DSHS BHTC Health Records Technician 2

State of Washington; Lakewood (WA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

5% premium for on-site work location

Orca Card transportation benefit

Job summary

Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) BHTC seeks a Health Records Technician 2 to lead health information management for resident and patient records, ensuring confidentiality, proper retention, and compliant disclosure. You’ll coordinate access, maintain records, and support audits and requests with clinical and legal teams.

The role requires RHIT credential or equivalent education and multiple years of HIM experience, with on-site work and opportunities for process

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in health information management, business administration, or related field.
• Three years of experience in a Health Information Management (medical records) office or related area.
• Or an Associate’s degree with five years of related experience.
• Current RHIT accreditation via AHIMA is required.

Responsibilities

• Receive and coordinate health-record requests, subpoenas, and litigation discovery.
• Conduct concurrent and retrospective reviews of health records for completeness and regulatory compliance.
• Coordinate day-to-day delivery, access, maintenance, and retention of health records.
• Advise management on complex health-information issues including privacy and disclosures.
• Identify training needs and develop training on health-record practices and processes.

Skills

Health information management

Privacy & confidentiality

Record retention

Communication with legal/attorneys

Education

Bachelor's degree in health information management, business administration, or related field

Associate's degree in health information management, business administration or related field

RHIT accreditation

Job description

DSHS BHTC Health Records Technician 2

This position serves as the health information management expert for resident and patient records. It coordinates the delivery, access, maintenance, retention, review, and authorized disclosure of health and medical records. The position provides consultation on complex medical-record matters, supports regulatory and legal requests, conducts record-quality reviews, develops training and procedures, and works with clinical, legal, privacy, quality, and program leadership to protect confidentiality and maintain complete and reliable health records.

Some of what you'll do:

• Receive and coordinate medically related public records requests, subpoenas, and litigation discovery. Assist requestors with scope; verify authority and consent; identify responsive records; review privacy and disclosure requirements; coordinate permitted redactions; provide records through approved secure methods; and retain the request record under the applicable schedule.
• Conduct concurrent and retrospective reviews of health records for completeness, accessibility, documentation integrity, and compliance with state, federal, and agency requirements. Gather information for required reporting; document findings and trends; validate corrective actions; and coordinate questions involving clinical practice with clinical leadership.
• Coordinate the day-to-day delivery, filing, access, maintenance, and retention of manual and electronic health records. Develop, review, and update health-record retention and essential-record schedules; support transfer, migration, archival storage, and authorized disposition; and ensure legal or records holds are honored.
• Advise management on complex health-information issues, including confidentiality, medical-record access, disclosure, health-related financial records, regulated reporting, and unusual or precedent-setting requests. Analyze problems, document recommendations, and coordinate with Privacy, Legal, clinical leadership, and other subject-matter experts.
• Identify training needs using audit findings, trends, and performance measures. Develop and deliver training on health-record practices, privacy, retention, quality review, and request processing. Draft or revise procedures, audit tools, job aids, and workflow improvements.
• Perform other duties consistent with the classification and organizational need. During emergencies, perform temporarily assigned duties under the applicable emergency-management plan.

What we're looking for:

• Apply health information management principles, medical terminology, confidentiality requirements, and records-retention requirements to daily work.
• Review complex health-record requests and identify when Privacy, Legal, clinical, or leadership consultation is required.
• Maintain accurate tracking for access, disclosure, retention, audit, and corrective-action activities.
• Communicate professionally with residents, requestors, attorneys, courts, management, clinical staff, and agency partners.
• Protect confidential information and use approved systems and secure transmission methods.
• Train and advise technical, professional, and management staff on health-record requirements and processes.

Who should apply?

We are looking for professionals who meet one of the following qualifications:

Bachelor’s Degree in health information management, business administration, or related field;

AND

Three years of experience in a Health Information Management (medical records) office, office management, healthcare privacy office, compliance office or closely related area;

OR

Associate's degree in health information management, business administration or related field;

AND

Five years of experience in a Health Information Management (medical records) office, office management, healthcare privacy office, compliance office or closely related area.

In addition to one of the above, applicants must also have:

• Current and ongoing accreditation through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) as a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT).

Additional information:

Opportunities performed on-site at this work location at least three days a week may be eligible for an additional 5% premium pay in addition to the advertised salary.

Pierce County employees are eligible to receive an Orca Card for transportation needs.

Questions?

Please reach out to [e-mail] and reference job number #07570.

The Department of Social and Health Services’ (DSHS) vision that people find human services to shape their own lives requires that we come together with a sense of belonging, common purpose, shared values, and meaningful work. It is crucial to our agency’s vision that you bring a fairness, access, and social justice commitment to your work with DSHS. We strive to support all Washingtonians, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, people with physical, behavioral health, and intellectual disabilities, elders, LGBTQIA+ individuals, immigrants and refugees, and families building financial security.

Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal record history may be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the job. This announcement may be used to fill multiple vacancies. Employees driving on state business must have a valid driver's license. Employees driving a privately owned vehicle on state business must have liability insurance on the privately owned vehicle.

Washington State Department of Social and Health Services is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in any area of employment, its programs or services on the basis of age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, marital status, race, creed, color, national origin, religion or beliefs, political affiliation, military status, honorably discharged veteran, Vietnam Era, recently separated or other protected veteran status, the presence of any sensory, mental, physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, equal pay or genetic information. Persons requiring accommodation in the application process or this job announcement in an alternative format may contact the Recruiter at [phone]. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call through Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6384.

Relationship and Reporting Structure (Neopthism) Disclosure: If you are selected for hire, you must disclose whether you have a relative, household member, close friend, or romantic partner within your potential supervisory chain of command. DSHS has a Relationships and the Reporting Structure policy that prohibits nepotism and can be reviewed here. Applicants whose appointment would result in a prohibited reporting relationship are not eligible for appointment to that position.

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