Medical Records Administrator (Chief HIMS)

<p>This position serves as the Supervisory MRA (Chief, Health Information Management Section (HIMS)) of Health Administration Service (HAS) at the Hershel "Woody" Williams VA Medical Center. Supervisory Medical Record Administrators at this grade level are Chiefs of HIMS in VA Medical Centers that are the highest complexity level category for VHA facilities and which are an affiliated, tertiary care facility/health care system with comprehensive research programs.</p><h3>Major Duties</h3><p>The MRA is the highest level professional position at the facility with responsibility for the management and direction of the health information management program and services. S/he works at a complex (1c) teaching hospital affiliated with Marshall University and the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine which offers a comprehensive range of services including internal medicine, general and complex surgery, audiology and speech pathology, dental, nutrition, optometry, podiatry, prosthetics, women's health, rehabilitation medicine, geriatrics, primary care, mental health, as well as services at four outpatient clinics. Functions: Responsible for the administrative management of health records, which includes planning, managing, advising, and directing the health information program in accordance with applicable Federal laws, facility by-laws, VHA policy, The Joint Commission standards, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), and other regulatory and accrediting agencies. The Health Information Manager also creates and monitors systems to ensure accurate, timely, and complete health records. Measures ongoing intradepartmental performance by establishing priorities, collecting data, monitoring and reporting outcomes, using valid and reliable techniques to analyze trends and variation, and taking appropriate action based on findings. Responsible for all facets of health records management for the facility ensuring maintenance of complete, accurate, timely, clinically-pertinent, and readily-accessible patient health records, which contain sufficient recorded information to serve as a basis to plan patient care, support diagnoses, warrant treatment, measure outcomes, support education, research, and facilitate performance improvement processes and legal requirements. Develops policies, processes, and procedures that address all VA, Federal, regulatory, and accrediting requirements for HIM. Evaluates health records program and independently determines the nature and extent of problem areas. Develops recommendations and solutions for program improvement. The incumbent is a key advisor to the Chief of Staff, Executive Management, and clinicians and is responsible for providing technical guidance on health information issues such as documentation requirements, liability issues, advance directives, informed consent, patient privacy and confidentiality, etc. Represents Health Administration Service (HAS) and acts as subject matter expert at the facility-wide Health Records Committee. In this capacity, the incumbent advises the committee on health record issues; including VA requirements, The Joint Commission standards, record retrieval processes, health record components, systems, goals, electronic records, etc. Incumbent provides direct support to Regional Counsel. The incumbent is also expected to actively participate at VA national and VISN levels as a resource person on health information matters. The incumbent is a key member of the Quality Improvement (QI) team, works closely with QI personnel, and is responsible for assuring that the facility is in compliance with all The Joint Commission standards regarding health information. Incumbent is responsible for leading the automation of all health information systems. Working closely with Information Technology (IT) and Clinical Informatics, the incumbent must guide the automation of health record documentation, health record tracking, and physician incomplete record tracking. The incumbent also must support the information security program and manage much of the patient information database within VistA. Incumbent will work with a variety of hardware and software. As a resource for the institution, incumbent conducts training programs in health information management, medical terminology, health record documentation, and medico-legal matters. Incumbent is responsible for establishing formal affiliation with university programs in health information and precepting students from such programs. Incumbent is also responsible for coordinating health information training for medical school students and residents to achieve conformance with prescribed standards. The CHIM at this level has the full complement of HIM supervisory responsibility including coding, file room, scanning, release of information, and transcription. Incumbent is responsible for directing the operations of all personnel working within the Health Information program. Performs the administrative and personnel management functions relative to staff supervised. Work Schedule: FT, 8am - 4:30pm, Monday-Friday Telework: Ad-hoc telework available as per VA policy and Supervisory discretion. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 581-25004-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.</p><h3>Requirements</h3>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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation. 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.<h3>Education</h3>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/. Certification. Persons hired or reassigned to MRA positions in the GS-0669 series in VHA must meet one of the following: Coding Certification. Mastery certification obtained through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) or the American Association of Professional Coders (AAPC). To be acceptable for qualification, the specific certification must represent a comprehensive competency in the occupation. Stand-alone specialty certifications do not meet the definition of mastery level coding certification and are not acceptable for qualifications. Certification titles may change and certifications that meet the definition of mastery level coding certification may be added/removed by the above certifying bodies; however, current mastery level coding certifications include: Certified Coding Specialist (CCS), Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) - Physician-based (CCS-P), Certified Professional Coder (CPC), Certified Outpatient Coder (COC), and Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC). Health Information Management (HIM) Certification. Higher-level health information management certification is limited to certification obtained through AHIMA. To be acceptable for qualifications, the specific certification must represent a comprehensive competency in the occupation. Certification titles may change and certifications that meet the definition of HIM certification may be added/removed by the above certifying body; however, current HIM certifications include Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) and Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA). Health Data Analyst Certification. This is limited to certification obtained through AHIMA. To be acceptable for qualifications, the specific certification must certify mastery in health data analysis. Certification titles may change and certifications that meet the definition of health data analyst certification may be added/removed by the above certifying body; however, current health data analyst certification includes Certified Health Data Analyst (CHDA). 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.