HIM Coordinator

Location: The Medical Center

At Houston Methodist, the Health Information Management (HIM) Coordinator position is responsible for providing administrative support to a functional area of HIM while executing daily operations and performing duties of other HIM staff such as release of information, deficiency tracking, physician liaison, document capture, etc. In addition to providing operational support, this position performs all or many of the following: under the direction of leadership, assists in organizing work schedules and assignments; conducts quality assurance audits; trains and mentors staff; provides feedback to manager on developmental needs; participates in the development of staff; leads and regularly performs special projects; collects/analyzes/reports on data; collects, reports and monitors productivity; and other responsibilities of a similar nature and level. The HIM Coordinator position serves as the liaison between management, staff, physicians/physician offices, and others for routine matters as the primary point of contact for resolving questions and issues. This position requires considerable experience, skill and knowledge of the organization's policies and practices, operating a personal computer and utilizing software applications for word processing, presentations and databases. The HIM Coordinator position also ensures that accreditation/regulatory/government agency requirements and hospital and departmental procedures are followed pertaining to HIM.

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
• Bachelor's degree in health information management, business administration or health related field preferred

EXPERIENCE

• Four years of experience in health information management

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Preferred

• RHIA - Registered Health Information Administrator (AHIMA) or
• RHIT - Certified Health Information Technician (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
• Ability to work under pressure and balance many competing priorities
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently as well as function as team player
• Knowledge of all of the components of a medical record
• Strong training, leadership and mentoring skills
• Critical thinking and sound judgment to recognize problems, identify causes and take corrective action
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and professionalism
• Maintains current knowledge on hospital-specific and HIM-specific information to include accreditation/regulatory agency requirements and state and federal laws related to HIM
• Proficient PC knowledge (including knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel) and ability to operate multiple computer systems/equipment relevant to the functional area

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. Collaborates with all members of the team by actively communicating and reporting pertinent information and data in a comprehensive manner. Role models to team members effective communication and customer service skills, assisting in their development of such skills.
• Serves as preceptor, mentor, subject matter expert, 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.
• Coordinates staff schedules, as appropriate, to provide daily staff coverage to promote/maintain smooth department operations. Assists with analyzing the daily workload to prioritize and assign daily work to the employees within the HIM functional area. Provides input and feedback to management to assist in employee evaluations/ competency measurements. Provides documentation and outcomes on productivity standards. Recommends initiatives to improve department scores for employee engagement.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Troubleshoots and resolves, as appropriate, patient/team member/system issues or errors. Serves as liaison between team members, management, physicians and their offices, insurance providers, patients and others as applicable to the functional area, resolving routine matters for the assigned area and escalating to management as needed.
• Identifies, anticipates potential customer (internal and/or external) problems and resolves issues with highest level of customer service, professionalism and compassion. Serves as a resource for staff in resolving customer complaints and addresses any escalated customer issues and complaints which staff cannot resolve.
• Demonstrates ability to perform all job duties within the functional area (e.g., release of information, deficiency tracking, data integrity, record processing etc.); effectively performs these functions to assist staff as necessary based on staffing and work volume needs.
• Serves as the resource person for the functional area on forms, procedures and workflow issues. Serves as adviser to the functional area on issues relating to the area’s processes.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Adheres to department standards for productivity, timeliness and quality.
• Assists management in ensuring that procedures related to the processes handled within the functional area are performed in a timely and accurate manner.
• Ensures that accreditation/regulatory/government agency requirements are followed as applicable to the functional area. Protects patient and family privacy rights and maintains confidentiality of patient records and computer security codes, as well as protects the integrity of privileged information.
• Conducts quality audits on processes, outcomes and team member performance. Documents, develops and evaluates processes and procedures. Identifies concerning trends or errors, opportunities for corrective action and process improvement, collecting data and performing analyses. Follows up on action items to ensure completion of assignments, ensuring all deadlines are met.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Monitors staffing and recommends adjustment in staff work assignments and schedules to support fluctuations in work volumes and ensure efficient labor cost utilization. Reviews team member’s time cards for accuracy and management approval.
• Independently manages time effectively, minimizing incidental overtime, and prioritizes daily tasks. Utilizes time efficiently and helps other team members. Assists management with monitoring team productivity and minimizing unapproved overtime.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Identifies innovative solutions for process improvement to make processes work better for patients, customers and department. Fosters a positive and constructive teaching environment by engaging co-workers in learning opportunities that are valuable and in alignment with business objectives.
• Seeks continuous professional development opportunities to expand learning beyond baseline competencies with a focus on continual development. Completes and updates the My Development Plan on an on-going basis. Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management.

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
• Bachelor's degree in health information management, business administration or health related field preferred

EXPERIENCE

• Four years of experience in health information management

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Preferred

• RHIA - Registered Health Information Administrator (AHIMA) or
• RHIT - Certified Health Information Technician (AHIMA)