Clinical Coder

East Metropolitan Health Service; Western Australia; On-site; AUD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Professional Development Opportunities

Flexible working arrangements

Flexible leave arrangements

Other allowances

12% superannuation

Fitness Passport

Discounted Smart Rider

Job summary

East Metropolitan Health Service is seeking skilled Clinical Coders to provide high‑quality coding services across multiple EMHS hospitals. The role involves reviewing clinical documentation, applying coding conventions, and ensuring data accuracy within mandatory reporting timeframes.

Coders will work within a centralised service under a DMR model and may be required to operate across EMHS sites. Experience with ACS/ICD-10-AM/ACHI and a commitment to ethical coding practices are essential.

Qualifications

• Interprets, analyses and abstracts patient episodes of care using prescribed coding conventions and medical terminology.
• Applies current international and national coding frameworks and standards (ICD-10-AM, ACHI, ACS) and follows national/state guidelines to ensure accurate code assignment.
• Assesses onset and timing of conditions to support correct assignment of Condition Onset Flags for all codes.
• Maintains safe work environment and complies with OH&S guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Interprets, analyses and abstracts patient episodes of care through coding conventions and medical terminology to generate accurate data.
• Applies coding frameworks (ICD-10-AM, ACHI, ACS) and organisational rules to ensure code accuracy and completeness.
• Analyzes clinical documentation to determine onset timing and eligibility for Condition Onset Flag coding.
• Participates in maintaining a safe work environment and adheres to OH&S policies.

Job description

CRVCID 752774

About the Opportunity:

We are currently seeking skilled and dynamic individuals to join the East Metropolitan Health Service's (EMHS) Clinical Coding team as Clinical Coders. We currently have several positions available, which are permanent and fixed-term, working either full-time or part-time hours. Fixed-term appointments will have the possibility of extension and/or permanency. EMHS operates a centralised coding service under a DMR model. As a result, coders may have opportunities, or be required, to work at EMHS sites other than Royal Perth Hospital, depending on operational needs. Regardless of work location, all coders may be required to code casemix from multiple EMHS hospitals.

About the Position:

The Clinical Coder provides a quality clinical coding service through the application of high-level clinical knowledge of disease processes and collaboration with clinicians to review clinical documentation to generate accurate clinical coding data within mandatory reporting timeframes. They classify the data within coding frameworks and standards for various purposes and to optimise Activity Based Funding (ABF) whilst maintaining ethical compliance in accordance with Australian Coding Standards (ACS).

Key duties of this role include, but are not limited to;

• Interprets, analyses and abstracts patient episodes of care through the application of prescribed coding conventions, organisational coding guidelines and understanding of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, disease processes, procedures, and diagnostic interventions for all admitted activity.
• Applies working knowledge of current international and national coding frameworks and standards (ICD-10-AM, ACHI, ACS), and complies with national, state and organisational coding rules to ensure code assignment fully captures the complexity of an episode of care.
• Analyses clinical documentation to determine coding requirements relating to timing of the onset of conditions, including the assessment of whether symptoms were present on admission for accurate assignment of Condition Onset Flags for all coded diagnoses.
• Participates in the maintenance of a safe work environment and complies with organisational OH&S guidelines.

For more information regarding this position, including a thorough breakdown of duties, reporting structures, and the criteria used in assessing applicants to the role, we encourage you to refer to the Job Description Form (JDF) attached. For further job-related Information: for further information, we encourage you to contact Emily Hailu, Area Manager of Clinical Coding, on [phone].

Area Profile:

The East Metropolitan Health Service (EMHS) comprises an extensive hospital and health service network that aims to maintain and improve the health and wellbeing of more than 828,000 Western Australians in its catchment area. Our hospital network works together to provide a combination of tertiary, secondary and specialist health care services including emergency and critical care, state trauma, elective and emergency surgery, general medical, mental health, inpatient and outpatient services, aged care, palliative care, rehabilitation and women's, children's and neonates services. The EMHS consists of Royal Perth Hospital; Mt Lawley Hospital; Armadale Health Service; Bentley Health Service; Kalamunda Hospital; St John of God Midland Public Hospital and a range of community and population health services.

Employee Benefits:

• Professional Development Opportunities and Study leave/assistance.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Flexible leave arrangements.
• Other professional and location-based allowances.
• 12% employer contributed superannuation into a fund of your choice. For information on superannuation
• Fitness Passport- discounted access to select gyms, pools, and fitness centres across Australia
• Discounted Smart Rider for travel to work

We are committed to building a workplace culture that values diversity and inclusion. We actively promote applications from people with disability. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to support you through the recruitment process. Please contact [e-mail] to let us know if you require any adjustments to take part in the application or selection process.

EMHS is committed to ensuring that our services are delivered by people who are representative of the diverse communities we assist. We wholly embrace diversity and inclusion and encourage people to work with us from all ages, races, genders, religions, sexual orientations, family responsibilities or other characteristics, including Aboriginal people, people from culturally diverse backgrounds, individuals with a diverse sexuality or gender or bodily diversity, and people with disability. WA Health is committed to growing the Aboriginal workforce as a part of WA Health's Aboriginal Workforce Policy. As a measure to achieve equality, Section 51 of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 applies to this position. Aboriginal people are encouraged to apply.

Eligibility to Apply:

To be eligible for appointment, applicants must have valid Australian work rights. This includes visa holders. Permanent appointments may be made to individuals who hold citizenship, permanent residency, or visas that enable ongoing employment in Australia.

Other Conditions:

WA Health engages staff in positions of trust and responsibility. WA Health policies require applicants to undertake a criminal records screening and integrity checking as part of the appointment process. As well as undertaking a criminal record screening and integrity checking, you may also be required to undertake a working with children check (if required for the role) and a pre-employment health assessment. We may ask referees to comment on your integrity and past demonstration of ethical behaviour. Please note that adverse information does not necessarily disqualify an applicant but will be considered as part of the appointment process. Whilst this selection process will initially be used to fill the above vacancy, applicants found suitable for this position may be considered for other similar vacancies within EMHS and/or the wider WA public sector. In addition to this, should the successful applicant decline or vacate the advertised vacancy, then the next most suitable applicant may also be selected from this process. Both of these options remain valid for a period of twelve (12) months from when the authorised delegate endorses the recruitment decision.