Senior Coding Specialist (Trauma Surgery Coding exp required) - REMOTE

Montgomery College; Tennessee; Remote; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanderbilt Health seeks a skilled Medical Coder to review and abstract professional and outpatient facility codes for encounters. This role focuses on accurate code assignment using established coding classifications and ongoing staff training support.

Responsibilities include developing efficient workflows, identifying documentation gaps, and ensuring regulatory compliance while staying current with coding guidelines.

Qualifications

• Licensure in a discipline-specific area (LIC) required.
• Minimum 4 years of relevant work experience.
• High school diploma or GED required.

Responsibilities

• Develop efficient workflows to organize and prioritize complex coding work to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and hospital targets.
• Utilize designated coding classification systems and guidelines to ensure accurate code selection.
• Identify documentation gaps or inconsistencies that may impact code assignment.
• Initiate coding queries to clarify documentation and ensure accurate code assignment.
• Provide guidance and support to coding staff on complex coding scenarios and regulatory requirements.
• Stay updated on changes in coding regulations and guidelines to maintain subject matter expertise.

Skills

Critical thinking

Medical terminology

Compliance

Problem solving

Documentation

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

Discover Vanderbilt Health: With eight hospitals and over 180 clinics, we are the region’s largest comprehensive academic health system. Vanderbilt Health has a long tradition of providing world‑class care to the people of the Mid‑South, living out our mission of moving medicine forward through preeminent programs in patient care, education and research. Here you’ll find a spirit of collaboration and a supportive community where your expertise is valued, your knowledge expanded and your uniqueness celebrated. We are committed to fostering an environment where talented, compassionate people are united in bringing the most advanced care to our neighbors throughout the region.

Organization: Coding‑Surgical Sciences

Job Summary:

JOB SUMMARY Reviews, accurately assigns, and abstracts professional and outpatient facility diagnostic and procedural codes to encounters using designated coding classification independently. Supports ongoing training and development of staff.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop efficient workflows to organize and prioritize complex coding work to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and hospital targets.
• Utilize designated coding classification systems and guidelines to ensure accurate code selection.
• Consider the utilization of resources during patient encounters to reflect the appropriate codes.
• Proactively identify documentation gaps or inconsistencies that may impact code assignment.
• Initiate coding queries or tasks to clarify documentation and ensure accurate code assignment.
• Demonstrate advanced knowledge and expertise in professional and outpatient facility coding practices.
• Provide guidance and support to coding staff on complex coding scenarios and regulatory requirements.
• Stay updated on changes in coding regulations and guidelines to maintain subject matter expertise.

The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned.

Technical Capabilities:

• MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL AND OUTPATIENT FACILITY CODING (ADVANCED): The transformation of healthcare diagnosis, procedures, medical services, and equipment into universal medical alphanumeric codes.
• MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY AND DOCUMENTATION (ADVANCED): The ability to comprehend medical terminology and documentation in an office, or surgical setting.
• CRITICAL THINKING (ADVANCED): The objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.
• COMPLIANCE (ADVANCED): Understanding the rules, regulations, sanctions, and other statutory requirements, guidelines, and instructions relating to governing bodies and organizations, both internally and externally.

Our professional administrative functions include critical supporting roles in information technology and informatics, finance, administration, legal and community affairs, human resources, communications and marketing, development, facilities, and many more. At our growing health system, we support each other and encourage excellence among all who are part of our workforce. High‑achieving employees stay at Vanderbilt Health for professional growth, appreciation of benefits, and a sense of community and purpose.

Core Accountabilities:

Organizational Impact: Independently delivers on objectives with understanding of how they impact the results of own area/team and other related teams.

Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Utilizes multiple sources of data to analyze and resolve complex problems; may take a new perspective on existing solution.

Breadth of Knowledge: Has advanced knowledge within a professional area and basic knowledge across related areas.

Team Interaction: Acts as a "go‑to" resource for colleagues with less experience; may lead small project teams.

Core Capabilities:

• Supporting Colleagues: Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas.
• Supporting Colleagues: Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships.
• Supporting Colleagues: Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences.

Delivering Excellent Services:

• Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them.
• Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions.
• Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness.

Ensuring High Quality:

• Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly.
• Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them.
• Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring.

Managing Resources Effectively:

• Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure.
• Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area.
• Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities.

Fostering Innovation:

• Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches.
• Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short‑term challenges.
• Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.

Position Qualifications:

Responsibilities: Certifications: LIC‑Licensed Discipline Specific - Licensure‑Others Work Experience: Relevant Work Experience Experience Level: 4 years Education: High School Diploma or GED

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well being and professional growth.

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity. EOE/Vets/Disabled.

PEOPLE ARE AT THE HEART OF ALL WE DO. Great health care takes great people.

We’re looking for like‑minded individuals driven to make a difference. We invite you to explore careers at Vanderbilt Health, where we value collaboration, embrace continuous learning and foster an environment where everyone can thrive.

We’re the largest private employer in Middle Tennessee, with a growing team and an expanding footprint across towns and communities throughout the region. We employ more than 43,000 people who work in inpatient and outpatient clinical care, research and graduate medical education. Our employees also serve in critical supporting roles in administration, information technology and informatics, finance, legal and community affairs, communications and marketing, fundraising, groundskeeping and facilities, and many other departments.

Our growing academic health system has more than 2,100 licensed hospital beds at eight hospitals: Vanderbilt University Hospital Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital Vanderbilt Bedford Hospital Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital Vanderbilt Tullahoma‑Harton Hospital Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital.

Vanderbilt Health is the Mid‑South's largest provider of specialty care, with hundreds of outpatient clinic and surgical locations throughout the region, and Tennessee’s only National Cancer Institute‑designated Comprehensive Cancer Center for adults and children.

We are one of the nation's busiest critical care centers, home to Middle Tennessee’s only Level 1 Trauma Center and Burn Center for adults and children, and Middle Tennessee’s only Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. We are the nation’s largest transplant center, and last year we performed the most heart transplants than any center worldwide.

Vanderbilt Health is an epicenter for biomedical research, winning over $1 billion in annual research awards from government, industry, foundations and donors.

We are also a national leader in medical training and education, with the largest clinical training center in the Mid‑South and the only training center in Tennessee for many adult and pediatric specialties.

We’re honored to be consistently considered among the nation’s best hospitals for quality, safety and patient satisfaction.

Three of our hospitals — Vanderbilt University Hospital, Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital and Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital — have been awarded a Five‑Star Quality Rating from Medicare.

We support each other and encourage excellence among every member of our workforce. High‑achieving employees stay at Vanderbilt Health for professional growth opportunities, competitive compensation and benefits, and a sense of community and purpose.

Join us in advancing health care. Our vision: The world leader in advancing personalized health. Our mission: Personalizing the patient experience through our caring spirit and distinctive capabilities.