DEPARTMENT: CODING

FACILITY: Tift Regional Medical Center

WORK TYPE: Full Time

SHIFT: Day Shift

SUMMARY:

The Acute Coding Auditor/Educator conducts coding and data quality reviews and prepares complex reports as required. He/she is responsible for conducting coding training programs for coding team members, createsing presentations, developing learning material, handbook, and other training materials, and ensuring all coding activities comply with coding and billing standards and government regulation.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

* Ensures coding compliance; applies all coding guidelines and principles as defined in the Coding Clinic, and leading authorities.
* Maintains a working knowledge of new Acute and Ambulatory coding guidelines.
* Works in conjunction with coding leadership and team leads to provide coding education to team members and assist with huddles, as needed.
* Performs focused reviews and quality audits as directed by coding leadership.
* Prepares audit reports for leadership.
* Assists coding leadership with reviewing and responding to external and internal coding audits as needed.
* Monitors and evaluates the coding functions to ensure effective and efficient coding operations and compliance with established standards, rules, and regulations.
* Serves as a clinical coding liaison and utilizes critical thinking to analyze and evaluate documentation issues with consultation from the medical staff, clinical staff, clinical documentation team, and other departments as needed.
* Assists Coding Manager to work on best practices to meet the coding training needs to include assistance with educating and training of the Health Information Management Coding policies and procedures.
* Coaches and develops team members to achieve team goals that support business strategies and objectives.
* Responsible for assisting and improving employee performance using audit findings and approved quality processes.
* Audits for documentation opportunities to clarify confusing, incomplete or conflicting information and obtain any needed additional documentation if needed.
* Assists patient financial services and clinical documentation improvement team members with questions on coding and billing edits.
* Keeps abreast of all pertinent federal, state and TRHS' regulations, laws and policies as they presently exist and as they change or are modified.
* Ensures that the staff are trained and evaluated on their knowledge of and adherence to compliance policies and procedures specific to their jobs.
* Complies with standardized coding standards and conventions and regulations, corporate compliance standards, and reimbursement policies.
* Complies with AHIMA standards of ethical coding and coding compliance guidelines, along with all third party and government regulations.
* Keeps abreast of all pertinent federal, state and facility regulations, laws and policies as they presently exist and as they change or are modified.
* Understands and adheres to compliance standards as they appear in the Corporate Compliance Policy, Code of Conduct, and Conflicts of Interest Policy.
* Demonstrates age-specific skills as required by position.
* Offers suggestions on ways to improve operations of department and reduce costs.
* Attends all mandatory education programs.
* Improves self-knowledge through voluntarily attending continuing education/certification classes.
* Maintains required competency levels as identified in written exams, skills checklists, skills labs, annual safety and health requirements as well as service excellence education hours requirements.
* Willing to cross-train in order to better assist co-workers and to provide maximum efficiency in department.
* Volunteers/participates on hospital committees, functions, and department projects.
* Manages resources effectively.
* Reports equipment in need of repair in order to extend life of equipment.
* Makes good use of time so as to not create needless overtime.

EDUCATION:

* High School Diploma or Equivalent

CREDENTIALS:

* CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL CODER
* Certified Coding Specialist
* REGISTERED HEALTH INFORMATION ADMINISTRATOR
* American Academy of Professional Coders
* American Health Information Management Association
* American Health Information Management Association

OTHER INFORMATION:

Associate's Degree, preferred. Two years of post-secondary education or three years Revenue Cycle experience may be considered in lieu of post-secondary education.

COMPETENCIES & SKILLS:

* Takes personal responsibility for the quality and timeliness of work, and achieves results with little oversight.
* Basic computer skills
* Manages, leads, and enables the process of change and transition while helping others deal with the impacts.
* Provides excellent service to internal and external customers.
* Is reliable and trustworthy while performing work in a consistent and timely manner.
* Relates to the individual they are speaking with.
* Medical billing
* Medical coding
* Medical terminology
* Medicare, Medicaid and third party payment systems knowledge
* MS Office
* Conveys ideas and facts orally using language the audience will best understand.
* Resolves difficult or complicated challenges.
* Willingness to delegate responsibility, work with others, and coach to develop their capabilities.
* Manages and guides group efforts by providing guidance, direction, and support for the purpose of achieving a goal.
* Promotes cooperation and commitment within a team to achieve goals and deliverables.
* Helps create a work environment that embraces and appreciates diversity.
* Conveys ideas and facts in writing using language the reader will best understand.

Southwell/Tift Regional Health System, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.