Supervisory Medical Records Administrator

The Supervisory Medical Record Administrator (Chief HIM) is delegated full program management and direct supervisory responsibility for 3 Medical Records Technicians Coders, 3 Release of Information (ROI) professionals, and 7 File Clerks. MRAs in this assignment provide critical technical advice, planning, and evaluation about health information management issues impacting the overall facility and program on a regular and recurring basis.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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: MRAs must be proficient in spoken and written English. See 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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: HIM Certification through AHIMA. Loss of Credential: Following initial certification, credentials must be maintained through rigorous continuing education, ensuring the highest level of competency for employers and patients. An employee in this occupation who fails to maintain the required certification must be removed from the occupation which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation for which he/she qualifies, if a placement opportunity exists. 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 Administrator (Chief (CHIM)),GS-12, Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that demonstrates the KSAs described at that level. AND Certification. Employees at this level must have a HIM Certification.*In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the all following KSAs: Ability to determine and evaluate compliance with legal, ethical, and regulatory guidelines and accrediting bodies, as they apply to health information management. Skill in [evaluating, developing and implementing new policies ,procedures, and programs. Ability to provide program [oversight, including advisory and technical expertise on a range of health information management practices and guidelines to staff at various levels. Ability to develop and conduct training on health information management programs, policies, procedures, and performance improvement activities. Ability to effectively procure and manage HIM resources (i.e. space, staffing, education, budget, etc.). Ability to provide the full range of supervisory duties to include assignment of work; completing performance evaluations; selection of staff; and recommendation of awards, advancements, and disciplinary actions. Customer service skills necessary to effectively communicate (written and verbal) and interact with all levels of hospital personnel, physicians, patients, and outside agencies. Ability to deal effectively with sensitive and/or complex situations. Assignments: This assignment serves as the CHIM, which] is the highest-level professional position at the facility, with responsibility for the management and direction of the health information management program. [This assignment is only for facilities designated as complexity level 2 or 3 as designated in the VHA, "2014 Facility Complexity Level Model", with full program management and supervisory responsibility to direct professional MRAs, technical MRTs, and other support staff in health information management. CHIMs provide technical advice, planning, and evaluation regarding health information management issues that impact the overall program on a regular and recurring basis. Multi-division, integrated health care systems under the leadership of a single director are considered to be a single facility, with one CHIM. A position with program responsibility over less than the single health care system does not have full program responsibility for the health information management program. The CHIM establishes policies, procedures, responsibilities, and requirements for HIM-related matters, such as health record documentation, coding and clinical documentation improvement, release of information, file room/scanning, records management, transcription and medical speech recognition, as well as the overall management of health information and Veterans health records. They oversee implementation and adherence to HIM industry standards, policies, procedures, laws, regulations, and accrediting bodies. They ensure that the facility is in compliance with applicable standards by completing HIM audits, developing healthcare data reports, and statistical information, for timely and accurate reporting. They monitor HIM performance through dashboards, productivity standards, and benchmarking. The CHIM participates in establishing and implementing strategic facility and HIM Department goals, controlling program activity costs, budgeting, procurement, and property management to achieve goals and improve processes. They monitor and manage HIM workflow to ensure program objectives are met. They effectively communicate and negotiate with staff at all levels of the organization. The CHIM communicates with medical center staff and external organizations to promote compliance with regulations, guidelines, policies, and procedures to meet the goal of excellent patient care. They ensure quality and efficiency for all areas and processes of the HIM department. They develop and implement HIM departmental short-term and long-term budgets, to include contracts, equipment, space, training, and staffing plans. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting, 15-44 lbs., moderate carrying, 15-44 lbs., use of fingers and crawling.