Inpatient Hospital Coding Manager

WVU Medicine; Core (WV); On-site; USD 150,000 - 195,000; Full time

Job summary

System West Virginia University Health System seeks an executive to oversee the coding department, partnering with leaders across the organization to ensure a seamless coding process and strong financial performance.

The role directs staff, guides strategy, and maintains compliance with coding regulations while optimizing reimbursement across clinics, hospitals, and physician offices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree + 5 years in healthcare operations, patient account services, revenue cycle, auditing, or coding/billing.
• Associate's degree + 7 years in healthcare operations, patient account services, revenue cycle, auditing, or coding/billing.
• In lieu of a degree, 9 years of in-depth healthcare operations, patient account services, revenue cycle, auditing, or coding/billing.

Responsibilities

• Directs the staff and operations of the coding department, including leadership of coding supervisors at multiple locations.
• Holds staff accountable for achieving plans and performance targets and supports professional growth.
• Develops a high-performing team and drives improved financial performance within government and commercial coding regulations.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Process improvement

Financial management

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Management, Business, Finance or Accounting

Associate’s Degree in Health Information Technology

Master’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or related field

Tools

AHIMA certification

AAPC certification

Job description

This position is responsible for promoting financial viability by effectively managing all aspects of the enterprise organization’s coding department. It works in close partnership with various members of the organization’s leadership staff and is central in creating a comprehensive and seamless coding process throughout WVU Medicine. As a member of the coding leadership team, the role requires participation in operations, strategic planning, physician relations, finance, resource allocation and/or contracting as appropriate.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Management, Business, Finance or Accounting AND five (5) years of in-depth experience within healthcare operations, patient account services, revenue cycle operations, healthcare auditing, or coding/billing either from a consulting perspective or as an employee/manager.
• Associate’s Degree in Health Information Technology AND seven (7) years of in-depth experience within healthcare operations, patient account services, revenue cycle operations, healthcare auditing, or coding/billing either from a consulting perspective or as an employee/manager.
• In lieu of a Bachelor or Associate’s degree, nine (9) years of in-depth experience within healthcare operations, patient account services, revenue cycle operations, healthcare auditing, or coding/billing either from a consulting perspective or as an employee/manager.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or a related field.
• Coding certification via AHIMA or AAPC (strongly preferred).

Experience

• Seven (7) years of in-depth experience within healthcare operations, patient account services, revenue cycle operations, healthcare auditing, or coding/billing either from a consulting perspective or as an employee/manager.

Core Duties and Responsibilities

• Directs the staff and operations of the coding department, ensuring optimal performance through effective employee selection, training, development, and performance management. The position is directly responsible for leading coding supervisors and teams at multiple locations and indirectly for all employees within the department.
• Holds staff accountable for achieving plans and performance targets; works with staff to identify and resolve issues impacting the department; supports development and continued professional growth.
• Develops a high-performing team that provides superior project management skills and supports overall coding department to drive improved financial performance in accordance with state and federal guidelines.
• Maintains a strong understanding of coding metrics, leadership skills, project management, and leads the team in building plans to support operational departments to achieve optimal performance. Ensures compliance with government and commercial coding regulations while maximizing reimbursement for patient claims.
• Leads the coding department’s strategic plan objectives, operational goal setting, and execution through departmental leadership.
• Designs, implements, and continuously monitors all relevant key performance indicators to ensure that cash flow is maximized throughout the revenue cycle.
• Continuously evaluates the effectiveness and efficiency of operations and implements or proposes optimization or transformation efforts. Identifies opportunities for enhancement and optimization of the overall coding process.
• Develops and maintains strong relationships with clients/providers, effectively managing relationships and business processes at all clinics/physician offices and hospitals.
• Develops, implements, and effectively manages policies, processes, and procedures for the coding department to maintain coding charge lag, productivity, and coding quality at or above goal levels.
• Provides education and policy updates for clinic, hospital, and division employees, and medical staff on policies or procedures; establishes and conducts performance reporting for revenue/coding activities of each location.
• Provides regular revenue management reports to clients, providers, and management; alerts senior management of concerns and provides status of financial conditions by collecting, interpreting, and reporting key financial data.
• Manages operational expenses per budget; directs development of operating and capital budgets for the department.
• Works with IT to implement system-wide programs and information systems, providing ongoing leadership and operational oversight in the development, use, and maintenance of clinical and hospital information systems for coding.
• Ensures coding oversight for system implementations, conversions, and upgrades for revenue cycle applications.
• Addresses operating issues that hinder cash flow maximization, adopting best practices when needed.
• Works collaboratively with coding department leadership to meet strategic goals and develop guidelines and procedures through data analysis.
• Arranges for billing/coding audits as required and appropriate with contracted compliance companies.
• Continually ensures high ethical standards, promotes and leads coding transparency, and commits to client service excellence.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting and standing.
• Visual strain may be encountered in viewing computer screens and written material.
• Travel is required.

Working Environment

• Standard Office Environment.

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent analytic and problem‑solving skills to process auditing and monitoring reports, identify compliance risks, and prioritize recommendations.
• Ability to investigate and resolve complex problems and coordinate efforts to provide innovative strategies and solutions.
• Ability to identify key quarterly goals and execute against them.
• Ability to communicate ideas and data verbally and in writing, in a persuasive, organized manner; leads meetings and prepares presentations for internal and external groups.
• Ability to take major strategic objectives and break them down into meaningful action steps.

Additional Job Information

Scheduled weekly hours: 40. Exempt/Non‑Exempt: United States of America (Exempt). Shift: United States of America (Exempt). Company: System West Virginia University Health System. Cost Center: 548 SYSTEM HIM Coding Analysis.