Medical Records Technician (Cancer Registry)

Summary

This position is located in the Health Information Management (HIM) Section of Health Administration Service (HAS) at the Hampton VA Health Medical Center. The work of the position supports the care and treatment given to patients with malignant conditions. This is a developmental level leading to a full performance level for Medical Records Technician (MRT) (Cancer Registrar) assignments.

Duties

• Contacts physicians and other ancillary service personnel regarding dictation and/or signatures. Assists clinical staff by providing information as to required documentation. Communicates very closely with the clinical staff to answer questions and resolve problems to ensure quality documentation in the health records. Assists with capture and reporting of health record documentation deficiencies and notates documentation deficiencies in the appropriate deficiency monitoring application. Tracks unsigned/uncosigned notes (e.g., progress notes, operative reports, discharge summaries, etc.) and encounters without associated progress notes, and communicates these deficiencies to clinical staff for completion. Assists with capture and reporting of health record documentation deficiencies and notates documentation deficiencies in the appropriate deficiency monitoring application. Monitors delinquent dictation list for follow-up purposes on necessary documents (i.e., operation reports, discharge summaries, etc.) that are needed for completion of health records. Notifies appropriate physician and other personnel of the status of dictation. Prepares complex reports on a routine basis, noting the status of all incomplete/delinquent health records and submits the reports to the appropriate administrative and clinical staff. Consults with the appropriate clinician(s) for clarification when conflicting or ambiguous information appears in the health record documentation. Work Schedule: 7:30am-4:00pm; 8:00am,-4:30pm (Monday-Friday) Telework: Yes - This position is telework eligible and exempted from return to office requirements. This position will be reviewed annually and do not imply permanent telework status. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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. 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. Experience and Education (1) Experience. One year of experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology and general understanding of the health record. Six months of the required one year of experience must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to perform MRT work. OR (2) Education. Two years above high school with a minimum of 12 semester hours directly related to MRT work (e.g., courses in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and introduction to health records). OR (3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. The following educational/training substitutions are appropriate for combining education and experience: (a) Six months of experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology and general understanding of the health record and one year above high school with a minimum of six 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. Training 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 medical record techniques and procedures. The position requires six additional months of experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology and general understanding of the health record. 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 Determinations: MRT (Cancer Registrar), [GS-4] (1) Experience or Education. None beyond basic requirements. MRT (Cancer Registrar), [GS-5] (1) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level or successful completion of four years of education above high school from an accredited college or university with a minimum of 24 semester hours in health information technology. (2) 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 (Cancer Registrar) positions (e.g., the electronic health record, coding and abstracting software, release of information systems, etc.). (b) Knowledge of the Joint Commission requirements, [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services], Commission on Cancer [ ], and American College of Surgeons (ACoS) guidance and/or health record documentation guidelines. (c) Ability to manage priorities and coordinate work [ ] to complete duties within required timeframes and ability to follow-up on pending issues. MRT (Cancer Registrar), [GS-6] (1) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower level. (2) Demonstrated [Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities]. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate [all of] the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of medical terminology to understand the content of the medical record. (b) Knowledge of anatomy and physiology to understand the location of the cancer. (c) Ability to operate computerized programs to review documentation within the electronic medical record. (d) Ability to notify appropriate parties and organize all required documentation to ensure complete case presentation at tumor boards. MRT (Cancer Registrar), [GS-7] (1) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. (2) Demonstrated [Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities]. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate [all of] the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of pathophysiology [ ] to understand the spread of the cancer disease process. (b) Ability to analyze the electronic health record and enter appropriate data into the OncoTrax cancer registry software abstract. (c) Knowledge of ACoS standards regarding tumor boards, including clinical staging, prognostic indicators, clinical guidelines, and clinical trials availability. MRT (Cancer Registrar), [GS-8] (1) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. (2) Demonstrated [Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities]. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate [all of] the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of professional registry operations. (b) Knowledge of medical terminology, staging of cancer, and requirements of internal and external approving organizations. (c) Knowledge of the cancer committee processes and procedures to improve patient care and verify compliance with ACoS and/or facility standards. (d) Ability to serve as a subject matter expert on cancer programs for the medical center[.] (e) Skill in utilizing electronic health records and cancer registry software Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.

Requirements

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 identification 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.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online questionnaire and submission of the required documentation specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13045331. The application process is as follows: To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 09/08/2026. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. NOTE: Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.