Medical Records Administrator

Description:

Medical Records Administration Specialist (MRAS) in 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. MRASs manage, preserve, analyze, and supervise the use of diagnostic and therapeutic health records/health information management. They develop policies and procedures and provide advice on the use of health records and health information management.

Requirements:

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. MRAs must be proficient in spoken and written English. See 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Certification . Persons hired or reassigned to MRA positions in the GS-0669 series in VHA must meet one of the following: ( *See DEFINITIONS in the Education section of this announcement for additional information )
  • (1) *Coding Certification through AHIMA or AAPC.OR,
  • (2) *HIM Certification through AHIMA.OR,
  • (3) *Health Data Analyst Certification through AHIMA.

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.

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 : In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

MRAS, GS-05. None beyond the basic requirements.

MRAS, GS-07. (a) Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, [one] year of [creditable] experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

• 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) Demonstrate the following KSAs :

• Knowledge of current classification systems, such as International Classification of Diseases, Current Procedural Terminology, and the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS).
• Ability to effectively communicate (written and verbal) with medical center staff, patients, and external entities.
• Ability to use data collection and analytical techniques for purposes of review, quality control, studies and analysis of health information.
• 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.
• Ability to work independently, adapt to shifting priorities, and meet deadlines.

MRAS, GS-09. (a) Experience .One year creditable experience equal 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 in a field directly related to Health Information Management AND (c) Demonstrate the following KSAs :???????

• Knowledge of medical and legal requirements related to health information management and health records.
• Ability to provide technical advice and guidance on health information management practices.
• Skill in extracting data from various sources and analyzing health information to create reports.
• Skill in researching, interpreting, and applying health information management guidelines.
• Knowledge of performance and process improvement techniques to develop new or improved solutions in health information management.

MRAS, GS-11. (a) Experience .One year of creditable experience equal to the next lower grade level that demonstrates all of the KSAs described at that level. OR (b) Education . Education equivalent to three full years of higher-level graduate education or a Ph. D. or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited university or college in a field of Health Information Management AND (c) Demonstrate the following KSAs :

• 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.

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-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-5 to GS-11.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. There is walking, bending and reaching required such as for filing or locating material, and carrying items such as reports, documents, and supplies. Entering data and word processing on a personal computer may result in physical problems from the effects of repetitive motion and eyestrain.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ .