your application.

In addition to the above experience or education applicants MUST demonstrate the below KSA in there resume to qualify at the GS-11 grade.

Demonstrated Knowledges, Skills, and Abilities

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.


Assignments. This is considered the full performance level for MRA positions (MRA/HIM Specialist). MRAs work independently in day-to-day assignments. They perform data mining; complex data analysis; and interpret and transform data into accurate, consistent, and timely information in support of the business and operational needs of the HIM department and the organization. They present findings and recommendations to the Chief of HIM (CHIM) and facility leadership. MRAs perform workflow analyses, recommend process improvements, identify and implement best practices, and implement changes as needed to improve the productivity and quality controls of the HIM department. They prepare workload and production reports, monitor trends to identify efficiencies and outliers, and recommend appropriate actions which may involve collaborating with staff at all levels for resolution. The MRA designs and performs quality improvement projects related to health information management to identify and recommend ways of eliminating, combining, simplifying or improving procedures and processes. They compile diagnostic, procedural, and statistical data, and present reports locally, regionally, or nationally. MRAs lead various health record review activities. They participate in various facility, regional, and/or national committees requiring health information management subject matter expertise. The MRA exhibits broad organizational knowledge, communicates and provides training and education to individuals and groups, at multiple levels, both internal and external to the facility.

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.

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.

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.