Release Information Specialist

Overview

Release Information Specialist

Part Time, 50 Hours Per Week, Day Shift

Covenant Health Overview:

Covenant Health is the region’s top-performing healthcare network with 10 hospitals, outpatient and specialty services, and Covenant Medical Group, our area’s fastest-growing physician practice division. Headquartered in Knoxville, Covenant Health is a community-owned integrated healthcare delivery system and the area’s largest employer. Our more than 11,000 employees, volunteers, and 1,500 affiliated physicians are dedicated to improving the quality of life for the more than two million patients and families we serve every year. Covenant Health is the only healthcare system in East Tennessee to be named a Forbes “Best Employer” seven times.

Position Summary:

It is the role of the Release of Information Specialist to serve within the Health Information Management Administration Call Center.  The HIM Administration Call Center is responsible for telephone reception and facsimile requests of medical records for multiple Covenant Health facilities.  The use of proper customer service and phone etiquette is required.   Their primary responsibility is to assist the caller or requester with release of information regarding continuity of care and questions regarding health information.  These duties are associated with the responsibility to protect the medical record from improper release.  The specialist is expected to release the record to the requestor after validation of a proper authority.  The Release of Information Specialist is expected to respond to unlimited and unpredictable volumes of calls on a daily basis, 24 hours each day, while maintaining ROI accuracy.  Process accuracy is governed by HIPAA & HITECH Guidelines, State and Federal laws, and Covenant Health Policy and Procedures.  With a staffing requirement of seven days a week, 24 hour coverage, a limited number of ROI Specialists are given home access.  

Responsibilities

• Protects the release of patient health information while maintaining confidentiality on all patient health information.
• Will comply with record requests following State and Federal, HIPAA and HITECH guidelines and Covenant Health policy and procedures.
• Must maintain proper phone etiquette and customer service expectations at all times in stressful, high volume situations.
• Assists the caller and validates information being presented to ensure authority, patient identification resulting in proper release of the medical record.  
• In addition to incoming calls requesting medical records, the ROI Specialist is responsible for releasing medical records requested by facsimile by maintaining the Right Fax software and database.
• Accesses of various software and functionality for patient information based upon the requester needs and the patient’s dates of service.
• Assists the caller by verifying whether releases have been processed by the ROI Coordinator through access of the PHI software.
• Forwards the requestor to the proper ROI Coordinator for further assistance as needed.  
• Employees with home connectivity have additional expectations to work as needed in emergency situations.
• Maintains thorough knowledge of Covenant Health HIPAA and HITECH policies as well as State and Federal guidelines regulating release of personal health information.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Education:           

None specified.  Will accept any combination of formal education and/or prior work experience sufficient to demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skill and ability needed to perform the essential tasks of the job, typically such as would be equivalent to a high school diploma or GED.  Preference may be given to individuals possessing an Associate’s degree in a directly-related field from an accredited college or university.

Minimum Experience:         

Some college preferred with experience in HIPAA and HITECH. Must be computer proficient. Must possess a desire to provide excellent customer service and have strong interpersonal skills. Must possess good decision-making skills and be able to work independently. Must be detail oriented, highly organized and capable of multi-tasking.

Licensure Requirement:      

Registered Health Information Technician preferred, but not required.