Medical Records Technician (Release of Information-Legal)

This position is located in the Health Information Management (HIM) section at the Washington DC VA Medical Center. The MRT (ROI-Legal) reviews and processes requests for patient protected health information (PHI). The Med Rec Tech (ROI-Legal) must ensure that only the information that the Veteran specified be released, is shared only with those whom the Veteran has authorized, or who have legal authority to receive such information.. 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 Policy. English Language Proficiency. Proficient in spoken and written English. Experience and Education: Experience: 1 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 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 Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of creditable experience and education are qualifying toward meeting basic experience requirements. The following experience and educational/training substitutions are appropriate for combining education and creditable experience: (a) 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. (b) 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. 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). Grade Determinations: Medical Records Technician (ROI-Legal), GS-7 Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-7). Examples of duties at the GS-6 include, but are not limited to: Apply, interpret, and analyze laws and regulations related to the disclosure of health information; Educating requestors on requirements for submitting requests for health information; Receive and validate authorization forms and requests for information and prioritize requests according to policies and regulations; Use various computer applications to track and release all authorized release of information requests. MRTs (ROI) process and release health information to authorized first- and third-party requestors; Knowledge of the laws and regulations related to the authorization and disclosure of health information (e.g., Privacy Act, Freedom of Information Act, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and 38 U.S.C. § 7332, Confidentiality of Certain Medical Records); Apply health record documentation guidelines and processes to navigate efficiently through the paper and/or electronic health record to locate, assemble, and disclose protected health information; Apply policies, procedures, laws, and regulations governing privacy and release of information to process requests for release of information; Research and solve difficult questions related to release of health information in an accurate and timely manner. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Knowledge of the laws and regulations related to the authorization and disclosure of health information. Ability to apply laws and regulations related to the disclosure of health information (e.g., Privacy Act, Freedom of Information Act, HIPAA, and 38 U.S.C. § 7332, Confidentiality of Certain Medical Records). Ability to investigate the contents of paper and electronic health records and systems that co #J-18808-Ljbffr Veterans Health Administration