Evaluate and coordinate patient care in the Emergency Department and Clinical Decision Unit, manage patient complaints, and collaborate with the Emergency Medicine team to improve community health outcomes.

• Assign appropriate codes to reflect all diagnoses and procedures extrapolated from physician documentation • Abstract required data to input into the Medical Center's computerized database • Converts patient visits into appropriate DRG assignments • Review patient medical records and abstract medical data • Code diagnoses, procedures, and appropriate modifiers • Assign grouper codes to each record • Enters coded/abstracted information in grouper • Maintain accuracy rate of 95% or better • Maintain productivity standards • Assist in training new personnel in department coding procedures

Role Description This position is located in the Health Administration Service (HAS), Health Information Management (HIM) section at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. MRTs (Coder) are skilled in classifying medical data from patient health records. PLEASE READ THE DUTIES SECTION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON REMOTE WORK STATUS. - This position is designated as remote. Remote work is defined as full-time employment conducted outside of a VA facility or in VA-leased spaces. - The option for remote work will be assessed continuously, and the selected individual may need to return to a VA office if required. - The VA will categorically exempt military spouses authorized to engage in remote work and spouses of U.S. Foreign Service members from Agency plans to return all eligible employees to in-person work instead of remote or telework arrangements. - Any selected candidate must live within 50 miles of a VA Medical Center. - Applying comprehensive knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy & physiology, disease processes, treatment modalities, diagnostic tests, medications, procedures. - Selecting/assigning codes from the current version of several coding systems to include current versions of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), and/or Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS). - Adhering to accepted coding practices, guidelines, and conventions. - Applying codes based on guidelines specific to certain diagnoses, procedures, and other criteria. - Monitoring ever-changing regulatory and policy requirements affecting coded information for the full spectrum of services provided by the VAMC. - Timely compliance with coding changes is crucial to the accuracy of the facility database as well as all cost recovery programs. - Performing a comprehensive review of the patient health record to abstract medical, surgical, ancillary, demographic, social, and administrative data to ensure complete data capture. - Developing performance standards and conducting performance evaluations for subordinate staff. - Keeping employees informed of management goals and objectives and higher-level supervisors informed of employee participation and concerns. - Scheduling the sequence of work and operations on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis. - Assuring even workflow and distribution, expeditious handling of priorities, and meeting of deadlines. - Revising schedules/assignments to meet changes in workload considering peak loads, availability of manpower, and time limits. - Making changes in organization and assignment of duties to provide improvements, promote job satisfaction, and increase productivity. - Preparing workload and production reports; reports on operations and problems encountered. - Presenting proposed requests for resource needs based on past experience, anticipated staffing, equipment, and space. - Formulating and issuing written instructions and procedures and special instructions for non-routine or complex assignments or to clarify published guides. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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. - 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, anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, medical coding, and the structure and format of health records. - 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. - Certification: Completion of an AHIMA approved coding program, or other intense coding training program of approximately one year or more that included courses in anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, basic ICD diagnostic/procedural, and basic CPT coding. - Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of creditable experience and education are qualifying for meeting the basic requirements. Requirements - Persons hired or reassigned to MRT (Coder) positions in the GS-0675 series in VHA must have either: - Apprentice/Associate Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC. - Mastery Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC. - Clinical Documentation Improvement Certification through AHIMA or ACDIS. - Mastery level certification is required for all positions above the journey level; however, for clinical documentation improvement specialist assignments, a clinical documentation improvement certification may be substituted for a mastery level certification. - May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation. Benefits - The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-10. - The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-10. Physical Requirements This position is primarily sedentary.

• Assigns appropriate ICD and CPT codes for reimbursement and statistical purposes. • Follows ICD, CPT, CMS, and other regulatory coding guidelines. • Abstracts clinical information from medical records for complete and accurate statistical documentation. • Reviews and interprets medical documentation to accurately assign ICD and CPT codes for facility or professional reimbursement and statistical purposes. • Abstracts information into computer for reimbursement and statistical purposes. • Researches and stays current with trends in healthcare coding and compliance. • Keeps department manager up to date with any coding or documentation issues. • Works as a team with physicians, coding staff and other hospital personnel to ensure proper and accurate code assignment and continuous quality improvement. • Responsible for assisting with coding claim edits and reviewing claim denials for correction. • Reports to work in a timely manner and adheres to attendance policies. • Conscientious of scheduling time off in advance so as not to interfere dramatically with coding turnaround times. • Performs all Other duties as assigned.