Medical Records Technician (Coder - Inpatient)

About the role

This job will close when we have received 150 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. This position serves VISN 4 Consolidated Coding Service Center located at the Lebanon VA Medical Center. MRTs (Coder - Inpatient) are skilled in classifying medical data from patient health records in the hospital setting, and/or physician-based settings, such as physician offices, group practices, multi-specialty clinics, and specialty centers. 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. Experience: One year of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, medical coding, and the structure and format of a health records. OR Education: An associate's degree from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education with a major field of study in health information technology/health information management, or a related degree with a minimum of 12 semester hours in health information technology/health information management (e.g., courses in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, medical coding, and introduction to health records); OR Completion of an AHIMA approved coding program, or other intense coding training program of approximately one year or more that included courses in anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, basic ICD diagnostic/procedural, and basic CPT coding. The training program must have led to eligibility for coding certification/certification examination, and the sponsoring academic institution must have been accredited by a national U.S. Department of Education accreditor, or comparable international accrediting authority at the time the program was completed; OR Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. The following educational/ training substitutions are appropriate:(a) Six months of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology, general understanding of medical coding and the health record, and one year above high school, with a minimum of 6 semester hours of health information technology courses. (b) 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, 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 health record techniques and procedures. Also, requires six additional months of creditable experience that is paid or non-paid employment equivalent to a MRT (Coder). Certification. Persons hired or reassigned to Medical Record Technician (Coder - Inpatient) positions in the GS-0675 series in VHA must have either of the following certifications/credentials: Apprentice/Associate Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC Mastery Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC Clinical Documentation Improvement Certification through AHIMA or ACDIS Grade Determinations: Medical Records Technician (Coder - Inpatient) GS-4 Experience or Education. None beyond basic requirements. GS-5 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-04). Education. Successful completion of a bachelor's degree 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 technology. Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to use health information technology and software products used in MRT (Coder) positions (e.g., the electronic health record, coding and abstracting software, etc.) Ability to navigate through and abstract pertinent information from health records Knowledge of the ICD CM, Official Conventions and Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, and CPT guidelines. Ability to apply knowledge of medical terminology, human anatomy/physiology, and disease processes to accurately assign codes to inpatient episodes of care based on health record documentation. Knowledge of The Joint Commission requirements, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and/or health record documentation guidelines. Ability to manage priorities and coordinate work in order to complete duties within required timeframes, and the ability to follow-up on pending issues. GS-06 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05). Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to analyze the health record to i