Clarification from the agency

The IHS is required by law to give absolute preference to qualified applicants who meet the Secretary of the Interior's definition of Indian for appointment to vacancies within the IHS in accordance with established IHS policy as outlined in the Indian Health Manual Part 7, Chapter 3.

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• Responsible for the operational management of the Health Information Management (HIM) Program. Plans, makes recommendations and prepares estimates of Department budget, equipment, material, staffing, and projected future development needs to meet goals and objectives.
• Develops and implements policies and procedures to process medico-legal documents, insurance and correspondence requests for information, and to document, store, and retrieve medical records information to conform to Federal, State, and local statutes.
• Supervises Medical Records Technicians. Plans, manages, organizes, supervises and maintains the Medical Records Department of the facility by setting program goals and objectives, assigning work, rating performance, and keeping position descriptions accurate, approves leave, resolves grievances or complaints
• Manages and advises on the use of computer technology for collecting health care information, statistical data, and management of the medical records program.

Conditions of employment

Selectee may be subject to a probationary period
ESEP appointees typically serve a two year trial period
U.S. Citizenship is required
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

This is a designated position covered by Public Law 101-630, requiring contact or control over Indian children. Due to this requirement, the agency must ensure that persons hired for these positions have not been found guilty of or pleaded nolo contendere or guilty to certain crimes.

IHS Selectees whose duties and responsibilities require them to work permanently, temporarily, or occasionally in an IHS healthcare facility must comply with the IHS Employee Immunization Policy related to vaccine-preventable diseases, consistent with recommendations for healthcare workers. Vaccine exemption requests may be available, as outlined in the IHS Employee Immunization Policy and facility guidance.

A one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period may be required upon selection/placement.

Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.

You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you.

Background Investigation Requirement:

This position requires the successful completion of a federal background investigation as a condition of employment.

A background investigation is a standard process used by the Federal Government to verify an individual's identity, employment history, education, and other relevant information to determine suitability for Federal service.

Upon receipt of instructions, applicants must complete all required background investigation forms within five (5) calendar days of issuance. Timely completion is critical to avoid delays in processing or a determination of unsuitability.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize this requirement and to maintain regular communication with their assigned Personnel Security Specialist throughout the process.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying.

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; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

BASIC REQUIREMENT(S):
Individual Occupational Requirements
Education:
Successfully completed training in an approved school for medical records technicians equates to 1 year of general experience. No credit may be given for partial completion of such training.

Successful completion of a bachelor's degree in a medical records administration educational program accredited by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the American Medical Association's Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA) meets the requirements for GS-5 positions.

Successful completion of the requirements for a bachelor's degree (in any field) and 1 year in a medical records administration educational program accredited by AHIMA and CAHEA meets the requirements for GS-7.

Or

Specialized Experience:
Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

• Planning, developing, and directing a medical records program for a health care facility that meets both institutional goals and standards of accrediting agencies.
• Evaluating and analyzing the organization and operation of medical records services, including medical records and indexes, and recommending and/or implementing appropriate revisions and modifications.
• Assisting medical and administrative staff in evaluating the quality and appropriateness of patient and health care services.
• Designing information systems to collect, analyze, monitor, report, and maintain privacy and confidentiality of patient and institutional data for health care related programs, and evaluating and implementing changes to assure the reliability of data.
• Developing and implementing policies and procedures for processing legal medical documents and insurance and correspondence requests in accordance with Federal, State, and local statutes.

In addition to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Skilled in performance and process improvement techniques to develop and implement new or improved solutions in health information management; ensuring that principal and secondary diagnoses are properly ranked and sequenced, comorbidities and complications are accurately documented and coded; advising management/staff, at various levels, regarding health record documentation requirements and health information management practices based on current industry standards, policies, statues, laws, and regulations; acquiring, managing, analyzing, interpreting and transforming data into accurate, consistent, and meaningful information.; ensuring medical records are complete and accurate so correct information is available for future care and treatment, researching and training; determining the validity of subpoenas from federal, civil, and tribal courts; and assisting in developing performance improvement monitors in problematic and/or non-compliance areas of the Health Information Management department.

OR

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M.

Time In Grade
Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level. Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP).

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

This job announcement uses the USA Hire Assessment to evaluate applicants. There is no "pass/fail" outcome; results are used as part of the overall evaluation process to determine applicant qualifications. However, if you do not take the assessment within the assessment window timeframe you will be found ineligible for this position. For more information, visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Decision Making
• Managing Human Resources
• Planning and Evaluating
• Quality Assurance
• Technical Competence

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13077487

Once the application process is complete, the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications.

All documents above MUST be received by 11:59 pm (Eastern Standard Time) of the closing date of 10/15/2026, to be considered.