Summary The incumbent is responsible for the coordination of all activities associated with the timely patient data reporting and cancer registry incidence reporting requirements at CMCVAMC. The incumbent acts as a liaison for internal and external Cancer Program entities, may serve as a member on the Cancer Committee to support initiatives with data and quality improvement, and oversees and manages the cancer registry for all patients diagnosed and/or treated at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center. Responsibilities Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties include but are not limited to: Perform regular duties of a Medical Records Technician (Cancer Registrar) Coordinator by conducting real-time case ascertainment and reviewing all data sources to meet the goals of the VA Cancer Registry System (VACRS) and Commission on Cancer (CoC) Standards for Accredited Cancer Programs. Monitor in-house and virtual Multidisciplinary Cancer Conference agendas for potentially reportable patients, update previously diagnosed patients with new clinical information, and submit minimum data requirements during the day of the conference or by the end of the week to support real-time data submission. Recommend process improvements to ensure complete cancer incidence reporting, adhering to CoC standards for data quality and completeness. Conduct workflow analyses to address instances of missed diagnoses. Act as a liaison with all administrative and clinical areas where patients can potentially be diagnosed and/or treated, including but not limited to Diagnostic Radiology, Pathology, referral management, community-based oncology care managers, Surgery, Hematology-Oncology clinic, and Radiation Oncology outpatient encounters. Regularly monitor case volume for any decline greater than 10% unless there has been a change in the provision of care to account for the variation. Conduct studies of quality or root cause analyses to determine unexplained variations in annual case volume over time. Coordinate with decedent affairs and/or state Departments of Health (DOH) to obtain all death certificates for hospital patient deaths both inside and outside the hospital. Submit death certificate information at the conclusion of the lifetime annual surveillance process. Prepare routine and special statistical reports, narratives, and graphic representations using registry data to report on the status of cancer incidence reporting. Assist in the development and implementation of procedures to process, document, store, and retrieve cancer registry patient data that conforms to Federal, State, and local requirements. Distribute a random sample of the annual analytic case load for physician review to ensure quality registry data. Consult with managing physicians on documentation discrepancies, complex diagnoses, or unusual treatment plans. Support the Cancer Program by being a subject-matter expert on CoC data requirements and standards related to cancer incidence and outcomes reporting. Provide input for potential process improvement opportunities, risk management, or patient safety issues. Participate in Cancer Committee annual initiatives requiring data. Perform lifetime follow-up for disease surveillance, including cancer status, vital status, and development of subsequent new cancers. Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Telework: Ad-Hoc Virtual: This position is eligible to be a remote position at the discretion of the supervisor. Mid-Term Extensions to RTO are granted to further assess the impact of RTO on cancer registry positions. The following programs have been approved by the USH for mid-term extensions until 4/30/2026 to return to office while the RTO Exemption is under decision. Requirements Conditions of Employment 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 examination. 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. Qualifications 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. MRT (Cancer Registrar) candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Experience and Education Experience. One year of experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology and general understanding of the health record. Six months of the required one year of experience must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to perform MRT work. OR Education. Two years above high school with a minimum of 12 semester hours directly related to MRT work (e.g., courses in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and introduction to health records). OR Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. The following educational/training substitutions are appropriate for combining education and experience: (a) Six months of experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology and general understanding of the health record and one year above high school with a minimum of six 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. Training 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 medical record techniques and procedures. The position requires six additional months of experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology and general understanding of the health record. Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA as a MRT (Cancer Registrar) on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education that is 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 to it, 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. MRTs (Cancer Registrar) who are 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. MRTs (Cancer Registrar) initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education that meets all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. Employees who are retained as a MRT [(Cancer Registrar)] 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 MRT [(Cancer Registrar)]. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements listed above, the candidate must meet the following grade level requirements to qualify. MRT (Cancer Registrar) - Coordinator, GS-9 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-8) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge and understanding of ACoS and/or facility requirements for administering, monitoring, and reporting compliance of the cancer program to the governing bodies. Ability to interpret data to set, evaluate, and adjust the cancer program and/or facility goals and objectives. Ability to inform cancer registry staff on the technical components of the cancer database, coordinate workflow and monitor data for accuracy and quality measures. Ability to multitask. Ability to communicate with individuals from various disciplines regarding the facility requirements of the cancer program. Ability to analyze and interpret data for use in facility strategic planning. Ability to develop cancer program/cancer registry policies and procedures to ensure patient-centered care for cancer patients in accordance with government. Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. MRTs (Cancer Registrar) function as the coordinator of all activities associated with the cancer registry and cancer program. Provides technical direction to program clerks and technicians who assist with the cancer registry. Performs analysis of work processes to identify reasonable and efficient measurement of the quality of the work and identify areas of possible improvement. Prepares routine and special statistical reports, narratives and graphic representations requiring use of registry data. Conducts special studies and surveys for identifying opportunities to improve patient care. MRT (Cancer Registrar) are subject matter experts on ACoS and/or facility standards pertaining to setting and monitoring goals, presenting statistical and written reports to identify resource needs and process improvement opportunities, and participating in strategic planning. Serves as a liaison between the cancer committee and internal and external entities. Serves as a core member on cancer committees to ensure that the discussions are consultative, address patient management issues, and contain applicable staging schema. MRT (Cancer Registrar) are subject matter experts on registry and cancer program issues. Preferred Experience: Oncology Data Specialist (ODS) Certification Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8 . The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-9, (above the full performance level). Physical Requirements: May include but not limited to standing up to two hours per day, use of both hands, use of fingers, and sitting up to eight hours per day. Patient Safety Competency Statement: The incumbent will be responsible for promoting a culture of safety and will fully cooperate in efforts to improve patient safety and eradicate potential events including the reporting of events resulting in actual or potential injury to a patient. Incumbent must demonstrate knowledge of the reporting procedures involving safety issues relating to patients. Education 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/. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. 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.
