Job Summary

This position is in the Health Information Management (HIM) section under Health Administration Services at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center. Medical Records Administrators (MRAs) manage, preserve, analyze, and supervise the use of diagnostic and therapeutic health records/health information management. They develop policies and procedures and provide advice on the use of health records and health information management.

Job Description

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. Education or Experience: Experience. Three years of creditable experience in the field of medical records that included the preparation, maintenance, and management of health records and health information systems demonstrating a knowledge of medical terminology, medical records procedures, medical coding, or medical, administrative, and legal requirements of health care delivery systems. OR, Education. Successful completion of a bachelor's degree or higher 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 management or health information technology. OR, Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of [creditable] experience and education that equals 100 percent may be used to meet basic requirements. [For example, two years above high school from an accredited college or university, with 12 semester hours in health information technology/health information management, plus one year and six months of creditable experience that included the preparation, maintenance, and management of health records and health information systems meets an equivalent combination. Certification: Persons hired or reassigned to MRA positions in the GS-0669 series in VHA must meet one of the following: Coding Certification through AHIMA or AAPC. OR, HIM Certification through AHIMA. OR, Health Data Analyst Certification through AHIMA. Grandfathering Provision: All persons employed in VHA as an MRA are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, including positive education, and registration and/or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply: Such employees may be reassigned, promoted up to, and including, the full performance ([journeyman]) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the [journeyman] level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Employees who were appointed on a temporary basis, prior to the effective date of the qualification standard, may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/registration/certification, and meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard, must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. MRAs who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry, as a medical records administrator. GS-11 Grade Determinations: To Qualify for the GS-11, you must meet all the following requirements (Experience or Education, Certification, and KSAs) in addition to the basic requirements. Experience/Education: Experience: At least one year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-9 that demonstrates all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of medical and legal requirements related to health information management and health records. Ability to provide technical advice and guidance on health information management practices. Skill in extracting data from various sources and analyzing health information to create reports. Skill in researching, interpreting, and applying health information management guidelines. Knowledge of performance and process improvement techniques to develop new or improved solutions in health information management. OR, Education: Education equivalent to three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited university or college in the field of health information management. AND Required Certification: Employees at this level must have HIM Certification. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Skill in performance and process improvement [techniques to develop and implement new or improved solutions in health information management. Ability to advise management and staff, at various levels, regarding health record documentation requirements and health information management practices based on current industry standards, policies, statues, laws, and regulations. Ability to plan, justify, develop, evaluate, assess, monitor, and advise on current health information management processes and recommend changes in policies or procedures. Ability to determine and evaluate compliance with legal, ethical, and regulatory guidelines and accrediting bodies, as they apply to health information management. Ability to plan, justify, develop, evaluate, assess, monitor, and/or advise on current HIM processes and recommend changes in policies or procedures. Ability to successfully apply principles and techniques of sound resource management (i.e., staffing, space, contracts, equipment). Ability to provide the full range of supervisory duties, to include assignment of work, completing performance evaluations, selection of staff, and recommendation for awards, advancements, and disciplinary actions, when appropriate. Preferred Experience: Education and training for staff. Clear understanding of clinical and documentation improvement. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.