Lead Medical Data Coder

Description

Join the Human Health and Performance Contract 2 (HHPC2), where a team of innovators, thinkers, creators, explorers, volunteers, and dreamers shares one goal: to improve the world responsibly and safely.

On HHPC2, we are at the forefront of safeguarding astronaut health, ensuring human performance, and advancing technologies for human space exploration.

We are seeking a Medical Data Coder Lead to support the Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health (LSAH) at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

What You'll Do

As a member of the LSAH team, you will help enhance astronaut medical records by incorporating records from outside providers into the internal medical record.

The Medical Data Coder Lead is responsible for managing the LSAH medical coding program, applying coding expertise to perform health information management and medical coding functions, and developing quality assurance procedures. This position also provides leadership oversight for the work of one additional medical coder and data entry personnel.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Oversee daily LSAH Medical Coding operations to ensure coding and data entry assignments are completed accurately, efficiently, and on time in coordination with management priorities, while ensuring personnel consistently follow established procedures and policies.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for LSAH Medical Coding concerns, addressing operational, customer, and personnel issues while coordinating with management as needed.
• Provide oversight of medical coder work, support onboarding activities, delegate daily tasks to one junior medical coder and part-time data entry personnel, and maintain consistent communication with team leadership regarding workload, issues, and accomplishments.
• Code medical record diagnoses and procedures using ICD-9-CM/ICD-10-CM and SNOMED-CT coding systems for ease of retrieval for occupational surveillance and medical research purposes, using independent judgment to plan and administer the coding function for LSAH.
• Perform chart review, abstraction, quality control, and data entry of medical records from paper and electronic sources and from both internal and external care providers into the JSC electronic health record (EHR) and customized database software.
• Review medical records for completeness and work with medical providers to obtain missing data.
• Establish and monitor quality assurance controls, including performance metrics across medical coders and data entry personnel, and escalate matters requiring additional authorization.
• Evaluate LSAH coding procedures and recommend quality improvements to current processes to improve medical coding operations. Implement strategies that enhance team performance, efficiency, and customer satisfaction while providing employees with necessary guidance and resources.
• Work closely with software developers to maintain and enhance the custom database, including supporting testing of new versions and providing feedback on issues and improvements.
• Audit generated datasets compiled from various sources against original source data.
• Generate and maintain copies of documents and reports using standard computer software, including Microsoft Office products.
• Maintain required certifications through applicable continuing education modules.
• Maintain compliance with all applicable patient privacy and data confidentiality regulations, including but not limited to NASA Privacy regulations, the Privacy Act, and HIPAA.
• Provide weekly status reports of work activities to supervisor.
• Perform other tasks as directed.

What You Bring

The successful candidate will have experience working with a diverse array of medical records, electronic health records, and software, along with strong medical coding capabilities and professional coding credentials.

You will rely on your experience and judgment to plan and accomplish the coding of a wide variety of medical records so that data can be reused by epidemiologists and researchers to better understand astronaut health. You will also have experience overseeing the work of others and delegating tasks as needed.

Requirements

Required Experience

• Certified Professional Coder (CPC or CPC-A) or Certified Outpatient Coder (COC or COC-A).
• Experience using an Electronic Health/Medical Record in a clinical setting (not billing only).
• Three to five years of experience performing medical coding of patient medical data and/or medical records management.
• Experience overseeing junior staff.
• Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously.

Desired Experience

• Experience coding in multiple specialties.

Required Skills and Training 

• Demonstrated leadership skills.
• Strong command of ICD-9-CM, ICD-10, and CPT coding systems, with the ability to learn the SNOMED Coding System if not already known.
• Demonstrated ability to decipher an array of medical record documents and work with them efficiently and accurately.
• Extensive knowledge of human anatomy and physiology, medical terminology and abbreviations, and pharmaceutical names and uses.
• Ability to maintain the confidentiality of all medical and personal information to which access has been granted.
• Ability to work effectively in a professional environment, both independently and with teams that may include physicians, allied health staff, information technology specialists, and management.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, EMR software, and associated programs.
• Superior written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Highly developed organizational and decision-making skills.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.

Desired Skills

• Experience or familiarity with coding assistance software.
• Demonstrated workflow management skills and the ability to prioritize tasks with minimal oversight.
• Familiarity with AI tools and best practices.

Salary Range: $85,000–$90,000 annually