Medical Records Technician (Release of Information)

Qualifications 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 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 MRTs (ROI) must be proficient in spoken and written English, as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f) Experience and Education Experience One year of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology and general understanding of health records Six months of the required one year of creditable experience must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to perform MRT (ROI) work 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, legal aspects of health care, and introduction to health records) OR, Experience/Education Combination Equivalent combinations of creditable experience and education are qualifying towards meeting basic experience requirements The following experience and educational/training substitutions are appropriate for combining education and creditable experience: 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 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: The following criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates: Medical Records Technician (ROI), GS-4 Experience or Education None beyond basic requirements Medical Records Technician (ROI), GS-5 Experience One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level Examples of creditable experience includes, but is not limited to: receive and validate authorization forms and requests for information, and prioritize requests per policies and regulations use various computer applications to track and release all authorized ROI requests process and release health information to authorized first- and third-party requestors initiate and maintain the accounting of disclosure for all records disclosed from a Privacy Act system of records ensure compliance with policies, procedures, laws, and regulations governing privacy and release of information OR, Education Successful completion of a bachelor'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 management, or a related degree with a minimum of 24 semester hours in health information technology/health information management (e.g., courses in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, legal aspects of health care, and introduction to health records) AND, Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to utilize health information technology and various office software products utilized in MRT (ROI) positions (e.g., the electronic health record, release of information systems, etc.) Knowledge of health record documentation guidelines and processes for disclosing protected health information Ability to manage priorities and coordinate work in order to complete duties within required timeframes, and the ability to follow-up on pending issues Knowledge of policies, procedures, laws, and regulations governing privacy and release of information Ability to communicate with individuals from various backgrounds to obtain the desired effect or gaining information by establishing rapport Medical Records Technician (ROI), GS-6 Experience One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level Examples of creditable experience include, but are not limited to: receive and validate authorization forms and requests for information and prioritize requests according to policies and regulations utilize various computer applications to track and release all authorized release of information requests process and release health information to authorized first- and third-party requestors initiate and maintain accounting of disclosure for all records disclosed from a Privacy Act system of records communicate with internal and external stakeholders to provide technical expertise regarding the release of information process ensure compliance with policies, procedures, laws, and regulations governing privacy and release of information AND, Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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) Ability to 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 Ability to apply policies, procedures, laws, and regulations governing privacy and release of information to process requests for release of information Ability to research and solve difficult questions related to release of health information in an accurate and timely manner Preferred Experience: Preferred experience navigating electronic and paper health records Knowledge of VA Privacy and HIPAA laws/regulations and experience processing release of information requests for both first and third party requestors Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-4 to GS-6. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary There is walking, bending and reaching required such as for filing or locating material, and carrying items such as reports, documents, and supplies Entering data and word processing on a personal computer may result in physical problems from the effects of repetitive motion and eyestrain. ]]]]>