Medical Records Technician (HIT)

Summary

This position is located in the Health Information Management (HIM) section, in the Business Office, at the Robley Rex VA Medical Center. Medical Record Technicians (Health Information Technician) review, analyze, abstract, maintain, extract, and compile information from the health record. MRTs HIT also check for completeness and accuracy of the health record, and monitor and report for regulatory compliance.

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Duties

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This job opportunity announcement (JOA) will be used to fill two (2) full-time, permanent Medical Records Technician (Health Information Technician) (MRT-HIT) vacancies at the Robley Rex VA Medical Center (VAMC), within Business Office Service.

This position is located in the Health Information Management (HIM) section, in the Business Office, at the Robley Rex VA Medical Center. They review, analyze, abstract, maintain, extract, and compile information from the health record. MRTs HIT also check for completeness and accuracy of the health record, and monitor and report for regulatory compliance.

This is considered the journey level for MRTs HIT. MRTs HIT at this level review, analyze, abstract, maintain, extract, and compile information from the health record independently with minimal supervision. They analyze health records for accuracy, completeness, timeliness, consistency, and compliance (e.g., scanned, uploaded, use of correct titles, linked to correct encounters, etc.) with HIM industry standards, policies, procedures, laws, regulations, and accreditation requirements. They also coordinate and/or perform health record review activities to satisfy external accreditation requirements and medical center performance measures. They communicate regularly with staff at various levels of the organization regarding delinquent health records and notify individual clinical providers regarding incomplete medical records. MRTs HIT prepare complex reports, calculate department statistics, note the status of all incomplete/delinquent records, and submit reports to the appropriate administrative and clinical staff and committees/leadership to ensure deficiencies are resolved and completed appropriately. They serve as the expert resource for clinical staff and assist clinical providers with completion or correction of their health record documentation. They conduct the review of incomplete records for individuals clearing the facility. MRTs HIT coordinate the use of medical speech recognition/transcription and monitor, verify, troubleshoot, correct, and/or upload all transcription/medical speech recognition to maintain completeness and accuracy of health records. They serve as the technical expert in health record content and documentation requirements.

Work Schedule : Monday-Friday, 08:00am-04:30pm

Telework : Not available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 40891F/40820F/40821F/40822F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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.

DEFINITIONS .

• a. Journey Level . The full performance level for the MRT HIT assignment is GS-07.
• b. Creditable Experience . Experience is only creditable if it is paid or non-paid employment directly related to the position to be filled, or in a related field, such as medical support assistants, clinic/ward clerks, health record file room/scanning technicians, medical coding, or other positions that include knowledge of the content and uses of health records. To be creditable, the candidate's experience must have demonstrated the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with current MRT HIT practice.
• c. Quality of Experience . To be creditable, experience must be documented on the application or resume and verified in an employment reference, or through other independent means.
• d. Part-Time Experience . Part-time experience as a MRT HIT is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, a MRT HIT would receive one week of full-time credit for each two weeks of half-time work.

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 HIT 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, anatomy, physiology, and a 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 HIT 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, 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 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.
    • (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 U.S. Armed Forces or the U.S. Maritime Service, under close medical and professional supervision, may be substituted on a month-for-month basis for up to six months of experience, provided the training program included courses in anatomy, 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).

In addition to the basic requirements, the below qualification requirements must be met at the grade(s) in which you are applying.

Grade Determinations : The following criteria must be met in determining the grade assignment of candidates:

Medical Records Technician (HIT), GS-04 (Entry Level)

Experience or Education: None beyond the basic requirements.

Medical Records Technician (HIT), GS-05 (Developmental Level I)

Experience : One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade.

OR,

Education : 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 & 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:

(a) Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external customers.

(b) Ability to utilize health information technology and various office software products used in health information management positions (e.g., Microsoft Excel, electronic health records, and delinquency tracking software).

(c) Knowledge of health record documentation guidelines and industry standards.

(d) Ability to manage priorities and coordinate work to complete duties within required timeframes.

(e) Ability to apply knowledge of medical terminology and human anatomy to fully understand the content of a health record.

Medical Records Technician (HIT), GS-06

Experience . One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

AND,

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities . In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

(a) Ability to navigate efficiently through the health record to locate needed information.

(b) Ability to analyze health record documentation to ensure compliance with guidelines and industry standards.

(c) Skill in investigating potential health record errors and making corrections, when appropriate.

(d) Skill in interpreting and applying health information guidelines and using judgment to complete assignments.

(e) Ability to follow up on incomplete health record documentation.

Medical Records Technician (HIT), GS-07 (Full Performance Level)

Experience . One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

AND,

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities . In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

(a) Ability to judge whether health records contain sufficient information for regulatory requirements, are acceptable as legal documents, are adequate for continuity of patient care, and support education and research needs.

(b) Ability to take appropriate actions if health record content is not adequate, accurate, timely, and/or reliable.

(c) Ability to communicate both orally and in writing with individuals or groups, to facilitate compliance with established policies and regulations.

(d) Skill in using appropriate software and computer applications to analyze and record documentation trends.

(e) Ability to apply qualitative and/or quantitative methods for assessment and improvement of health records.

(f) Ability to work independently and utilize problem-solving techniques in the accomplishment of work.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-07. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-04 to GS-07.

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.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education .

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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