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Medical Records Technician (Cancer Registrar)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Chalmers P. Wylie VA Ambulatory Care Center is recruiting for a Medical Record Technician-Cancer Registrar. This position reports to the Chief of Health Information Management Section at the Chalmers P. Wylie VA Ambulatory Care Center. However, this position will perform duties for both the Chalmers P. Wylie VA Ambulatory Care Center and the Chillicothe VA Medical Center.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
08/06/2025 to 08/18/2025
Salary
$57,734 to - $75,060 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 8
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Columbus, OH
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy. Ad-hoc only.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CBSR-12774955-25-LL
Control number
842619300

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Duties

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With the advancement of medical care technology and enhancement of service delivery, the following duties and responsibilities are assigned to Medical Record Technician-Cancer Registry. The tumor registrar is responsible to abstract data for the cancer registry and to assist with all activities association with accreditation of the cancer program. Incumbent is responsible for coding, abstracting and reporting required information and data elements related to the tumor registry. Major duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Thoroughly searches the medical record to identify and code all information pertinent to the patient's diagnosis (includes demographics, diagnosis, site and histology, diagnostic procedures, extent of disease, and treatment.
  • Adheres to the guidelines set forth by the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) in the Registry Operations and Data Standards (ROADS), the AJCC Staging Manual International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (ICDO), ICD-9, and SEER Surgical Codes when coding tumor registry abstracts.
  • Obtains statistical information, applies formulas, and completes reports as required.
  • Codes diseases, surgical procedures, and causes of injury (uses specific codes required in a cancer registry, stage of disease, morphology, and topography using International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, AJCC Staging Manual and the ROADS Manual) .
  • Codes complicated medical records having diagnostic, surgical and therapeutic procedures that are identified as difficult to classify.
  • Identifies coding discrepancies and Facilitates resolution of coding discrepancies by discussion with providers/registry coordinator.
  • Reviews and screens requests to release medical information from records by interpreting and applying Privacy Act and applicable local policies.
  • Maintains health record indexes and compiles administrative and health statistics for physicians as well as all other health care staff at this facility and throughout the VA System (may also include public health officials, medical center management, planners, and others).

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Telework: Per Agency Policy- Ad-hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 91829-0
Recruitment Incentives: Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): NotAuthorized

Requirements

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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.
  • You may be required to serve a trial period.
  • 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
  • Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

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. MRT (Cancer Registrar) candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403 (f)
  • 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:
      • 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.
      • 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.
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 (Cancer Registrar), GS-8
  • Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. AND
  • Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
    • Knowledge of professional registry operations.
    • Knowledge of medical terminology, staging of cancer, and requirements of internal and external approving organizations.
    • Knowledge of the cancer committee processes and procedures to improve patient care and verify compliance with ACoS and/or facility standards.
    • Ability to serve as a subject matter expert on cancer programs for the medical center.
    • Skill in utilizing electronic health records and cancer registry software.
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-08.

Physical Requirements: Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. There is walking, bending and reaching required such as for filing or locating material, and carrying items such as reports, documents, and supplies. Entering data and word processing on a personal computer may result in physical problems from the effects of repetitive motion and eyestrain.

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 or 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.

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.

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