Outpatient Coder Lead

Common Spirit Health; Englewood (CO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

CommonSpirit Health is seeking an Outpatient Coder Lead to supervise and mentor the outpatient coding service center, ensuring complete charge capture and accurate APC assignments in accordance with coding guidelines.

The role requires expert outpatient coding experience, leadership skills, and deep knowledge of ICD-10-CM, CPT, and HCPCS with collaboration across Revenue Management and hospital departments to improve data integrity and reimbursement accuracy.

Qualifications

• Minimum of four (4) years of outpatient coding experience in an acute care setting.
• Current AHIMA or AAPC credentials.
• Advanced knowledge of ICD-10-CM, CPT, HCPCS and coding guidelines.
• Ability to lead, train, and supervise coding staff.

Responsibilities

• Direct outpatient coding service center operations including personnel management, training, education, productivity, work assignments, and quality reviews.
• Assist with coding education, audits, denials, claim edits, and CHA data submissions.
• Promote standardization and manage DNB and coding compliance to achieve financial goals.
• Drive accuracy, quality, and standardization across coding operations in collaboration with Revenue Management.

Skills

Leadership

Outpatient coding

Regulatory know‑how

Training & education

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Associate's Degree preferred

AHIMA or AAPC credentials (RHIA/RHIT/CCS/CCS-P or COC/CIC/CPC-H/CPC)

Tools

3M Coding Software

Job description

Outpatient Coder Lead

Inspired by faith. Driven by innovation. Powered by humankindness. CommonSpirit Health is building a healthier future for all through its integrated health services. As one of the nation's largest nonprofit Catholic healthcare organizations, CommonSpirit Health delivers more than 20 million patient encounters annually through more than 2,300 clinics, care sites and 158 hospital-based locations, in addition to its home-based services and virtual care offerings.

As our Outpatient Coder Lead, you will code and abstract outpatient records for data retrieval, analysis, reimbursement, and research, ensuring complete charge capture, and providing expert guidance to coding and hospital staff.

Every day you will direct Outpatient Coding Service Center operations including personnel management, training, education, productivity, work assignments, and quality reviews. You will assist with coding education, audits, denials, claim edits, and CHA data submissions, promoting standardization and managing DNB and coding compliance to achieve financial goals and improve the accuracy and integrity of patient data.

To be successful in this role, you will possess expert-level outpatient coding proficiency, strong leadership and management skills, a deep understanding of coding regulations and reimbursement methodologies, and the ability to drive accuracy, quality, and standardization across coding operations, while effectively collaborating with Revenue Management and other departments.

• Demonstrates proficiency in coding and abstracting outpatient accounts in the electronic medical record system, completes charge capture/review as applicable, and creates APC group assignments while adhering to coding guidelines, regulations, and compliance plan.
• Conducts and assists quality audit reviews in a timely manner and effectively communicates feedback to stakeholders.
• Answers coding questions in accordance with the Coding Compliance plan, Official Coding Guidelines, and regulatory billing guidelines.
• Assists Manager with managing DNB, coder productivity, and quality to ensure alignment and support of achieving corporate/service center and hospital financial goals.
• Facilitates and/or assists with coding training and education to promote accurate coding and reimbursement practices per coding guidelines, regulatory requirements, and the organization's coding compliance plan.
• Works with the outpatient coding team to improve the coding accuracy, integrity, and quality of patient data, to ensure minimal variation in coding practices.

Required

• High School Diploma/G.E.D.
• Minimum of four (4) years of outpatient coding experience in an acute care setting
• Current AHIMA credentials (i.e. RHIA, RHIT, CCS, CCS-P) or AAPC credential (COC, CIC, CPC-H, CPC)
• Must demonstrate competency of outpatient and observation coding guidelines as well as other outpatient coding guidelines
• Demonstrate advanced knowledge of Coding Clinic Guidelines, and advanced technical knowledge with coding competency in ICD-10 CM, CPT, HCPCS and Nosology
• Advance knowledge of disease management, anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, pharmacology and coding systems (i.e. 3M)

Preferred

• Associate's Degree
• Charge capture experience