This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/472292200. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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.
Learn more about this agency
06/16/2017 to 06/30/2017
$31,699 - $63,243 per year
GS 04 - 08
1 vacancy in the following location:
Not required
No
Permanent - Excepted Service Permanent
Full-time - Full Time
8
No
17-HYB-EME-1975243-HIIM-BU
472292200
As a Medical Record Technician (MRT) in the Health Information Management Section of the Health Informatics and Information Management Service Line at VA Puget Sound Health Care System, the following duties and responsibilities are carried throughout both divisions of the medical center.
Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Functional Statement Title/#: Medical Records Technician, GS-0675
Notes: Preference Eligible Veterans will receive first consideration. DD-214 and other supporting documents must be included with the application documents to receive consideration.
Physical Requirements:The work is principally sedentary, requiring no special physical exertion and performed in an office setting at a computer for the majority of the work day. The regular and recurring work of the position involves sitting at a desk, conferences, meetings, etc.
Basic Requirements:
Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.)
EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: (1) 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 (2) 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 & physiology, and introduction to health records); OR (3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. The following educational/training substitution is 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 6 semester hours of health information technology courses.
GS-4 MRT (Coder) - Entry Level
Experience or Education. None beyond basic requirements.
Assignment. Employees at this level serve as entry level MRT coders and receive close supervision from more experienced MRT Coders.
GS-5 MRT (Coder) Developmental Level 1
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level or successful completion of four years of education above high school from an accredited college or university with a minimum of 24 semester hours in health information technology.
Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
Assignment. Employees at this grade level serve as developmental MRT coders and receive guidance from more experienced staff members for more complex coding procedures.
GS-6 MRT (Coder) Developmental Level 2
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower level.
Demonstrated KSAs. In additional to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
Assignment. Employees at this grade level serve in developmental positions as MRT coders and receive intermittent monitoring. Coders may perform either inpatient or outpatient coding duties or may perform a combination of inpatient and outpatient coding.
GS-7 MRT (Coder) Developmental Level 3
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
Assignment. Employees at this grade level serve as developmental MRT coders and receive minimal monitoring. Coders may perform either inpatient or outpatient coding duties or may perform a combination of inpatient and outpatient coding.
GS-8 MRT (Coder) Full Performance Level
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
Demonstrated KSAs.
Assignment. This is considered to be the full performance level for this assignment. Coders at this level perform either inpatient or outpatient coding duties, or a combination of inpatient and outpatient coding duties. Inpatient duties consist of the performance of a comprehensive review of documentation within the health record to assign ICD codes for diagnosis, complications, co-morbid conditions, surgery, and procedures. Outpatient duties consist of the performance of a comprehensive review of documentation within the health record to accurately assign ICD codes for diagnosis and complications, and CPT codes for surgeries, procedures and evaluation, and management services.
Directly consults with the professional staff for clarification of conflicting, incomplete or ambiguous clinical data in the health record. May be required to abstract and sequence codes into encoder software to obtain correct diagnosis-related group (DRG). Enters and corrects information that has been rejected, when necessary. Corrects any identified data errors or inconsistencies.
References: VA Handbook 5005, Appendix G35. Medical Record Technician, GS-675. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.
Preferred Experience:
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.
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.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Knowledge Skills and abilities:
Demonstrated KSAs GS5. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
1. Ability to utilize health information technology and various office software products utilized in MRT coder positions (e.g., the electronic health record, coding and abstracting software, etc.);
2. Knowledge of the Joint Commission requirements, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and/or health record documentation guidelines; and
3. Ability to manage priorities and coordinate work in order to complete duties within required timeframes and ability to follow-up on pending issues.
Demonstrated KSAs GS6. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
1. Ability to navigate through health records to find needed information;
2. Skill in interpreting and adapting health information guidelines that are not completely applicable to the work or have gaps in specificity, and ability to use judgment in completing assignments with incomplete or inadequate guidelines;
3. Ability to apply laws and regulations on the confidentiality of health information (e.g., Privacy Act, Freedom of Information Act, and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)); and
4. Comprehensive knowledge of classification systems, such as current versions of International Classification of Diseases (ICD), Current Procedural Technology (CPT) and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS), and skill in applying said classifications based on health record documentation.
Demonstrated KSAs GS7
1. Skill in applying current coding classifications to a variety of specialty care areas to accurately reflect service and care provided based on documentation in the health record;
2. Ability to communicate with clinical staff for specific coding and documentation issues such as recording inpatient and/or outpatient diagnoses and procedures, the correct sequencing of diagnoses and/or procedures, and the relationship between health care documentation and code assignment;
3. Ability to research and solve coding and documentation related issues; and
4. Skill in reviewing and correcting system or processing errors and ensuring all assigned work is complete.
Demonstrated KSAs GS8.
1. Ability to analyze the medical record to identify all pertinent diagnoses and procedures for coding, and to evaluate the adequacy of the documentation. This includes the ability to read and understand the content of the medical record, the terminology, the significance of the comments, and the disease process/pathophysiology of the patient;
2. Ability to accurately perform the full scope of outpatient coding, including ambulatory surgical cases, diagnostic studies and procedures, and outpatient encounters, and/or inpatient coding, including inpatient discharges, surgical cases, diagnostic studies and procedures, and inpatient professional fees; and
3. Skill in interpreting and adapting health information guidelines and ability to use judgment in completing assignments using incomplete or inadequate guidelines
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
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, résumé and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.
NOTE: The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-4 to GS-8. The Professional Standards Board (a peer-review group) will recommend the grade and salary for new appointments. For internal selectees being promoted, the board will determine grade and HR will determine step in accordance with policy.
All applicants are required to submit the following supporting document type(s):
·Resume
Applicants may also submit the following supporting document type(s),which may not be required for all applicants:
Please use this checklistto make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, etc. You will not be contacted for additional information.
Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), or 10pt (CP/CPS, XPP, XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP), on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section(s) provided. A legible copy of your DD214(s) indicating character of service, disability certification, SF-15 (if claiming 10 pt. preference) or if you are currently serving on active duty and expected to be released or discharged within 120 days; documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or dates of impending separation. Documentation is required for eligibility verification.
Faxing Applications or Supporting Documents: You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you are unable to apply online or unable to upload your supporting documents to your online application, follow the directions located at the following site: Fax Options. The Vacancy ID of the job opportunity announcement is 1975243.
NOTE: If you applied online and your application is complete, do not fax the paper application (1203-FX) as this will overwrite your prior online responses and may result in you being found ineligible.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
To apply for this position, you must complete the View Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Friday, June 30, 2017 to receive consideration.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. During our review, if your résumé and application package do not support your questionnaire answers, we will adjust your rating accordingly. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email (if provided); otherwise, applicants will receive a notification letter via the U.S. Postal Service. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account and clicking on "Application Status." For a more detailed update of your status, click on "more information." Information regarding applicant notification points can be found in the USAJobs Resource Center.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/472292200. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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Vacancy Identification Number (VIN): 1975243
OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan" 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 care to Veterans?
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