Lead Medical Record Technician (Release of Information)

US Department of Veterans Affairs; Kansas City (MO); On-site; USD 60,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Lead Medical Record Technician - Release of Information (ROI) in the Health Information Management section in Kansas City, Missouri. The Lead MRT (ROI) reviews and processes requests for patient PHI and provides direct customer service to Veterans or third parties.

Applicants may be referred while meeting education/certification requirements. Eligibility includes a preferred associate degree in health information management/health information

Qualifications

• One year of creditable experience indicating knowledge of medical terminology and health records.
• Six months of the required one year of creditable experience providing KSAs for MRT (ROI) work.
• English language proficiency in spoken and written English.

Responsibilities

• Review and process requests for patient PHI.
• Provide direct customer service to Veterans or third parties.
• Coordinate workload and staff development for ROI activities.
• Maintain knowledge of laws and regulations governing health information disclosure.

Skills

Team guidance

Regulations knowledge

Effective communication

Report preparation

Staff development

Education

Associate degree in health information management/health information technology

Job description

The incumbent serves as a Lead Medical Record Technician - Release of Information (ROI) in the Health Information Management Section (HIM) of the Business Operations Service (BOS). The Lead MRT (ROI) is responsible for reviewing and processing requests for patient protected health information (PHI). The MRT (ROI) also provides direct customer service to the Veteran (or third party).

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements

• United States Citizenship. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA
• Experience and Education
  • Experience. One year of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology and general understanding of health records. Six months of the required one year of creditable experience must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to perform MRT (ROI) work. OR,
  • Education. An associate's degree from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education with a major field of study in health information technology/health information management, or a related degree with a minimum of 12 semester hours in health information technology/health information management (e.g., courses in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, legal aspects of health care, and introduction to health records).OR,
  • Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of creditable experience and education are qualifying towards meeting basic experience requirements. The following experience and educational/training substitutions are appropriate for combining education and creditable experience:
    • Six months of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology, privacy and release of information, the health record, and one year above high school with a minimum of six semester hours of health information technology/health information management courses.
    • Six months of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology, privacy and release of information, the health record, and successful completion of a course for medical technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or hospital training obtained in a training program given by the Armed Forces or the U.S. Maritime Service under close medical and professional supervision. The training program may be substituted on a month-for-month basis for up to six months of experience provided the training program included courses in anatomy and physiology, and health record techniques and procedures.
• English Language Proficiency. MRTs (ROI) must be proficient in spoken and written English, as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Preferred Experience

3+ Years experience with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) & medical terminology.

GS-7 Grade Determinations

• Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-6). This experience is described as: monitor and make adjustments on workload, comply with established release of information policies and procedures, coordinate staff development and training regarding release of information.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  • Ability to work with a team to provide technical guidance, plan, organize, and coordinate activities of release of information to effectively complete job assignments (i.e., distributing workload, monitoring the status and progress of work, monitoring accuracy of work, and ensuring required timelines are met.)
  • Knowledge of the laws and regulations related to the authorization and disclosure of health information.
  • Ability to effectively communicate, both orally and in writing, to meet program objectives.
  • Ability to prepare reports in various formats and present data to various organizational levels.
  • Ability to provide or coordinate staff development and training.

References

Medical Records Technician (Release of Information) Qualification Standard: VA Handbook 5005/123, Appendix G58- dated December 10, 2019. For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7.

Physical Requirements

May include but not limited to standing 2 hours per day, use of both hands, use of fingers, sitting up to 8 hours per day.