Clarification from the agency

Open to current, permanent employees of Danville, IL VA facility, corresponding CBOC's and Canteen. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

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• Reviews health records for adherence with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines related to student, resident supervision and attending physician presence and documentation.
• Compiles reports to insure provider specific and service compliance.
• Maintains a control system to ensure completion of all inpatient and outpatient health records in accordance with VHA, TJC, CMS and other regulatory agencies standards.
• Reviews health records to ensure that all health records contain sufficient information to meet medico-legal requirements, to ensure continuity of patient care, and to support education and research needs. Notifies clinicians of missing, incomplete, or inaccurate information in their signature blocks (e.g., missing or inaccurate credentials). Assists clinicians with completion of delinquent/incomplete health records.
• Assesses the health record for completeness, identifies health record deficiencies, tracks deficiencies, and ensures that the appropriate individuals complete their deficiencies. Notates documentation deficiencies in the appropriate deficiency monitoring application.
• Tracks unsigned/uncosigned notes (e.g., progress notes, operative reports, discharge summaries, etc.) and encounters without associated progress notes, and communicates these deficiencies to clinical staff for completion.
• Notification can be in person, through secure email, via telephone, or through other acceptable means.
• Responsible for expediting the completion of the health record when the patient is transferred for care at another medical center, for legal requests, regulatory agencies review, and reimbursement purposes.
• Prepares complex reports on a routine basis, noting the status of all incomplete/delinquent health records, and submits the reports to the appropriate administrative and clinical staff.
• Develops and compiles written reports trending provider specific, service, and hospital compliance reports regarding admission, subsequent and discharge progress notes.
• Obtains statistical information, applies statistical formulas, and completes statistical reports for medical center management.
• Collects, interprets, and trends data from data validation activities and audits that support continuity of patient care, budget/resource allocation, performance measurement, quality management, research, VA comparative analysis and benchmarking.
• Participates in routine and focused reviews for the purpose of identifying problems and potential problems in health record documentation as part of the health record review process. Identifies and abstracts information from health records for special studies and audits both internal and external.

Work Schedule: 7:30 am-4:00 pm, Monday to Friday.
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
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 authorized.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 02479F, 02481F, 02480F, 03202F

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

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

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: Must be proficient in spoken and written English, as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
Experience: One year of 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. This experience should include positions that required the knowledge of basic knowledge of medical terminology; basic knowledge of disease processes and human anatomy; basic knowledge of medical record/health information guidelines, techniques, and procedures; and knowledge of the medical and legal significance of medical records.
OR
Education: 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 and physiology, medical coding and introduction to health records). Transcripts Required.
OR
Combination Education and Experience: Equivalent combinations of creditable experience and education which are qualifying for meeting the basic requirements. The following educational/training substitutions are appropriate for combining education and experience:
(a) Six months of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology, privacy and release of information, the health record, and one (1) year above high school with a minimum of 6 semester hours of health information technology courses.
(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 of 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 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. Transcripts Required.

Qualifications: In addition to the basic requirements above the following is the amount of experience required to qualify for this position at the GS-7 grade level.

Grade Determinations:
Medical Records Technician (HIT) GS-4 Experience or Education: None beyond basic requirements.
Medical Records Technician (HIT) GS-5 Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level;
OR
Education: Successful completion of 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 and physiology, legal aspects of health care, and introduction to health records).
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external customers.
• 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).
• Knowledge of health record documentation guidelines and industry standards.
• Ability to manage priorities and coordinate work to complete duties within required timeframes.
• 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 creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-5.
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Ability to navigate efficiently through the health record to locate needed information.
• Ability to analyze health record documentation to ensure compliance with guidelines and industry standards.
• Skill in investigating potential health record errors and making corrections, when appropriate.
• Skill in interpreting and applying health information guidelines and using judgment to complete assignments.
• Ability to follow up on incomplete health record documentation.

Medical Records Technician (HIT) GS-7 Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-6.
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• 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.
• Ability to take appropriate actions if health record content is not adequate, accurate, timely, and/or reliable.
• Ability to communicate both orally and in writing with individuals or groups, to facilitate compliance with established policies and regulations.
• Skill in using appropriate software and computer applications to analyze and record documentation trends.
• Ability to apply qualitative and/or quantitative methods for assessment and improvement of health records.
• Ability to work independently and utilize problem-solving techniques in the accomplishment of work.

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).

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.

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.