Lead Inpatient Coding & DRG Integrity Specialist

Valley Health System; Ridgewood, Northern (NJ, KY); Hybrid; USD 57,000 - 71,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision benefits

Retirement Plan

Tuition Assistance

Paid Holidays and PTO

Job summary

The Valley Health System in Ridgewood, NJ, seeks a Lead HIM Coding Specialist to oversee inpatient coding and DRG validation. You will perform high-level reviews, mentor staff, and collaborate with CDI, Coding, and Compliance to improve revenue integrity and audit readiness.

Experience with MS-DRG/APR-DRG, CMS rules, and EHR systems like Meditech, EPIC, or Cerner is required. Strong data analytics and communication skills are essential to drive documentation improvements.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; CCS certification required.

Responsibilities

• Perform high-level second-level reviews of coded data for accuracy and compliance.
• Audit MS-DRG/APR-DRG assignments and drive improvements in documentation and revenue integrity.
• Mentor coding staff and collaborate with CDI, Coding, and Compliance teams to mitigate risk and strengthen audit readiness.

Skills

Inpatient coding

DRG validation

Regulatory knowledge

Data analytics

Mentoring/education

Communication

Collaboration with CDI/Coding/Finance

Audit and denial trend analysis

Pre/post-bill audit workflows

Education

HS diploma or equivalent

Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)

AS/BA in health information management or related field

RHIT/RHIA/CDIP/CCDS/CPC certifications preferred

Tools

Meditech

EPIC

Cerner

3M Encoder

Trucode encoder

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

The Valley Health System in Ridgewood, NJ, seeks a Lead HIM Coding Specialist to oversee inpatient coding and DRG validation. You will perform high-level reviews, mentor staff, and collaborate with CDI, Coding, and Compliance to improve revenue integrity and audit readiness.

Experience with MS-DRG/APR-DRG, CMS rules, and EHR systems like Meditech, EPIC, or Cerner is required. Strong data analytics and communication skills are essential to drive documentation improvements.