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Summary This position is in the Health Information Management (HIM) Service at the VA St. Louis Health Care System St. Louis, Missouri. Medical Records Administrator Specialist (MRASs) in VHA perform or supervise work concerned with the management of a health record program or the provision of services related to medical record administration/health information services. MRASs manage, preserve, analyze, and supervise the use of diagnostic and therapeutic health records/HIM. Responsibilities The Assistant Chief of Health Information Management (ACHIM) is responsibility for the supervision of all HIM functions and is the right hand of Chief HIM (CHIM). The ACHIM is charged with full responsibility, both technical and administrative, for the daily operation of the HIM department which consists of all functions of health record activities related to coding, clinical documentation improvement, health record documentation analysis, speech recognition, release of information, and file room/scanning programs. Major Duties include, but are not limited to the following: Organize and control the activities of the department Serve as acting Chief in absence of Chief Lead HIM teams/projects Collect and process data for various reports, surveys and research projects Prepare reports and recommendations on immediate needs and future goals of the department Prepare current procedures and operation manuals Assist health professionals in obtaining health record information Maintain confidentiality of records Provide guidance/advise researchers on methods for gathering data Assure accurate and timely data is processed by employees Ascertain problems encountered and take corrective action Develop performance standards Train and educate teams and staff across the medical center Remain abreast of changes in the HIM filed/allied medical fields Apply information and knowledge to support operations of the hospital Conduct performance evaluations Manage competency assessments Interview prospective employees Conduct performance improvement plans Provide technical guidance to supervisors, lead clerks etc. Provide expertise in area of subpoenas, court orders, advance directives, ROI, etc. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8am - 4:30 pm CST Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 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 or Education: 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. Certification. Persons hired or reassigned to MRA positions in the GS-0669 series in VHA must meet one of the following: Coding Certification through AHIMA or AAPC. Coding Certification: Mastery certification obtained through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) or the American Association of Professional Coders (AAPC). To be acceptable for qualification, the specific certification must represent a comprehensive competency in the occupation. Stand-alone specialty certifications do not meet the definition of mastery level coding certification and are not acceptable for qualifications. Certification titles may change and certifications that meet the definition of mastery level coding certification may be added/removed by the above certifying bodies; however, 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). HIM Certification through AHIMA. Health Information Management (HIM) Certification: Higher-level health information management certification is limited to certification obtained through AHIMA. To be acceptable for qualifications, the specific certification must represent a comprehensive competency in the occupation. Certification titles may change and certifications that meet the definition of HIM certification may be added/removed by the above certifying body; however, current HIM certifications include Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) and Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA). Health Data Analyst Certification through AHIMA. Health Data Analyst Certification: This is limited to certification obtained through AHIMA. To be acceptable for qualifications, the specific certification must certify mastery in health data analysis. Certification titles may change and certifications that meet the definition of health data analyst certification may be added/removed by the above certifying body; however, current health data analyst certification includes Certified Health Data Analyst (CHDA). NOTE. HIMs Certification is required for all positions above the full performance level. 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). Grade Determinations: GS-12, Medical Records Administrator (Assistant Chief (ACHIM))- Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that demonstrates all the KSAs described at that level. AND; Certification. Employees at this level must have a HIM Certification. AND; Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): 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. 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. Ability to plan, justify, develop, evaluate, assess, monitor, and/or 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 successfully apply principles and techniques of sound resource management (i.e., staffing, space, contracts, equipment). 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. Preferred Experience: Minimum 3 years of experience leading an HIM department or served as MRAS. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. This position is above the full performance level. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for 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 within the Health Care System. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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. 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.