HIM Physician Liaison

At Houston Methodist, the Health Information Management (HIM) Physician Liaison position is responsible for reviewing electronic medical records for physician/provider deficiencies based on guidelines mandated by the hospital governing bodies, accreditation and regulatory agencies. This position communicates on a daily basis with physicians and other providers regarding the status of their incomplete medical records, monitoring and verifying physician record completion to assure that physicians and other providers complete their outstanding records appropriately. The HIM Physician Liaison notifies physicians and other providers of pending records needing completion, identifies physicians suspended for incomplete charts, and notifies appropriate hospital personnel and departments of physician suspensions.

FLSA STATUS
Non-exempt

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• Associate’s degree in health information management or related field required or additional two years of experience (in addition to the minimum experience requirements listed below) required in lieu of degree

EXPERIENCE

• Two years of hospital health information management experience to include analyzing hospital medical records for physician record completion deficiencies
• Experience with document imaging systems and dictation/transcription systems preferred

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 all of the components of a medical record
• Proficient PC knowledge (including knowledge of MS Word and Excel) and ability to provide minor problem solving for users of relevant IT systems such as the electronic medical record
• Excellent interpersonal and oral and written communication skills
• Working knowledge of hospital governing bodies and accreditation/regulatory agencies requirements for physician record completion
• Excellent organizational skills
• Knowledge of state and federal privacy laws
• Ability to work independently and be self-motivated

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Promotes a positive work environment and contributes to a dynamic team focused work unit that actively helps one another to achieve optimal departmental and organizational results.
• Assists medical staff and other intra-departmental staff with transcription inquiries in a timely manner.
• Communicates with physicians and other providers for resolution of pending delinquencies and provides training and follow-up support to physicians and their staff, residents, and physicians’ assistants for the electronic information systems as appropriate.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Assigns all physicians, advanced nurse practitioners, and allied health professionals deficiencies via the computerized online deficiency system as needed. Maintains queues, such as missing dictated report and wrong patient encounters, and ensures the proper reassignment of these dictations to the correct patient and encounter.
• Generates physician notification letters according to specified policy and maintains the physician letter database. Places non-compliant physicians on suspension in accordance with accreditation/government agencies and Medical Staff rules and regulations. Provides reports of suspended physicians and incomplete records to hospital departments.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Reviews electronic medical records for physician deficiencies based on guidelines mandated by the hospital governing bodies, accreditation and regulatory agencies. Maintains all deficiency tracking queues as needed.
• Reviews medical records to ensure the accuracy of records analyzed. Makes changes or adjustments as necessary and checks physician completion of record deficiencies prior to updating status of physician suspension.
• Adheres to department standards for productivity, timeliness, and quality.
• Monitors transcription pending queue and EHR queues to ensure that physicians' dictations are placed in the appropriate patient's medical record and/or transcription system. Researches dictation errors with missing or incorrect information and corrects as necessary.
• Monitors dictation/transcription system to verify completion of records prior to placing physician on suspension. Researches missing documents as necessary.
• Monitors records for physicians who have terminated or otherwise left Houston Methodist to assure that any outstanding records are completed or administratively closed as per department procedure.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Monitors bill hold daily. Ensures patients scheduled for surgery have the required history and physical (H&P) prior to their arrival for surgery so there are no delays in service.
• Organizes time effectively, minimizing incidental overtime, and sets priorities. Utilizes time between heavy workloads efficiently and helps other team members.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Engages with the Transcription Vendor to learn new technology or application in an effort to provide better service for our customers.
• Practices adaptability and flexibility in the face of changing demands. Generates and communicates new ideas and suggestions that will improve quality or service. Seeks opportunities to expand learning beyond baseline competencies with a focus on continual development.

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform: No
• Scrubs: No
• Business professional: Yes
• Other (department approved): No

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. Disaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* No

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area No

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• Associate’s degree in health information management or related field required or additional two years of experience (in addition to the minimum experience requirements listed below) required in lieu of degree

EXPERIENCE

• Two years of hospital health information management experience to include analyzing hospital medical records for physician record completion deficiencies
• Experience with document imaging systems and dictation/transcription systems preferred