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MEDICAL RECORDS TECHNICIAN (HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNICIAN)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Poplar Bluff VA Medical Center

Summary

This position is located in the Health Information Management (HIM) section at the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center. MRTs HIT perform incomplete health record analysis. They review, analyze, abstract, maintain, extract, and compile information from the health record. MRTs HIT check for accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of the health record and monitor and report for regulatory compliance.




Overview

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Accepting applications
This job will close when we have received 30 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$37,193 - $65,599 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 4 - 7
Promotion potential
7
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Excepted Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
CBSS-13064290-26-TMC
Control number
884889800

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens. First Area of Consideration- Current permanent VA employees of the facility. Second Area of Consideration all other VA employees. Third Area of consideration all other applicants. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

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Duties

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  • Provides administrative support for the Medical Center Health Information Program.
  • Conducts searches for files when medical records are delinquent, misfiled or unaccounted for and ensures all paperwork pertinent to the patient's medical care is electronically filed into the medical record.
  • Receives, identifies, sorts and files various medical reports and other documents related to patient care received from patients or non-VA facilities.
  • Reviews and researches numerous medical reports from VAMC and non-VA facilities to determine which documents need to be added to a patients' electronic medical record.
  • Utilizes basic knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and research and collect information for various medical studies and research projects.
  • Advises the clinical treatment team on issues related to record completion and documentation requirements.
  • Reviews 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.
  • 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.
  • Works with interdisciplinary staff to solve problems regarding proper health record documentation and completion.
  • Expedites the completion of a health record when a patient is transferred for care at another medical center, for legal requests, regulatory agencies review, and reimbursement purposes.
SALARY:
GS-04: $37,193 to $ 47,334
GS-05: $40,736 to $ 52,957
GS-06: $45,409 to $59,031
GS-07: $50,460 to $65,599

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
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: Ad-hoc only
Functional Statement #: 000000

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
  • All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
  • 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.
  • Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/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 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.
  • Language: MRTs HIT must be proficient in spoken and written English, as required by 38 U.S.C. ยง 7403(f).
  • 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,
  • 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,
  • 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.
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 None beyond the basic requirements.

Medical Records Technician (HIT), GS-5 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower level. OR,(2) 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)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. 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.

Medical Records Technician (HIT), GS-7 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) 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 GS-7. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-4 to GS-7.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

The John J. Pershing VA & its CBOC's are committed to hiring a diverse workforce from various backgrounds and individuals who demonstrate a diversity, equity and inclusion-related mindset and behaviors. We are strongly seeking candidates who represent the full range of cultural and identity factors including but not limited to race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation/identity, gender identity and expression, age, language, abilities/disabilities, socioeconomic status, religion, spiritual practices, geographic region, and other characteristics.

38 USC 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' Preference to external applicants for appointments made during the FY to Hybrid Title 38 occupations reported among the occupations with the largest staffing shortages.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

Veterans Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

The John J. Pershing VA Medical Center is in the active and thriving community of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, the "Gateway to the Ozarks." Poplar Bluff has a population of 17,000, and cost of living in the area is among the lowest in the country. We are within a two-hour drive of several large cities and have a small airport. The area is quite scenic and outdoor recreational opportunities abound in nearby national and state parks and forests. Come, join our team!

The VA's "Fourth Mission" is to improve the Nation's preparedness for response to war, terrorism, national emergencies, and natural disasters by developing plans and taking actions to ensure continued service to Veterans, as well as to support national, state and local emergency management, public health, safety and Homeland Security efforts. To accomplish the fourth mission, all VHA staff may be required to participate in alternative assignments during a national or local disaster.

Agency contact information

Tiffany Coats
Phone
615-873-8622
Email
tiffany.coats@va.gov
Address
John J Pershing VA Medical Center
1500 North Westwood Boulevard
Poplar Bluff, MO 63901
US

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