Assistant Chief (HIMs)-Medical Records Administrator-Temporary Promotion

Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. Open to Current Veterans Health Administration employees. This does not include term or temporary employees.

The duties of the Medical Records Administrator (Assistant Chief) in the Business Office include but are not limited to:

• Serves as the Assistant Chief of Health Information Management (ACHIM) in a medical facility of high complexity (level 1), with responsibility for the supervision of all HIM functions. Incumbent is charged with full responsibility, both technical and administrative, for the daily operation of the HIM department which consists of all functions of health record activities related to coding, health record documentation analysis, transcription/speech recognition, release of information, file room/scanning programs, and health information exchange. Is a full assistant to the Chief of Health Information Management (CHIM).
• Provides expertise, guidance and direction and has responsibilities relative to providing supervision, administrative support, coordination, and technical assistance in the planning, development and maintenance of an effective, comprehensive, and integrated HIM Program at this Medical Center. This position assists the CHIM in the planning, directing, policy making, organizing and controlling the activities of this department and serves as acting CHIM in the absence of the CHIM.
• Shares responsibility with the CHIM for collecting and processing data for various reports, surveys, and research projects; for preparing reports and recommendations for review and consideration by the Chief of Health Information Management and upper management concerning the immediate needs as well as the long range goals of the department; for recommending equipment and staffing needs;and for preparing and keeping current procedures and operation manuals.
• Responsible for assisting physicians and other health professionals in obtaining health record information to be used in research projects. Advises on what material is available, how it may be obtained and the uses that can be made of the information while protecting the confidentiality of the record.
• The incumbent aids in a variety of projects and is responsible for screening, abstracting and tallying data from records and computer-generated reports. May serve as a consultant to provide guidance and advise researchers on methods for gathering data. Assists in selected miscellaneous retrospective health record review/data abstraction projects to support medical center Quality Management data collection activities.
• Provides effective audits and monitors for all areas of responsibility, assuring that accurate and timely data is processed by all employees. Reviews work accomplished and assesses quality, quantity, accuracy and timeliness of work produced by each employee. Ascertains problems encountered and takes corrective action.
• Develops performance standards and conducts performance evaluations. Develops and conducts competency assessments. Responsible for carrying out established personnel functions and practices. Keeps employees informed about important aspects of personnel management programs.
• Formulates and initiates performance standards. Interviews prospective employees, recommends selection, and carries out training and development of assignments, awards or disciplinary action. Approves leave and establishes work schedules. Implements provisions of EEO programs to ensure fair and equal treatment for all employees. Coordinates monthly staff meetings and prepares timely/accurate minutes. Receives formal grievances, resolving those that can be resolved at his/her level.
• Provides technical guidance to the unit supervisors and leads while providing support to each unit in the absence of the section supervisor. Provides expertise in the area of subpoenas, court orders, advance directives, and general release of information, as well as other medico-legal issues.
• Assists the CHIM with the development, evaluation, and updating of office procedures, manuals, policies and directives. May be required to develop training materials and continuing education programs. Training programs developed and conducted by employee may include medical terminology, health record documentation requirements, Release of Information, Privacy Act and HIPAA instructions.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, day shift
Compressed/Flexible: No
Telework: adhoc.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 91394-0
Relocation Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Required
Temporary Promotion Opportunity: This temporary promotion may be made permanent without further competition.

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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification 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 may 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. All other requirements must be met within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement,08/12/2026 .

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.
• Education or Experience:
  • Experience: Three years of creditable experience in the field of medical records that included the preparation, maintenance, and management of health records and health information systems demonstrating a knowledge of medical terminology, medical records [procedures, medical coding, or medical, administrative, and legal requirements of health care delivery systems.
  • OR, Education: Successful completion of a bachelor's degree or higher 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 management or health information technology.
  • OR, Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of creditable experience and education that equals 100 percent may be used to meet basic requirements. For example, two years above high school from an accredited college or university, with 12 semester hours in health information technology/health information management, plus one year and six months of creditable experience that included the preparation, maintenance, and management of health records and health information systems meets an equivalent combination.
• Basic Certification. Persons hired or reassigned to MRA positions in the GS-0669 series in VHA must meet one of the following:
  • Coding Certification through AHIMA or AAPC, or
  • HIM Certification through AHIMA, or
  • Health Data Analyst Certification through AHIMA

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 Determination (GS12): Medical Records Administrator (Assistant Chief (ACHIM)

• Health Information Management (HIM) Certification. Higher-level health information management certification is limited to certification obtained through AHIMA. To be acceptable for qualifications, the specific certification must represent a comprehensive competency in the occupation. Certification titles may change and certifications that meet the definition of HIM certification may be added/removed by the above certifying body; however, current HIM certifications include Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) and Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA)
• Experience or additional Education
  • One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that demonstrates all the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) described at that level, or
  • Additional Education equivalent to three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree, from an accredited university or college in the field of health information.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities, must be demonstrated in your resume:
  • Skill in managing various projects and processes, which includes the ability to develop new or improved solutions to complex technical problems in health information management.
  • Ability to advise management and staff on a wide range of]health information management practices based on current industry standards, policies, statutes, laws, and regulations.
  • Ability to plan, justify, develop, evaluate, assess, monitor, and/or advise on current health information management processes, and recommend changes in policies or procedures.
  • Ability to determine and evaluate compliance with legal, ethical, and regulatory guidelines, and accrediting bodies as they apply to health information management.
  • Ability to successfully apply principles and techniques of sound resource management (i.e., staffing, space, contracts, equipment).
  • Ability to provide the full range of supervisory duties to include assignment of work, completing performance evaluations, selection of staff, and recommendation of awards, advancements, and disciplinary actions.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Preferred Experience: Experience as an Assistant Chief in establishing policies, responsibilities, and requirements for health information management (HIM) related matters, such as health record documentation, coding and clinical documentation [integrity], records management, release of information, file room/scanning, transcription and medical speech recognition, as well as the overall management of health information and Veterans health records.

Physical Requirements: Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

NOTE: You must include qualifying specialized experience employment periods in mm/yyyy to mm/yyyy format on your resume and indicate Full-Time or Part-Time (if Part-time, must include # of hours worked per week). AND, if you have held a Government position, that position's grade level MUST be listed on your resume; Failure to include all requirements in your resume may result in disqualification. Please refer to USAJOBS Help Center - What should I include in my federal resume? for additional information on resume requirements.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Basic Certification: Coding Certification through AHIMA or AAPC, or HIM Certification through AHIMA, or Health Data Analyst Certification through AHIMA.
• Health Information Management (HIM) Certification
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Basic Certification: Coding Certification through AHIMA or AAPC, or HIM Certification through AHIMA, or Health Data Analyst Certification through AHIMA.
• Health Information Management (HIM) Certification
• Other (3)
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

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