HIM Medical Records Coder – Certified Coding Specialist

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Jefferson Barracks (MO); On-site; USD 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

VA St. Louis Health Care System (VASTLHCS) seeks a MRT (Coder) to classify medical data from patient health records and assign ICD/CPT codes in hospital and physician settings. Applicants may be referred while education or certification requirements are pending and must meet all qualification standards for full appointment.

The role emphasizes accuracy, adherence to coding conventions, and collaboration within the HIM team to support high-quality patient care.

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship required; non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• English language proficiency in spoken and written form.
• 1 year of creditable experience in medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, medical coding, and health records; OR
• Associate's degree with 12+ semester hours in health information management; OR
• AHIMA/AAPC coding program completion leading to coding certification eligibility; OR
• Combination of education and experience to meet basic requirements; substitutions allowed.
• Certification: mastery level through AHIMA or AAPC (CCS, CCS-P, RHIT, RHIA, CPC, COC, CIC).

Responsibilities

• Classify and abstract medical data from patient records using ICD, CPT, and HCPCS.
• Ensure coding compliance with standards, documentation, and guidelines.
• Analyze coded data and related documentation to identify trends and improve accuracy.
• Prepare and present audit results to guide coding improvements.

Skills

Medical terminology

Anatomy

Physiology

Pathophysiology

Medical coding

Health records

Audit/reporting

Interpersonal skills

Education

Associate's degree in health information technology/health information management

AHIMA/AAPC coding program completion

Job description

VA St. Louis Health Care System (VASTLHCS) seeks a MRT (Coder) to classify medical data from patient health records and assign ICD/CPT codes in hospital and physician settings. Applicants may be referred while education or certification requirements are pending and must meet all qualification standards for full appointment.

The role emphasizes accuracy, adherence to coding conventions, and collaboration within the HIM team to support high-quality patient care.