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Medical Records Technician (Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist - Inpatient)

US Department of Veterans Affairs

Medical Records Technicians (CDIS - Inpatient) classify medical data from patient health records in hospital and physician-based settings. The role focuses on reviewing, abstracting, and coding diagnoses and procedures, with an emphasis on clinical documentation improvement and accurate health record coding.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Reviewing inpatient and outpatient clinical documentation for completeness, accuracy, and specificity.
  • Identifying ambiguous, conflicting, incomplete, or nonspecific provider documentation and issuing clarification requests or queries.
  • Assigning appropriate ICD, CPT, HCPCS, and E/M codes in accordance with accepted coding guidelines and conventions.
  • Educating providers and clinical staff on documentation practices, coding impacts, reimbursement, workload, and quality measures.
  • Supporting clinical documentation improvement efforts through rounds, seminars, workshops, and informational briefings.
  • Tracking coding trends and maintaining statistical databases to validate program performance and reporting.
Requirements & Qualifications

Basic requirements

  • U.S. citizenship is required.
  • Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
  • One year of creditable experience in medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, medical coding, and health records; or
  • An associate's degree in health information technology/health information management or a related field with qualifying coursework; or
  • Completion of an AHIMA-approved coding program or equivalent intensive coding training program; or
  • An acceptable combination of education and experience.
  • Certification must be held from AHIMA, AAPC, ACDIS, or equivalent qualifying credentials for the role.

GS-9 qualifications

  • One year of experience equivalent to the journey level of a Medical Records Technician (Coder-Inpatient); or
  • An associate's degree or higher plus three years of clinical documentation improvement experience; or
  • Mastery-level certification plus two years of clinical documentation improvement experience; or
  • Clinical experience such as RN, MD, or DO plus one year of CDI experience.

Required knowledge and skills

  • Knowledge of coding and documentation concepts, guidelines, and clinical terminology.
  • Knowledge of anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology.
  • Ability to collect, analyze, and present data in various formats.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills with providers.
  • Knowledge of healthcare documentation regulations and coding systems, including ICD-CM, ICD-PCS, CC/MCC, MS-DRG, and POA indicators.
  • Knowledge of severity of illness, risk of mortality, and complexity of care.
  • Ability to conduct training and continuing education for staff development.

Preferred experience

  • At least 2 years of experience preferred.
Benefits & Perks

Benefits and perks

  • Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
  • Paid time off: 37-50 days annually, including annual leave, sick leave, and federal holidays.
  • Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior experience or military service.
  • Paid parental leave after 12 months of employment.
  • Child care subsidy for eligible full-time employees.
  • Federal retirement plan with pension and 401(k) with VA matching contributions.
  • Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance.
  • Remote work eligible.
  • Predictable schedule and mission-driven federal workplace benefits.

Location

N/A

Employment Type

Full-time

Experience Level

Intermediate Level

Salary Range

$61,722 - $80,243

Remote work allowed

Yes

Posted

4 weeks ago

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