Duties

Advises management and hospital staff members on policies, procedures, and adequacy of record content, and on training and teaching of clerical personnel in health record functions.

Assists the CHIM with the development, evaluation, and updating of office procedures, manuals, policies and directives.

Assists the CHIM in the effective administration and planning of the health information management program throughout all areas of the facility in order to give maximum support to the staff in the treatment of patients and its research programs.

Ensures compliance with appropriate directives and requirements of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Regulations, Medical Center Memoranda, and The Joint Commission (TJC) standards.

Provides effective audits and monitors for all areas of responsibility, assuring that accurate and timely data is processed by all employees.

Reviews work accomplished and assesses quality, quantity, accuracy and timeliness of work produced by each employee.

Participates in various facility, VISN and national committees requiring health information management subject matter expertise.

Assists the CHIM in identifying and setting short- and long-range goals, program objectives and tasks to meet the mission and vision of the medical center.

Demonstrates skill in budgeting, contracting, procurement and property management.

Work Schedule: 7:45am-4:30pm, Monday-Friday
Telework: Available-AD-HOC
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: Assistant Chief of Health Information Management (ACHIM)
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS.

a. 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).

b. 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,

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,

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.

Specialized Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that demonstrates all the KSAs described at that level. Examples of Specialized experience include Skill in performance and process improvement techniques to develop and implement new or improved solutions in health information management. Ability to advise management and staff, at various levels, regarding health record documentation requirements and health information management practices based on current industry standards, policies, statues, laws, and regulations. Ability to plan, justify, develop, evaluate, assess, monitor, and advise on current health information management processes and recommend changes in policies or procedures. Ability to determine and evaluate compliance with legal, ethical, and regulatory guidelines and accrediting bodies, as they apply to health information management. Ability to acquire, manage, analyze, interpret, and transform data into accurate, consistent, and meaningful information.

NOTE: Resume must demonstrate experience that consist of significant scope, administrative independence, difficulty and range of a variety of work assignments.

Examples of qualifying experience are: Recommending organizational structure, workflow, section policy, interpretation of section objectives, and methods of staffing within the section; Evaluating statistics to assess patient workload and establish quality controls; Evaluating Patient Treatment File (PTF) data validation program to include a qualitative review and evaluation of the clinical as well as administrative information reported into the PTF system; Consulting with physicians and other clinicians regarding record deficiencies as appropriate; Auditing the review mechanism for designating records and audit criteria, display of results and maintenance of review files; Determining the need for and extent of training personnel outside HIMS with regard to the medical records and its format; Providing technical guidance to the unit supervisors and lead clerks while providing support to each unit in the absence of the section supervisor; etc.

AND

Certification: 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.

OR,

(2) HIM Certification through AHIMA.OR, (3) Health Data Analyst Certification through AHIMA.

AND

Medical Records Administrator (Assistant Chief (ACHIM)), GS-12:

(a) Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that demonstrates all the KSAs described at that level.

AND

(b) Certification. Employees at this level must have a HIM Certification.

AND

Demonstrated the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)

1. Skill in managing various projects and processes, which includes the ability to develop new or improved solutions to complex technical problems in health information management.

2. Ability to advise management and staff on a wide range of health information management practices based on current industry standards, policies, statutes, laws, and regulations.

3. Ability to plan, justify, develop, evaluate, assess, monitor, and/or advise on current health information management processes, and recommend changes in policies or procedures.

4. Ability to determine and evaluate compliance with legal, ethical, and regulatory guidelines, and accrediting bodies as they apply to health information management.

5. Ability to successfully apply principles and techniques of sound resource management (i.e., staffing, space, contracts, equipment).6. Ability to provide the full range of supervisory duties to include assignment of work, completing performance evaluations, selection of staff, and recommendation of awards, advancements, and disciplinary actions.

References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G33, dated May 28, 2020. This standard is available for review or you may access this standard through the internet at the following address:
http://vaww1.va.gov/ohrm/T38Hybrid/QualStandards.html

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. Office setting is adequately heated, lighted and ventilated as well as meeting rooms and classrooms. Position may require occasional travel. Work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there is usually some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items such as papers, books, files, etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

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.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .