Summary This position is located in the Health Information Management Section of Health Administration Service at the Fayetteville NC VA Coastal Health Care System. Medical Records Administration Specialist (MRAS) in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) perform work concerned with the management of a health record program or the provision of services related to medical record administration/health information services. Your coding certification @type and number is required to be with on your resume. Responsibilities GS-05 duties: (Employees at this grade level serve in an MRAS career development position under close supervision.) Assists in performing work related to all areas of HIM as well as collaborates with other departments within the medical center and VISN to improve performance and patient care. Compiles, reviews, abstracts, analyzes, and interprets medical/legal data incidental to a variety of patient care and treatment activities. Reviews HIM processes and record review systems to maintain or improve turnaround time and the quality of data collection. GS-07 duties: Incumbent serves as technical specialist in health information related matters, provides advice and guidance on the HIM program in relation to issues such as, but not limited to, documentation requirements for coding, liability issues, advance directives, informed consent, scanning processes, speech recognition, release of information, state reporting, etc. Conducts research on and coordinates projects and studies of records systems. Determines the scope of the study, formulates a plan of action, designs and creates study tools, tabulates results, summarizes findings, makes recommendations, and produces management reports. Analyzes processes or procedures and recommends improvements or changes as necessary. Assists in writing and maintaining health information policies and procedures that reflect new or revised approaches to management of health information and contribute to ensuring that regulatory requirements are met when revising policies and procedures. Assists in conducting quality assurance studies of health records. GS-09 duties: Incumbent serves as technical specialist in the broad scope of health information related matters, provides advice and guidance on the HIM program in relation to issues such as, but not limited to, documentation requirements for coding, liability issues, advance directives, informed consent, scanning processes, speech recognition, release of information, assessments by the Office of Inspector General (OIG), The Joint Commission (TJC), and a variety of others, etc. Conducts research on and coordinates projects and studies of records systems. Determines the scope of the study, formulates a plan of action, designs and creates study tools, tabulates results, summarizes findings, makes recommendations, and produces management reports. Analyzes processes or procedures and recommends improvements or changes as necessary. Assists in writing health information policies and procedures that reflect new or revised approaches to management of health information and contribute to ensuring that regulatory requirements are met when revising policies and procedures. Assists in conducting quality assurance studies of health records. Performs work related to all areas of HIM as well as collaborates with other departments within the medical center and VISN to improve performance and patient care. PEFORMS OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8-4:30 p.m. Telework: Not eligible for telework. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. 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 identification 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). You may be required to serve a probationary period. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. Qualifications BASIC REQUIREMENTS Citizenship. Candidates must be a citizen] of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407 (a)English Language Proficiency. MRAs must be proficient in spoken and written English. See 38 U.S.C. § 7403 Education or Experience: (1) 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 ,(2) 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, (3) 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. or, e. 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. Grade Determinations Medical Records Administration Specialist GS-5. None beyond basic requirements. (a) Assignment. Employees at this grade level serve in an MRA career development position under close supervision. MRAs are responsible for generating multiple HIM reports. They participate in various health record review activities to ensure the integrity of the health record according to established policies. Medical Records Administration Specialist, GS-7 (a) Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, one year of [creditable] experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. OR, (b) Education. . Applicants who meet the GS-5 grade level may be appointed at the GS-7 grade level, if they possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in a major field of study in health information management, with an exemplary academic record as demonstrated by: i. A 3.0 or higher-grade point average (GPA) out of a possible 4.0 GPA ("B" or better), as recorded on their official transcript or as computed based on four years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final two years of the curriculum; or ii. A 3.5 GPA or higher out of a possible 4.0 GPA ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field of study, or the required courses completed in the major field of study during the final two years of the curriculum. AND (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. i. Knowledge of current classification systems such as International Classification of Diseases, Current Procedural Terminology,] and [the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS).ii. Ability to effectively communicate (written and verbal) with medical center staff, patients, and external entities .iii. Ability to use data collection and analytical techniques for purposes of review, quality control, studies and analysis [of health information. iv. Ability to utilize computer applications with varied functions to produce a wide range of reports, to abstract records, collect and analyze data and present results in various formats. v. Ability to work independently, adapt to shifting priorities, and meet deadlines. Medical Records Administration Specialist, GS-9 (a) Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics described at that level. OR, (b) Education. Education equivalent to two full years of progressively higher level graduate education or a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited college or university in a field directly related to health information management. AND (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities i. Knowledge of medical and legal requirements related to health information management and health records. ii. Ability to provide technical advice and guidance on health information [management practices .ii. Skill in extracting data from various sources and analyzing health information to create reports. iv. Skill in researching,] interpreting, and applying health information management guidelines. v. Knowledge of performance and process improvement techniques to develop new or improved solutions in health information management. Physical Requirements. Light lifting (under 15 pounds); light carrying (under 15 pounds); use of fingers; both hands required; hearing (aid permitted); sitting for up to 8 hours; repetitive motions for computer data entry. Education Your certification @type and number is required to be on your resume. 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/. Persons hired or reassigned to MRA positions in the GS-0669 series in VHA must meet one of the following: (1) Coding Certification through AHIMA or AAPC. 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) OR, (2) HIM Certification through AHIMA. Current HIM certifications include Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) and Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA). OR, (3) Health Data Analyst Certification through AHIMA. Current health data analyst certification includes Certified Health Data Analyst (CHDA Additional Information 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.
