Senior Coder

Do you want to work at one of the Top 100 Hospitals in the nation? We are guided by our values of Love and Excellence and are passionate about delivering health, not just health care. Come join us at ChristianaCare

ChristianaCare, with Hospitals in Wilmington and Newark, DE, as well as Elkton, MD, is one of the largest health care providers in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Named one of “America’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, we have an excess of 1,100 beds between our hospitals and are committed to providing the best patient care in the region. We are proud to that Christiana Hospital, Wilmington Hospital, our Ambulatory Services, and HomeHealth have all received ANCC Magnet Recognition®.

Scheduling Flexibility and Perks

• The schedule and hours for this position are very flexible and we will work with you on work/life balance to build a schedule that works for you
• This position is 100% remote and we encourage national candidates to apply
• We provide equipment, coding books, continuing education credits as well as professional organization memberships to AHIMA or APC

Primary Function:

ChristianaCare is currently seeking a full-time Senior Coder to be responsible for accurate and timely assignment of  ICD 10 CM/PCS and HCPCS/CPT codes, payment group classification assignment and data abstraction  for reimbursement purposes and  statistical information reporting on all Inpatient, Outpatient, Emergency Medicine, Ancillary and Diagnostics records, and/or any other patient records for which HIMS Department performs coding services.  Meets or exceeds productivity and accuracy standards outlined in the HIMS Coding Policies and Procedures.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

• Reviews and interprets Inpatient, Outpatient, Ancillary, Diagnostics and Emergency Medicine or other patient type records in order to assign appropriate ICD 10 CM/PCS diagnosis and procedure codes and/or HCPCS/CPT procedure codes as required based on record type and CCHS reporting practices.
• Performs coding and abstracting tasks to support accurate and timely billing, data quality and statistics, and calculation of severity of illness and risk of mortality reporting. 
• Follows UHDDS definitions, CMS regulations, and Official and Internal Coding Guidelines.
• Utilizes information on diagnostic reports (i.e., radiology, pathology, EKG reports, laboratory values, doctors’ orders, and administrative medication forms) to accurately code patient charts in accordance with the Official Coding Guidelines.
• Completes daily work assignment as directed by Coding Support.
• Works within service line structure where applicable based on patient type.
• Serves as a mentor to newer coders in the Coder Position or coders who are being trained in a new coding discipline.
• Abstracts pertinent data, determines, and sequences codes for diagnoses and procedures, and enters all information into the coding and abstracting system. 
• Utilizes coding and abstracting system as a communication tool, as outlined in the HIMS Coding DNFB Tagging procedures, including but not limited to placing accounts on hold in order to ask questions to management and initiate queries.
• Receives feedback and reviews charts with a member of the Coding Management Team for accurate code assignment.
• Provides all necessary coded and abstracted information required for final coding and billing of accounts within productivity expectations by work type in order to support department and organization goals for DNFB dollar amounts and bill hold days. 
• Reviews prepopulated patient demographic information fed via HL7 from source system into coding system and makes necessary abstracted data changes in coding system as required for accurate posting to CCHS billing system. 
• Utilizes coding system to calculate all inpatient encounters in both MS DRG and APR DRG groupers to support the accurate reporting of coded data for severity of illness and risk of mortality.
• Utilizes coding system to sequence CPT codes invoking the APC grouper methodology to arrive at the proper CPT code hierarchy.
• Submits timely, accurate, and concise daily productivity reports in accordance with department policy and practice.     
• Attends and participates in coding section and department meetings, inservice training sessions, seminars and workshops.
• Reports errors as identified in patient identification, account or encounter information, documentation or other medical record discrepancies as they are noted during daily work performance. 
• Supports the Coding Management team by working on special coding projects as assigned.
• Works with the HIMS Coding Systems Analyst under the direction of HIMS management to achieve the IT initiatives of the HIMS department.  This may include systems testing and report reconciliation as needed in our coding and billing systems as well as other IT project support as deemed necessary by the coding management team.

• Works with the HIMS Coding Support Team under the direction of HIMS management to achieve the revenue cycle goals of the HIMS department.  This may include working through aged coding accounts, accessing our billing system,  and coding system reports and queues as deemed necessary by the coding management team.

Education and Experience Requirements:

• CCS credential required

• College Degree in Health Information Management, Completion of AHIMA Approved Certificate Program, or one-year coding experience in the acute care setting coding Inpatient, Observation, Emergency Medicine or Same Day Surgery is required.

• Associate or Bachelor Science degree in Health Information Technology preferred.

• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.

Christianacare Offers:

• Full Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, etc.

• 403(b) with company match.

• Generous paid time off.

• Incredible Work/Life benefits including annual membership to care.com, access to backup care services for dependents through Care@Work, retirement planning services, financial coaching, fitness and wellness reimbursement, and great discounts through several vendors for hotels, rental cars, theme parks, shows, sporting events, movie tickets and much more