Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. This job 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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The Medical Records Technician (Cancer Registrar Coordinator) thoroughly searches medical records to identify and code all information pertinent to the patient's diagnosis. This includes demographics, diagnosis, site and histology, diagnostic procedures, extent of disease, and treatment.

Utilizes coding references to ensure that complete and accurate data is collected. Codes information contained on several forms and documents that make up an entire record. Codes diseases, surgical procedures, and causes of injury. In addition, uses specific codes required in a cancer registry such as stage of disease, morphology, and topography, using International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, AJCC Staging Manual, and the Registry Operations and Data Standards (ROADS) Manual.

Independently codes a wide variety of medical diagnostic, therapeutic, and surgical procedures. Codes diseases and causes of injury. Analyzes the consistency of coding of registry data, cancer diagnosis, histology, and treatment (including surgical procedures, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormonal therapy, and radiation therapy). Identifies coding discrepancies.

Collects core data from patients' records, including demographic characteristics, diagnostic procedures, diagnoses, stage, and extent of disease. Ensures that data is reported accurately and in correct format. Devises format for some information to meet requirements established by requestor.

Prepares correspondence and summaries of medical records in response to a variety of requests. Performs research and prepares correspondence by retrieving and releasing data following a standardized approach that meets the requirements of the Privacy Act and Freedom of Information Act regulations. The employee validates data gathered from various sources.

Organizes and maintains a data system which conforms to the standards of an Approved Cancer Program and meets the needs of the users of the registry data.

Monitors cancer committee processes and procedures implemented to improve patient care and to verify compliance of plans and requirements. Provides technical advice to the clinical staff relative to the best method of recording AJCC staging, the use of staging forms, and the correct documentation of diagnoses/procedures. Consults with the appropriate physician or other clinician(s) for clarification when conflicting information appears in the medical record.

Performs analysis of work processes or service delivery practices to identify reasonable and efficient measurement of the quality of the work or the activity and to identify areas of possible improvement.

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 8:00am to 4:30 (central standard time)
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (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
Remote: This is position 100% Remote Outside of the local commuting area of parent station.
Functional Statement #: 56160F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

"The remote status of this offer is contingent upon final approval from the VA COO. Until remote status for this position is officially authorized, you may work remotely or in the workspace provided to you by a nearby federal facility, as arranged by the hosting and hiring facility leadership."

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:

• 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
  • Experience. One year of experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology and general understanding of the health record. Six months of the required one year of experience must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to perform MRT work. OR
• Education. Two years above high school with a minimum of 12 semester hours directly related to MRT work (e.g., courses in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and introduction to health records). OR
• Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. The following educational/training substitutions are appropriate for combining education and experience: (a) Six months of experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology and general understanding of the health record and one year above high school with a minimum of six 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. Training 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 medical record techniques and procedures. The position requires six additional months of experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology and general understanding of the health record.
• English Language Proficiency. MRT (Cancer Registrar) candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized 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: MRT (Cancer Registrar) Coordinator, GS-9
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Knowledge and understanding of ACoS and/or facility requirements for administering, monitoring, and reporting compliance of the cancer program to the governing bodies.
(b) Ability to interpret data to set, evaluate, and adjust the cancer program and/or facility goals and objectives.
(c) Ability to inform cancer registry staff on the technical components of the cancer database, coordinate workflow and monitor data for accuracy and quality measures.
(d) Ability to multitask.
(f) Ability to communicate with individuals from various disciplines regarding the facility requirements of the cancer program.
(g) Ability to analyze and interpret data for use in facility strategic planning.
(h) Ability to develop cancer program/cancer registry policies and procedures to ensure patient-centered care for cancer patients in accordance with governmentwide, agency, and agency and facility requirements.

Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance 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. MRTs (Cancer Registrar) function as the coordinator of all activities associated with the cancer registry and cancer program. Provides technical direction to program clerks and technicians who assist with the cancer registry. Performs analysis of work processes to identify reasonable and efficient measurement of the quality of the work and identify areas of possible improvement. Prepares routine and special statistical reports, narratives and graphic representations requiring use of registry data. Conducts special studies and surveys for identifying opportunities to improve patient care. MRT (Cancer Registrar) are subject matter experts on ACoS and/or facility standards pertaining to setting and monitoring goals, presenting statistical and written reports to identify resource needs and process improvement opportunities, and participating in strategic planning. Serves as a liaison between the cancer committee and internal and external entities. Serves as a core member on cancer committees to ensure that the discussions are consultative, address patient management issues, and contain applicable staging schema. MRT (Cancer Registrar) are subject matter experts on registry and cancer program issues.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience conducting comprehensive case finding, abstracting, coding, and quality control of cancer registry data, including lifetime patient follow-up, in accordance with American College of Surgeons Cancer Program standards.
• Demonstrated ability to utilize electronic health record (EHR) systems and cancer registry software for identifying, abstracting, and coding neoplastic disease data, ensuring data integrity, confidentiality, and compliance with all VA, state, and federal regulations.
• Advanced knowledge of cancer staging systems, tumor nomenclature, registry operations, and procedures for identifying and registering neoplasms, including familiarity with multiple primary and histology rules, international classification of diseases for oncology, and cancer treatment modalities.
• Experience preparing and delivering accurate statistical reports and datasets for internal clinicians, state agencies, and research projects, supporting cancer surveillance, epidemiology, and quality improvement initiatives.
• Proven ability to organize work, set priorities, delegate tasks, and maintain high standards in data management, retrieval, and analysis activities within a tumor registry or similar professional medical registry environment.

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-09. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-09.

Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination.

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.

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.