Medical Records Administrator (Chief (CHIM))

Medical Records Administrator (Chief (CHIM))

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Northport, New York

Salary Range: $125431 - $163062 Per Year

Job Summary: This position serves as the Chief of Health Information Management (CHIM) in the Health Information Management Section (HIMS) of the Business Office at the Northport VA Medical Center. The Chief of Health Information Management performs and supervise work concerned with management of health record program or the provisions of services related to medical records administration and health information services. The incumbent manages, preserve, analyze, and supervise health information management.

Major Duties:

• Allied VA Health Professional Total Rewards Package: Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Major duties include but are not limited to: Serves as Chief of Health Information Management (CHIM) with full program responsibility for all facets of the Health Information Management (HIM) program and processes. Must ensure HIM program meets and/or exceed national HIM policies, procedures, and performance metrics. Responsible for the administrative management of health records, which includes planning, managing, advising, and directing the health information program in accordance with applicable Federal laws, facility by-laws, and other regulatory and accrediting agency standards. Creates and monitors systems to ensure accurate, timely, and complete health records, in accordance with policy and health information protocols. Measures ongoing intradepartmental performance by establishing priorities, collecting data, monitoring, and reporting outcomes, using valid and reliable techniques to analyze trends and variation, and taking appropriate action based on findings. Responsible for all facets of health records management for the facility ensuring maintenance of complete, accurate, timely, clinically-pertinent, and readily-accessible patient health records, which contain sufficient recorded information to serve as a basis to plan patient care, support diagnoses, warrant treatment, measure outcomes, support education, research, and facilitate performance improvement processes and legal requirements. Develops policies, processes, and procedures that address all VA, Federal, regulatory, and accrediting requirements for HIM. Evaluates health records program and independently determines the nature and extent of problem areas. Develops recommendations and solutions for program improvement. Develops and implements innovative solutions to correct technical, complex problems. Must provide detailed technical expertise in health records science and other very technical aspects of HIM. Maintains all health information input into the local database and assures timely transmission of that data into all centralized databases - most frequently those maintained at the Austin Data Processing Center. Must assure that all health information that is coded and abstracted meets the requirements and is consistent with professional health records standards. Clinical support role: The incumbent is a key advisor to the Chief of Staff, Executive Management, and clinicians and is responsible for providing technical guidance on health information issues such as documentation requirements, liability issues, advance directives, informed consent, release of information, transcription/speech recognition, health information exchange, etc. Recommends improvements in health record documentation used to provide patient care, to optimize VERA workload, third party reimbursement and to manage resources. Responsible for assuring that all patients have a complete, accurate, and timely record of their health care at the facility. Must assure that such information is appropriately stored and readily available for the provision of medical services to the patients. Responsible for leading the automation of all health information systems. Working closely with Information Technology (IT) and Clinical Informatics, the incumbent must guide the automation of health record documentation, health record tracking, and physician incomplete record tracking. The incumbent also must support the information security program and manage much of the patient information database within VistA. Incumbent will work with a variety of hardware and software. Performs the administrative and personnel management functions relative to staff supervised. Establishes guidelines and performance expectations for staff, which are clearly communicated through the formal employee performance management system. Observes workers' performance; demonstrates and conducts work performance critiques. Provides informal feedback and periodically evaluates employee performance. Resolves informal complaints and grievances. Develops work improvement plans, recommending personnel actions as necessary. Provides advice and counsel to workers related to work and administrative matters. Effects disciplinary measures as appropriate to the authority delegated in this area. Reviews and approves leave requests. Plays a central role in developing and coordinating internal review systems to assure that both clinical and administrative activities comply with agency and accrediting and regulatory requirements. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: 8:00AM - 4:30PM Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 11541-F 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: Citizenship. Candidates must be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7407(a). English Language Proficiency. MRAs must be proficient in spoken and written English. See 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Education or Experience: Experience: Three years of 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 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: All applicants hired or reassigned to Medical Records Administrator positions in the GS-0669 series above the full performance level in VHA must have a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) or Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) certification obtained through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). (1) Loss of Certification. Following initial certification, credentials must be maintained through rigorous continuing education, ensuring the highest level of competency for employers and patients. An employee in this occupation who fails to maintain the required certification must be removed from the occupation which may result in termination of employment. At the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation for which he/she qualifies, if a placement opportunity exists. (2) Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (a) Employees in an occupation requiring a licensure/certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level, or demoted within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. (b) Employees in an occupation requiring a licensure/certification/registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher-grade levels. (c) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. Grade Requirement: GS-13 Experience: Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Medical Records Administrator field. Qualifying GS-12 grade level experience includes, but is not limited to: establishes policies, procedures, responsibilities, and requirements for HIM-related matters, such as health record documentation, coding and clinical documentation improvement, release of information, file room/scanning, records management, transcription and medical speech recognition, as well as the overall management of health information and Veterans health records; provides technical advice, planning, and evaluation about health information management issues impacting the overall program; monitors HIM performance through dashboards, productivity standards, and benchmarking; participates in establishing and implementing strategic facility and HIM Department goals and controlling program activities and cost, budgeting, procurement, and property management, to achieve goals and improve processes. AND; Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to determine and evaluate compliance with legal, ethical [and regulatory guidelines and accrediting bodies, as they apply to health information management. Ability to provide sound, technical guidance to staff at various levels about major program, legal, or procedural changes related to health information management. Skill in revising facility policies and procedures to improve health information management services and to evaluate, modify, and/or adapt new methods to meet regulatory requirements. Skill in analyzing complex data, interpreting and trending results for effective management of the HIM program. Skill in management/administration, which includes program planning, coordination, interpretation, supervision, consultation, negotiation, problem solving, and monitoring of HIM processes. Ability to delegate authority, evaluate and oversee people and programs, accomplish program goals, and adapt to changing priorities. 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). 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-13. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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 05/08/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12946568. 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.

Application Deadline: 2026-05-08