Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Duties include but not limited to:
The duties in this position are primarily advisory and technical in nature. Incumbent is responsible for evaluating the adequacy of each completed authorization form. Screens each request for information to determine urgency and assures that most urgent requests are completed fist using established priority systems. Personally greets veterans/visitors and assists them in determining the exact nature of the request and whether the information requested can be released.

Applies public laws, rules, regulations and exclusions governing confidentiality of the medical record, including the Privacy Act, Freedom of Information Act and 38 U.S.C. 7332 governing the release of records containing information regarding the treatment of or referral for drug and/or alcohol abuse, Sickle Cell Anemia and infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

The incumbent processes all incoming requests to the facility for Release of Information (ROI) along with information required by the VA Regional Office through the Automated Medical Information Exchange (AMIE), referring only problem cases to the Supervisor.

Receives and directs callers and visitors. Receives and/or gives out forms and assists visitors and/or callers with the completion of forms or documents. Responds to questions from patients concerning services. Provides advisory and technical assistance to patients, administrative staff and professional staff regarding release of information. Inquiries vary widely and information given requires explanation of office functions, describing specific requirements, providing basic instructions, or a similar degree of detail.

Completes and processes routine releases of information to other VA and Federal Agencies and when requested, to patients and their families, insurance representatives, physicians, hospitals, and city and state health agencies according to VA directives. Processing must be accomplished within established time standards. Accurately enters all requests into the ROI software with necessary information for each request for health information. Completes necessary transactions for deposit of money collected from subpoenas, legal fees, and processing fees for release of information to individuals and insurance companies.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional


Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8am - 4:30pm.
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 13601F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Physical Demands: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items no more than 10 pounds.
Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment health assessment.
• 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 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

Basic Requirements:

1. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, of this part.)
2. 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.

3. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.
4. English Language Proficiency. MRTs (ROI) must be proficient in spoken and written English, as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

GRADE REQUIREMENT:
All individuals assigned to this occupation must have an approved parenthetical title, as described below:

• (MRT) Medical Record Technician (ROI)

GRADE DETERMINATION:
Medical Records Technician (ROI), GS-4
(1) Experience or Education. None beyond basic requirements.
(2) Assignment. Employees at this level serve in entry level MRT (ROI) position and receive close supervision and support from more experienced ROI staff members. MRTs (ROI) receive and validate authorization forms and requests for information and prioritize requests per policies and regulations. They use various computer applications to track and release all authorized ROI requests. They process and release health information to authorized first- and third-party requestors. MRTs (ROI) initiate and maintain the accounting of disclosure for all records disclosed from a Privacy Act system of records. They ensure compliance with policies, procedures, laws, and regulations governing privacy and release of information.

Medical Records Technician (ROI), GS-5
(1) Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level; OR,
(2) 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).
(3) Assignment. Employees at this grade level serve in developmental positions as MRTs (ROI) and receive guidance from more experienced staff members for complex release of information procedures. They receive and validate authorization forms and requests for information and prioritize requests according to policies and regulations. They utilize various computer applications to track and release all authorized release of information requests. They also process and release health information to authorized first- and third-party requestors. They initiate and maintain accounting of disclosure for all records disclosed from a Privacy Act system of records. They communicate with internal and external stakeholders to provide technical expertise regarding the release of information process. They ensure compliance with policies, procedures, laws, and regulations governing privacy and release of information
(4) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) 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.).
(b) Knowledge of health record documentation guidelines and processes for disclosing protected health information.
(c) Ability to manage priorities and coordinate work in order to complete duties within required timeframes, and the ability to follow-up on pending issues.
(d) Knowledge of policies, procedures, laws, and regulations governing privacy and release of information.
(e) 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

1. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
   1. 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).
   2. 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.
   3. Ability to apply policies, procedures, laws, and regulations governing privacy and release of information to process requests for release of information.
   4. Ability to research and solve difficult questions related to release of health information in an accurate and timely manner.

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.

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:

• Resume

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
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) / Resume
• PCS Orders
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Next steps