Medical Records Technician (Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist (CDIS - Inpatient))

Temporarily eligible for Remote work within 50 miles of a VA Medical Center. May fall under the Presidential Memorandum tiled "Return to In-Person Work" which will require you to go into the office if the exemption is not approved at the next review. Medical Records Technician (Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist (CDIS - Inpatient)), GS-9 Assignment. For all assignments above the journey level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Inpatient CDISs must be able to perform all duties of a MRT (Coder-Inpatient). CDISs serve as the liaison between health information management and clinical staff. They are 22 responsible for facilitating improved overall quality, education, completeness, and accuracy of health record documentation through extensive interaction with clinical, coding, and other associated staff to ensure clinical documentation supports services rendered to patients, appropriate workload is captured, and resources are properly allocated. They review documentation and facilitate modifications to the health record to ensure accurate severity of illness, risk of mortality, complexity of care, and utilization of resources. They identify opportunities for documentation improvement by ensuring that diagnoses and procedures are documented to the highest level of specificity. They recommend changes and/or update medical center policy pertaining to clinical documentation improvement. They serve as a technical expert in health record content and documentation requirements. They query clinical staff to clarify ambiguous, conflicting, or incomplete documentation. They review appropriateness of and responses to queries through review of query reports. They perform reviews of the health record documentation, developing criteria, collecting data, graphing and analyzing results, creating reports, and communicating orally and/or in writing to appropriate groups and leadership. They obtain appropriate corrective action plans from responsible clinical service directors and recommend improvements or changes in documentation practices, when applicable. They adhere to established documentation requirements as outlined by accrediting agencies guidelines, regulations, policies, and medical-legal requirements. They monitor trends in the industry and/or changes in regulations that could or should impact coding and documentation practices and identify who may require education. They are responsible for the development and implementation of active training/education programs (i.e., seminars, workshops, short courses, informational briefings, and conferences) for all clinical staff to ensure the CDIS program objectives are met. They provide training in small or large groups, educating clinical staff about current documentation standards and improvement techniques, including accurate and ethical documentation practices. They apply applicable coding conventions and guidelines to identify the principal and secondary diagnoses, and complete significant procedures to accurately reflect the patient's hospital course and DRG assignment in the inpatient setting. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm EST Remote: The option for remote work will be assessed continuously, and the selected individual may need to return to a VA office if required. The selectees must live within 50 miles of a VA Medical Center (NOTE: This does not include CBOCs). Telework: Not applicable, this is a remote position. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 14047-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized