Medical Records Technician (Health Information Technician)

Summary Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities. Our highly-skilled, diverse, and innovative workforce creates a strong foundation of safety and security. Through the principles of humanity and normalcy, we develop good neighbors. Responsibilities Analyzes medical records for completeness, consistency and compliance with Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and medical staff requirements. Performs the monthly medical record audit in coordination with the medical staff. Processes requests for medical information from outside hospitals, clinics, and physicians. Responds to requests from outside sources requesting release of BOP medical information, including court orders, requests by U.S. Attorneys and other institutions. Codes, using ICD-9-CM, complicated diagnoses and procedures for discharged inmates, ensuring diagnoses and procedures are supported in the medical record and appropriately reported via Sentry. Establishes medical records for all new admissions to facility; acquires, monitors and accounts for the medical records which accompany those patients transferred in from other BOP institutions. Performs a full range of administrative duties, including preparing reports, purchase orders, receiving reports, pay vouchers, quarterly and annual reports, medical referrals for treatment to other BOP facilities and pre-certification requests. Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staff correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis. Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship is Required. See Special Conditions of Employment Section. Selective Service Requirement : Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if : 1)this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified category using established category rating criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at : Click Here The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if : 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified category using established category rating criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at : Click Here Qualifications To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements : Education : As a general rule, education is not creditable above GL-5 for most positions covered by this standard; however, graduate education may be credited in those few instances where the graduate education is directly related to the work of the position. OR Experience : You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level in federal service. Applicants at this level should be versed in medical terminology, medical records, and documentation requests and have the ability to examine medical records for completeness, consistency and compliance with Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare (JCAHO). Some examples of this qualifying experience are : Experience in discerning discrepancies or deficiencies, and prepare written notifications for corrective action concerning inmates files / patient records. Experience in coding records using ICD-9-CM. Knowledgeable concerning the release of information under various methods to include the FOIA and Privacy Act. Experience in developing various statistical reports to assist health service operations and be capable of retrieving information, conducting research and analyzing records for completeness and compliance with standards. Experience in coordinating documentation and record information with hospitals, other treatment facilities, or other outside organizations and tracks progress of requested materials. If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities. Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application. Education See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable. ONLY if education is a requirement / substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here. Foreign Education : For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website : Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and / or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty. Additional Information This position IS included in the bargaining unit. In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3307, a maximum entry age of 36 has been established for initial appointment to a position in a Bureau of Prisons institution. If you are above the maximum entry age and have prior federal law enforcement coverage, you MUST submit an SF-50 to verify prior coverage. Qualified Preference Eligible Veterans may be exempt from meeting the maximum age. Please refer to the Required Documents Section for the appropriate documentation to submit to validate veteran eligibility. Special Conditions of Employment Section : Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a pre-employment and panel interview, urinalysis, physical, and background investigation. All applicants are subject to, and must satisfactorily pass all screening requirements in relation to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit check. All applicants not currently working in an institution will be required to complete a qualification inquiry regarding convictions of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence in order to be authorized to carry a firearm. The Core Value Assessment (CVA) is an in-person assessment that must be facilitated at a Bureau of Prisons Human Resource Servicing office. On the day of the scheduled interview, a CVA will be administered. The applicant assessment must be completed within a 70 minute time period and a passing score of 68 must be obtained. Further employment consideration will not be extended if the applicant fails to complete the examination or fails to achieve a passing score. Note : The Core Value Assessment will not be administered to current BOP employees. Successful completion of the "Introduction to Correctional Techniques", three-week training course at Glynco, Georgia is required. Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate. As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.