Senior Outpatient Coder

Houston Methodist; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Senior Outpatient Coder to ensure accurate coding for outpatient encounters. This role involves collaborating with the coding team, responding to customer requests, and maintaining high standards of coding quality. Candidates should possess strong knowledge of coding systems, medical terminology, and effective communication skills. This position offers a dynamic work environment where your contributions will directly impact patient care and operational efficiency. Join a team that values innovation and excellence in healthcare coding.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of outpatient coding experience required.
• Knowledge of coding classification systems and compliance guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Assign diagnostic and procedural codes accurately for day surgery encounters.
• Initiate queries with physicians to clarify diagnoses and procedures.

Skills

ICD-10-CM/ICD-10-PCS coding

CPT coding

Electronic Health Record (EHR)

Medical terminology

Communication skills

Customer service focus

Education

Associate's degree in Health Informatics

Tools

Electronic encoder application

PC and common office software

Job description

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At Houston Methodist, the Senior Outpatient Coder position is responsible for ensuring diagnostic and procedure codes are assigned accurately to day surgery and observation encounters based upon documentation within the electronic medical record while maintaining compliance with established rules and regulatory guidelines.

People Essential Functions

• Interacts and communicates effectively with members of the coding team and the appropriate stakeholders.
• Participates and provides good feedback during coding section meetings and coding education inservices as well as takes initiative to assist others and shares knowledge with the appropriate stakeholders.
  
  

Service Essential Functions

• Responds promptly to internal and external customer requests. Responds promptly and appropriately to requests to code or review coded accounts for accuracy.
• Initiates queries with physicians to obtain or clarify diagnoses and/or procedures as appropriate, utilizing the established physician query process.
  
  

Quality/Safety Essential Functions

• Responsible for assigning diagnostic and procedural codes to encounters of high complexity.
• Maintains and achieves departmental standards of coding quality by assigning accurate ICD-10-CM/ICD-10-PCS and CPT codes and APC assignment utilizing an electronic encoder application in accordance with hospital policy and regulatory body guidelines.
• Maintains and achieves departmental standards of abstracting quality by reviewing the discharge disposition entered by nursing and corrects if necessary in order to achieve the highest quality of entered data. Assigns and enters physician identification number and procedure date correctly in the medical record abstracting system.
• Reviews medical record documentation and abstracts data into the encoder and Electronic Health Record (EHR) to determine principal or final diagnosis, co-morbid conditions and complications, secondary conditions and procedures. Utilizes all tools/resources for accuracy.
• Complies with the Standards of Ethical Coding as set forth by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and adheres to official guidelines.
  
  

Finance Essential Functions

• Utilizes time effectively. Consistently codes and abstracts at or above departmental standards of productivity while ensuring accuracy of coding.
• Supports meeting organizational goal for Accounts Receivables (AR) associated with uncoded accounts.
• Maintains coding timeframes within established departmental standards by ensuring all work items assigned to the coding queues are processed in a timely manner.
  
  

Growth/Innovation Essential Functions

• Critically evaluates own performance, accepts constructive criticism, and looks for ways to improve.
• Displays initiative to improve relative to job function. Contributes ideas to help improve quality of coding data and abstracting data.
  
  

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

EDUCATION

• Associate's or higher degree in a Comission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Managment accredited program or additional two years of experience (in addition to the minimum experience requirements listed below) in lieu of degree
  
  

Work Experience

• Three years of relevant outpatient coding experience or successful completion of the Houston Methodist Senior Outpatient Coder Transition Program
  
  

Licenses And Certifications - Required

• RHIT - Certified Health Information Technician (AHIMA) OR
• RHIA - Registered Health Information Administrator (AHIMA) OR
• CCS - Certified Coding Specialist (AHIMA) OR
• CCA - Certified Coding Associate (AHIMA) OR
• CCS-P - Certified Coding Specialist Physician-based (AHIMA) OR
• CPC - Certified Professional Coder (AAPC)
  
  

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations
• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security
• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles
• Knowledge of coding classification systems, DRG and APC systems, official coding guidelines and coding compliance
• Knowledge of an electronic medical record and imaging systems
• Working knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology
• Proficiency with electronic encoder application
• Extensive PC knowledge - must be able to work effectively in common office software, coding software and abstracting systems
  
  

Supplemental Requirements

WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform No
• Scrubs No
• Business professional Yes
• Other (department approved) No
  
  

ON-CALL*

• Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. DIsaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.
• On Call* No
  
  

TRAVEL**

• Travel specifications may vary by department**
• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area Yes
  
  

Houston Methodist is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Health Care Provider

• Industries

  Hospitals and Health Care

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