Medical Records Administrator Specialist

Summary

This position is located in the Health Information Management (HIM) section at the Iowa City VA Medical Center. Medical Records Administration Specialists (MRAS) in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) performs work concerned with the management of a health record program or the provision of services related to medical record administration/health information services.

Duties

• Duties include but are not limited to the following: Assists the Chief, Health Information Management (CHIM) and the HIM Department in identifying and setting short and long-range goals, program objectives, and tasks to met the mission and vision of the VAMC. Provides subject matter expertise to Service Line Leaders, and medical center staff. Interprets and applies The Joint Commission (TJC) standards, VHA regulations and medico-legal requirements; current federal codes pertinent to health records; VHA policy memoranda, directives, handbooks, and program guides pertinent to health information management; medical coding (ICD, CPT, HCPCS) and reimbursement methodologies; medical and procedural terminology; anatomy and physiology; regulations governing confidentiality of health records; release of information laws and statutes; and all policies/procedures pertaining to VHA health records. Provides training for HIM, clinical and administrative staff on HIM topics. Designs and Performs quality improvement projects regarding HIM issues. Assists the CHIM in preparing and conducting various presentations. Keeps current on emerging issues and trends in the HIM field, including process improvement initiatives, the electronic health record (EHR), coding and computer-assisted coding, the revenue cycle, release of information and privacy issues, records management, medical speech recognition, transcription and data entry, and health information exchange. Performs audits and analyses, preparing and presenting findings and recommendations to the CHIM, Service Line Leaders and medical staff. Utilizes advanced knowledge of VHA data sources, such as VHA Support Service Center (VSSC) and the Corporate Data Warehouse (CDW), to complete analyses of VA Medical Center Data. May review and test HIM related software patches; test and troubleshooting EHR menu options and functional issues when HIM users report application errors. Serves as a point of contact for health record corrections to ensure documentation accurately reflects care delivered and reported. Provides education when dealing directly with physicians, nurses and other clinical providers requesting completion or adjustment of pertinent parts of the health records, which are found to be inconsistent or incomplete upon analysis. Other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:00am to 3:30pm Telework: AD HOC Emergency Telework MAY BE Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications

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. 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. Mastery certification obtained through the American Health 2 Information Management Association (AHIMA) or the American Association of Professional Coders (AAPC). OR HIM Certification through AHIMA. 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). OR Health Data Analyst Certification through AHIMA. Health Data Analyst Certification. This is limited to certification obtained through AHIMA. To be acceptable for qualifications, the specific certification must certify mastery in health data analysis. Certification titles may change and certifications that meet the definition of health data analyst certification may be added/removed by the above certifying body; however, current health data analyst certification includes Certified Health Data Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. English Language Proficiency. MRAs must be proficient in spoken and written English. See 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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: Medical Records Administration Specialist, GS-5. None beyond basic requirements. Medical Records Administration Specialist,] GS-7 Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, [one] year of [creditable] experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. [GS-5] OR Education. (Advanced Entry-Level Placement). Applicants who meet the GS-5 grade level may be appointed at the GS-7 grade level, if they possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in a major field of study in health information management, with an exemplary academic record as demonstrated by: A 3.0 or higher-grade point average (GPA) out of a possible 4.0 GPA ("B" or better), as recorded on their official transcript or as computed based on four years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final two years of the curriculum; OR A 3.5 GPA or higher out of a possible 4.0 GPA ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field of study, or the required courses completed in the major field of study during the final two years of the curriculum. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. [Knowledge of current] classification systems [, such as International Classification of Diseases, Current Procedural Terminology,] and [the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS). Ability to effectively communicate (written and verbal) with medical center staff, patients, and external entities.} Ability to use data collection and analytical techniques for purposes of review, quality control, studies and analysis [of health information. Ability to utilize computer applications with varied functions to produce a wide range of reports, to abstract records, collect and analyze data and present results in various formats. Ability to work independently, adapt to shifting priorities, and meet deadlines.] Medical Records Administration Specialist,] GS-9 Experience. [One] year of [creditable] experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-7) that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics described at that level. OR Education. Education equivalent to [two] full years of progressively higher level graduate education or a master's [degree] or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited college or university in a field directly related to health information management. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Knowledge of medical and legal requirements related to health information management and health records. Ability to provide technical advice and [guidance] on health information [management practices. Skill in extracting data from various sources and analyzing health information to create reports. Skill in researching,] interpreting, and [applying] health information management guidelines. Knowledge of performance and process improvement techniques to develop new or improved solutions in health information management. Medical Records Administration Specialist,] GS-11 Experience. [One] year of [creditable] experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that demonstrates all of the KSAs described at that level. [GS-9] OR Education. 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 management. AND Demonstrated Knowledges, Skills, and Abilities Skill in [performance] and process improvement [techniques to develop and implement new or improved solutions in health information management. Ability to advise management and staff, at various levels, regarding health record documentation requirements and health information management practices based on current industry standards, policies, statues, laws, and regulations. Ability to plan, justify, develop, evaluate, assess, monitor, and 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 acquire, manage, analyze, interpret, and transform data into accurate, consistent, and meaningful information.

Requirements

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. 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

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/15/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13054322. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.