Summary This position is located in the Health Information Management (HIM) section at the Tomah VA Medical Center. The MRT (ROI) reviews and processes requests for patient protected health information (PHI). The MRT (ROI) also provides direct customer service to the Veteran (or third party), by providing copies of the Veteran's PHI, when a signed, written request is received, or upon the Veteran's valid authorization to a third party. Responsibilities Major duties: Apply, interpret, and analyze laws and regulations related to the disclosure of health information. Responsible for educating requestors on requirements for submitting requests for health information. Receive and validate authorization forms and requests for information and prioritize requests according to policies and regulations. Process and release health information to authorized first- and third-party requestors. Initiate and maintain the accounting of disclosure for all records disclosed from a Privacy Act system of records. Provides direct customer service to the Veteran, their Personal Representative or third party by providing copies of the Veteran's health information when a signed, written request is received or upon the Veteran's valid authorization to a third party. Responsible for evaluating the adequacy of each completed authorization form. Screens each request for information to determine urgency and assures that most urgent requests are completed fist using established priority systems. Resolves conflicting or inconsistent information found on initial requests. This involves dealing with patients and/or third parties to resolve discrepancies, sorting out errors and reconstructing past transactions, cases or events, or finding alternative sources of information. Replies to vague, incomplete, or ambiguous inquires by independently recognizing issues, topics, or problems. Processes Social Security requests for health information using ROI software. Downloads documents from the EHR, including scanned images, onto a secure Network Drive. Accesses the secured Social Security Web page and uploads the documents to the Web portal. Transfers the confirmation codes to the ROI software and closes the requests in both the ROI and Social Security software. Completes and processes routine releases of information to other VA and Federal Agencies and when requested, to patients and their families, insurance representatives, physicians, hospitals, and city and state health agencies according to VA directives. Accurately enters all requests into the ROI software with necessary information for each request for health information. Completes necessary transactions for deposit of money collected from subpoenas, legal fees, and processing fees for release of information to individuals and insurance companies. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: For adhoc purposes. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized 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. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Qualifications Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. 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 and general understanding of health records. Six months of the required one year of creditable experience must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to perform MRT (ROI) work; 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, legal aspects of health care, and introduction to health records); or Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of creditable experience and education are qualifying towards meeting basic experience requirements. The following experience and educational/training substitutions are appropriate for combining education and creditable experience: i. Six months of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology, privacy and release of information, the health record, and one year above high school with a minimum of six semester hours of health information technology/health information management courses. ii. Six months of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology, privacy and release of information, the health record, and 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. The training program may be substituted on a month-for-month basis for up to six months of experience provided the training program included courses in anatomy and physiology, and health record techniques and procedures. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following Grade Determinates must be met: Medical Records Technician (ROI), GS-4 Experience: None beyond basic requirements. Medical Records Technician (ROI), GS-5 Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level; or 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 technology/health information management (e.g., courses in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, legal aspects of health care, and introduction to health records). GS-5 Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Ability to utilize health information technology and various office software products utilized in MRT (ROI) positions (e.g., the electronic health record, release of information systems, etc.); Knowledge of health record documentation guidelines and processes for disclosing protected health information; Ability to manage priorities and coordinate work in order to complete duties within required timeframes, and the ability to follow-up on pending issues; Knowledge of policies, procedures, laws, and regulations governing privacy and release of information; and Ability to communicate with individuals from various backgrounds to obtain the desired effect or gaining information by establishing rapport. Medical Records Technician (ROI), GS-6 Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-5). Some duties may included: responsible for evaluating the adequacy of each completed authorization form; Applies public laws, rules, regulations and exclusions governing confidentiality of the medical record; processes all incoming requests to the facility for Release of Information (ROI) along with information required by the VA Regional Office; Searches records or files to compose responses, including electronic searches to retrieve and summarize hard-to-locate data; Composes detailed explanations in response to correspondence received, arranging information into logical sequence and appropriate format and choosing appropriate words and expressions to convey the desired tone. GS-6 Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Knowledge of the laws and regulations related to the authorization and disclosure of health information (e.g., Privacy Act, Freedom of Information Act, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and 38 U.S.C. § 7332, Confidentiality of Certain Medical Records); Ability to apply health record documentation guidelines and processes to navigate efficiently through the paper and/or electronic health record to locate, assemble, and disclose protected health information; Ability to apply policies, procedures, laws, and regulations governing privacy and release of information to process requests for release of information; and Ability to research and solve difficult questions related to release of health information in an accurate and timely manner. 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). 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 6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS 4 to GS 6. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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 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.
