Lead Outpatient Coder (Hiring Immediately)

At Houston Methodist, the Lead Outpatient Coder position is responsible for providing administrative support to the department while ensuring diagnostic and procedure codes are assigned accurately to outpatient encounters based upon documentation within the electronic medical record and maintaining compliance with established rules and regulatory guidelines. This position serves as the liaison between management, staff and physicians for routine matters, resolving questions and issues. Duties may be varied and may include many of the following: organize work schedules, create work assignments, review timecards for accuracy, conduct quality assurance audits of staff performance, develop and implement quality improvement activities, train and mentor staff, provide feedback on staff performance and developmental needs, collect/analyze/report on data, prepare reports on performance and metrics, and other responsibilities of a similar nature and level.

FLSA STATUS

Non-exempt

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• Associate’s degree or higher in a Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management accredited program required or additional two years of experience (in addition to the minimum experience requirements listed below) required in lieu of degree

EXPERIENCE

• Five years of relevant outpatient coding experience

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS

Required

• Must have one of the following: • RHIT - Certified Health Information Technician (AHIMA) • RHIA - Registered Health Information Administrator (AHIMA) • CCS - Certified Coding Specialist (AHIMA)

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations
• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security
• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles
• Knowledge of coding classification systems, DRG and APC systems, official coding guidelines and coding compliance
• Knowledge of an electronic medical record and imaging systems
• Working knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology
• Proficiency with electronic encoder application
• Extensive PC knowledge - must be able to work effectively in common office software, coding software and abstracting systems
• Strong interpersonal, teamwork, training, mentoring, and leadership skills
• Ability to adapt to multiple ongoing priorities with minimal supervision, including organizing workflow and actively participating in problem-solving

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Promotes a positive work environment and leads the team to be dynamic and a focused work unit that actively helps one another to achieve optimal department results. Interacts and communicates effectively with members of the coding team and the appropriate stakeholders. Participates and provides good feedback during coding section meetings and coding education inservices as well as takes initiative to assist others and shares knowledge with the appropriate stakeholders.
• Serves as preceptor, mentor, and resource to less experienced staff. Orients, guides, and mentors team members to help build confidence and competency in skills, knowledge, and abilities for various department tasks. Role models to team members effective communication skills, assisting in their development of such skills. Coordinates staff schedules, as appropriate, to provide daily staff coverage to promote/maintain smooth department operations.
• Role models healthy work relationships such as mitigation of conflict, leading problem-solving and resolution efforts. Recommends initiatives to improve department scores for employee engagement.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Responds promptly to internal and external customer requests. Responds promptly and appropriately to requests to code or review coded accounts for accuracy. Serves as liaison between team members, management and physicians resolving routine matters, informing or escalating to management as needed.
• Initiates queries with physicians to obtain or clarify diagnoses and/or procedures as appropriate, utilizing the established physician query process.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Assigns diagnostic and procedural codes to encounters of high complexity. Maintains and achieves departmental standards of coding quality by assigning accurate ICD-10-CM/ICD-10-PCS and CPT codes and APC assignment utilizing an electronic encoder application in accordance with hospital policy and regulatory body guidelines.
• Maintains and achieves departmental standards of abstracting quality by reviewing the discharge disposition enter…