Sr. Inpatient Coder

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Nursing and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state's future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System's anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

General Summary

Under direct supervision, accurately codes hospital inpatient accounts for the purpose of appropriate reimbursement, research, statistics and compliance to federal and state regulations in accordance with established ICD-10-CM/PCS coding classification systems.

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.

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.

• Serves as a clinical coding subject matter expert, and utilizes critical thinking to analyze and evaluate documentation issues with consultation from the medical and clinical staff, and clinical documentation specialists as needed.
  1. Analyzes, codes and abstracts complex inpatient cases such as trauma, rehab, neurology, critical care, etc. utilizing the ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS nomenclature to ensure accurate APR-DRG/SOI/ROM and POA assignment. 
  2. Utilizes critical thinking to analyze and evaluate documentation issues with consultation from the medical and clinical staff, and clinical documentation specialists as needed. 
  3. Collaborates with other senior coders (and the other coding staff) with sharing coding information and providing coding advice to colleagues regarding complex cases to be coded.
• Monitors assigned work on a daily basis in order to facilitate the billing process within the established timeframes.  Codes and abstracts records within timeframes established for each patient type.
  1. Maintains coding quality accuracy rate of 90%.
  2. Maintains productivity rate of 95%.
• Communicates with various departments within the hospitals regarding billing and registration issues. Refers any problems to management timely, providing clear details. Compose appropriate coding queries, work collaboratively with CDI, understand Potentially Preventable Complications (PPC’s)/Maryland Hospital Acquired Conditions (MHAC’s), and Prevention Quality Indicators (PQI’s) and their impact.
• Communicates with the Auditing team to discuss audit findings and working collaboratively in making sure that all accounts are coded appropriately and meet standards of compliance
• Complies with AHIMA standards of ethical coding and coding compliance guidelines.
• Demonstrates support and compliance with University of Maryland Medical System mission, vision, values statement, goals and objectives and policies. Performs other duties or projects such as coding corrections as assigned by the manager.

Education and Experience

• High School graduate or equivalent. Formal ICD-10-CM and CPT training Associates or Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of three years ICD-10-CM/ICD-10-PCS coding and abstracting experience with at a Level 1 Trauma and Rehab hospital or 4 years of experience with coding inpatient hospital medical records required.  
• One of the following required: Certified Coding Specialist (CCS), Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT), Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA), Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC)

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Strong analytical and organizational skills; filing systems; ability to prioritize workloads; meet deadlines and work effectively under pressure; excellent customer service skills; general office procedures; ability to problem solve and work with minimal supervision; familiar with basic medical terminology; computer experience; typing ability.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

 Compensation

• Pay Range: $30.26-$42.37
• Other Compensation (if applicable):
• Review the 2024-2025 UMMS Benefits Guide