Clarification from the agency

Open to current/permanent full-time Veterans Health Administration employees only. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

The Supervisory MRT Coder is responsible for supervising outpatient and inpatient-related coding, coding auditor, and Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) staff in the Salem VA HCS Coding Unit. The Supervisory MRT Coder must be able to perform all duties of an MRT Coder. The Supervisory MRT Coder serves as an expert coding & CDI resource to ensure accuracy and integrity of all inpatient-related coding. Basic and Supervisory Functions:

• Performs a full range of supervisory responsibilities to include evaluating the performance of subordinate staff, approving leave requests, identifying educational or training needs, resolving employee complaints and taking disciplinary actions, when necessary. Informs higher level management of anticipated vacancies or increases in workload.
• Recommends employees for promotions, reassignments, recognition of superior performance, retention or release of probationary employees or other changes of assigned personnel.
• Makes decisions on the selection of employees for vacant or new positions.
• Prepares workload and production reports.
• Reviews code assignments and assists coder in improving their accuracy.
• Ensures that regulatory guidelines and current coding conventions are followed.
• Interacts with healthcare providers to discuss ideas to improve patient care and capture an accurate Case Mix Index.
• Uses a variety of computer applications in day-to-day activities and duties, such as Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Access; competent in use of the health record applications (VistA, CPRS and VistA Imaging) as well as the encoder product suite.
• Works alongside the service's ADPAC/PAS to ensure that current versions of all software applications are loaded and functional to the Inpatient Coding Unit staff after any updates or changes.
• Interacts with healthcare providers to discuss ideas to improve health record documentation to improve patient care and capture an accurate Case Mix Index.
• Uses a variety of computer applications in day-to-day activities and duties, such as Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Access; competent in use of the health record applications (VistA, CPRS and VistA Imaging) as well as the encoder product suite. Works alongside the service's ASPAC/PAS to ensure that current versions of all software applications are loaded and functional to the Inpatient Coding Unit staff after any updates or changes.
• Works within a team environment; supports staff in meeting goals and deadlines; is flexible and handles multiple tasks; works under pressure; and copes with frequently changing projects and deadlines.

Work Schedule: 7:45am to 4:30pm, Monday thru Friday
Remote: 100%
This position is eligible for remote work and is currently operating under an extension of the Return-to-Office (RTO) mandate. Please note that remote work eligibility is reviewed on an ongoing basis and does not imply a permanent remote work status until an approved exemption is approved. Employees in this role may be required to comply with future RTO requirements as determined by agency policy.
Functional Statement #: Not Required

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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.
• 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

Basic Requirements:

Citizenship. 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, this part.)

Experience and Education:

Experience: One year of creditable experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, medical coding, and the structure and format of a health records.

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, medical coding, and introduction to health records);

OR,

Completion of an AHIMA approved coding program, or other intense coding training program of approximately one year or more that included courses in anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, basic ICD diagnostic/procedural, and basic CPT coding. The training program must have led to eligibility for coding certification/certification examination, and the sponsoring academic institution must have been accredited by a national U.S. Department of Education accreditor, or comparable international accrediting authority at the time the program was completed;

OR,

Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of creditable experience and education are qualifying for meeting the basic 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, general understanding of medical coding and the health record, and one year above high school, with a minimum of 6 semester hours of health information technology courses.

(b) 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, 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. Also, requires six additional months of creditable experience that is paid or non-paid employment equivalent to a MRT (Coder).

(c) Certification: Persons hired or reassigned to MRT (Coder) positions in the GS-0675 series in VHA must have either (1), (2), or (3) below:(1) Apprentice/Associate Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC.(2) Mastery Level Certification through AHIMA or AAPC.(3) Clinical Documentation Improvement Certification through AHIMA or ACDIS.

NOTE: Mastery level certification is required for all positions above the journey level; however, for clinical documentation improvement specialist assignments, a clinical documentation improvement certification may be substituted for a mastery level certification.

Grade Determinations GS-10: Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-09).

Certification. Employees at this level must have a mastery level certification.

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

1. Ability to perform a full range of supervisory duties, to include recommending awards, approving leave, evaluating work, resolving staff issues, and assigning, planning, and coordinating work to ensure duties are completed in an accurate and timely fashion.

2. Advanced knowledge of current coding classification systems such as ICD, CPT, and HCPCS for the subspecialty being assigned (outpatient, inpatient, outpatient and inpatient combined).

3. Ability to provide or coordinate staff development and training.

4. Leadership and managerial skills, including skill in interpersonal relations and conflict resolution to deal with employees, team leaders, and managers.

5. Ability to collect and analyze data, identify trends, and present results in various formats.

Preferred Experience: Knowledge of and experience in both Inpatient and Outpatient Coding.

References: VA Handbook 5005/122PART II APPENDIX G57 dated December 12, 2019.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-10.

Physical Requirements: Light lifting, under 15 pounds; Light carrying, under 15 pounds; Reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (up 0.50 hours); Standing (up 0.50 hours); Sitting for up to 7 hours per day.

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.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

• Computer Skills
• Health Information Exchange
• Lead or Supervise
• Medical Information
• Technical Competence

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
• 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
• Misc
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

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

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