Med Rec Tech

**Duties**:
**This job opportunity announcement (JOA) will be used to fill two (2) full-time and permanent Medical Records Technician (Inpatient Coder) vacancy(s) at the Memphis, TN Veteran Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), with Business Office Service.**

The technician is assigned to the Health Information Management Section (HIMS), coding/analysis unit, VAMC Memphis, TN.

**DEFINITIONS**.
a. **Journey Level**. The full performance level for the MRT (Coder) assignment is GS-8.

d. **Part-Time Experience**. Part-time experience as a professional MRT is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time work week. For example, an MRT would receive one week of full-time credit for each two weeks of half-time work.

e. **Apprentice/Associate Level Certification**. This is considered an entry level coding certification and is limited to certification obtained through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), or the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).

f. **Mastery Level Certification**. This is considered a higher-level health information management or coding certification and is limited to certification obtained through AHIMA or AAPC.

g. **Clinical Documentation Improvement Certification**. This is limited to certification obtained through AHIMA or the Association of Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialists (ACDIS).

**Work Schedule**: Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. or 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
**Position Title/Functional Statement #**: 000000
**Financial Disclosure Report**: Not required.

**Requirements**:
**Conditions of Employment**:

- You may be required to serve a probationary period
- Subject to a background/security investigation
- Must be proficient in written and spoken English
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

**Qualifications**:

- Applicants pending the completion of certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.
- **Basic Requirements**:

- **United States Citizenship**: Must be a U. S. citizen.
- **Physical Requirements**. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.
- **English Language Proficiency**. MRTs (Coder) must be proficient in spoken and written English.
- **Certification**. MRT (Coder) GS-0675 must have either (1), (2), or (3) below:
(1) Apprentice/Associate Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC.
- Certified Coding Associate (CCA)
- Certified Professional Coder-Apprentice (CPC-A)
- Certified Outpatient Coding-Apprentice (COC-A)

(2) Mastery Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC.
- Certified Coding Specialist - Physician-based (CCS-P)
- Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT)
- Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA)
- Certified Professional Coder (CPC)
- Certified Outpatient Coder COC)
- Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC)
- Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)

(3) Clinical Documentation Improvement
- Certification through AHIMA or ACDIS.
- Clinical Documentation Improvement Practitioner (CDIP)
- Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist

**Experience and Education**.
- (1) **Experience**. One year of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, medical coding, and the structure and format of a health records. OR,
- (2)** 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, medical coding, and introduction to health records); OR
- (3)** Completion of an AHIMA approved coding program **or other intense coding training program of approximately one year or more that included courses in anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, basic ICD diagnostic/procedural, and basic CPT coding. The training program must have led to eligibility for coding certification/certification examination, and the sponsoring academic institution must have been accredited by a national U.S. Department of Education accreditor, or comparable international accrediting authority at the time the program was completed; OR
- (4)** Experience/Education Combination**. Equivalent combinations of creditable experience and education are qualifying for meeting the basic requirements. The following educational/training substitutions are appropriate for combining education and credible experience.
- (a) Six months of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology, general understanding of medical coding and the health record, and o