General Summary

Under general supervision, processes necessary highly sensitive requests for Protected Health Information (PHI) relating to subpoenas, court orders, and summons and certifies information as required. Interacts daily with a variety of external requestors by providing front-line customer service to attorneys, clinicians, patients, and government agencies in person and by telephone. Oversees accounts receivable as it relates to invoicing, posting, and collections for the Release of Information division of the Health Information Management Department. This position demands an environment of exceptional confidentiality and strict adherence to and knowledge of regulatory requirements guided by state and federal laws. Also acts in the capacity of the ROI Team Leader within the department as necessary.

II.Principal Responsibilities and Tasks

The following statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by personnel so classified.

1.Respond to any legal actions involving the hospitals medical record by:processing subpoenas and court orders within required time frames; working directly with Risk Management, referring to potential hospital litigation; maintaining access control to all sequestered medical records.

2.Processes and responds to payor requests for the purpose of quality of hospital services, coding and billing audit requests such as for MCOs, CMS and HSCRC.

3.Process requests for health information in compliance with applicable statutes, departmental policies, guidelines, state and federal regulatory requirements by using up to 14 different electronic document management and electronic medical record systems, and other electronic and paper documentation associated with each facility. Receive, review, and verify all incoming requests on a daily basis for health information to determine if the request has a complete and valid authorization.Stamp all incoming mail as well as enter requests in the computerized release of information tracking system the same day of receipt. Process requests for release of radiology images and uploads foreign images into the appropriate radiology system.

4.Coordinate billing, posting and collection functions for the Release of Information area for medical records copied and released to external customers in compliance with applicable statutes, departmental policies, guidelines, state and federal regulatory requirements.Return incomplete and invalid requests for medical information the same day of receipt, routes requests for health information to special units and other departments daily, as necessary.

5.Provide minimum necessary information on an as needed basis in response to requests for health information and document information sent according to proper protocol.Fax information requested for direct patient care and request medical information from other healthcare facilities as needed for continued patient care in urgent situations. Performs quality checks on all work to assure accuracy of the release and confidentiality

6.Handles walk-in requests from the public and directs them appropriately.Ensure that patients, attorneys, funeral home representatives, and others are greeted with a high degree of professionalism and are given timely, accurate, and appropriate information. Responsible for verifying the identity of requestors to ensure requests for PHI are only released to the proper individual. Must be able to handle volatile situations with confidence and authority.

7.Performs the following functions in the absence of the ROI Team Leader:

a.Performs daily work distribution and assigns work to ROI Tech I and II staff

b.Performs monthly quality audits on release of information ROI Tech I and II staff.

8.Complete and submit personal productivity reports to the designated team leader, supervisor or manager.

9.Performs other duties as assigned.

III.Education and Experience

1.High school graduate or equivalent required.Graduate of an accredited Health Record Technician program with RHIT preferred.

2.Minimum of three years experience in a Health Information Management Department or other healthcare setting performing release of information duties.

3.Experience with processing government regulatory, subpoenas/court orders and legal requests related to litigation cases.

4.Team members performing in this role must have a minimum of 6 months experience in the department and a detailed knowledge of departmental policies, HIPAA and state laws, and other regulatory requirements.

IV.Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Strong analytical and organizational skills; basic math skills; filing systems; State and Federal legal requirements for releasing health information; basic medical terminology; ability to prioritize workloads, meet deadlines and work effectively under pressure; ability to work with general supervision; excellent communication, interpersonal, customer service and problem-solving skills.Must be proficient with computer skills to navigate in several different computer systems.