HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
Position Description
POSITION: “PHYSICIAN LIAISON”
INCUMBENT: NONE
REPORTS TO: Senior Director of xxx
DATE: August 2002
I. GENERAL INFORMATION:
Accountable to: Senior Director, CHW Coding HIM Compliance Department
II. POSITION REQUIREMENTS:
1. Academic: Medical Degree (MD) and optional Certified Coder (CCS) by the American Health Information
Management Association (AHIMA) optional. High level of knowledge in IPPS and MS-DRGs.
2. Required Experience: Minimum four to five (4-5) years experience practicing medicine. Demonstrated ability to present education programs for coders, case managers, and physicians. Experience conducting efficient and regular medical record clinical documentation reviews and responding to technical and substantive documentation and coding questions.
3. Qualities: High ethical standards.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present ideas and concepts effectively to executive management, physicians and employees.
Ability to function effectively in a dynamic and challenging environment and to affect change, if necessary.
Demonstrated ability to analyze problems and issues from a variety of perspectives and understand the legal, reimbursement, clinical, and Human Resources impact of those decisions.
Function as a team player and strongly support corporate initiatives.
A personal commitment to excellence.
A sincere commitment to the organization mission and tenets and the willingness to assume responsibility for the accuracy of its clinical documentation, clinical coded data and the capture of severity, acuity and risk of mortality.
III. PRIMARY FUNCTION
The Clinical Documentation Physician Liaison (Champion) will function within the Healthcare System Coding HIM Compliance “Team” (Department) to ensure that clinical documentation; data capture practices are compliant, efficient, accurate and consistent. Specifically, the Clinical Documentation Physician Liaison will:
(1) perform audits/reviews (concurrent and retrospectively) within the CHW facilities and of designed accountability for the purpose of assessing the accuracy of the clinical documentation in relation to compliance
(2) follow established audit/review functions and processes
(3) utilize data capture and/or coding software and other computer programs
(4) prepare audit reports in a timely manner and provide recommendations for corrective action and a timeline
(5) research, develop and present education programs and presentations to physicians, coders, management and other as assigned
(6) serve as a resource for healthcare system hospitals, physicians and coders
(7) manage through monitoring and tracking of clinical documentation improvement activities and statistics
(8) develop written clinical documentation compliance articles for departmental newsletter, etc.
(9) contribute ideas to the departmental work plan and participate in departmental staff meetings
IV. MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Mission and Philosophy:
· Accepts a commitment to the values expressed in the System’s Mission and Philosophy statement;
· Demonstrates behavior consistent with the healthcare system values;
· Contributes to the expected positive climate within the healthcare system, working well with both internal and external clients as well as subordinates.
2. Principal Accountabilities:
· Presents education programs on a regular basis designed to improve the accuracy and consisting of clinical documentation and coding to HIM Coding staff, physicians and others.
· Performs regular/daily reviews/audits as assigned. Perform follow-up and focused audits as directed and as necessary, both concurrent and retrospectively.
· Provide leadership and direction as needed to the HIM Director, Case Mgmt Director and staff on issues related to clinical documentation improvement, disease process, corporate compliance, projects and other initiatives.
· Serves as a resource for Case Mgmt, HIM Coding staff who have questions and seek clarification.
· Assistants in the maintenance of the frequently asked questions database on CHW's Internet site for access by hospital staff.
· Works with Case Management to periodically analyze MS-DRG data, MDC and ICD-9-CM to identify variations and determine the cause and the appropriateness of such variation and presents such findings to CEO, COO, CFO and departmental directors.
® Analyzes the effectiveness and efficiency of clinical documentation processes, and advises COO and CFO on mechanisms to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
® At the request of the CFOs and other management, evaluates systems and processes related to or impacting coding and recommend system process improvements, which will enhance the organization's efficiency.
® Ensures that data collection is performed in a manner consistent with relevant laws, regulations and standards.
® Participate in a “newsletter” via writing articles related to coding compliance issues.
® Assists the organization in reviews relating to internal or external investigations.
V. KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
1. Performs their job function in a way that makes him/her a recognized expert for CHW affiliated hospital, physicians and other entities.
2. Develops the trust and confidence of HIM Coding Staff and HIM management and becomes the resource of choice for the coding compliance and hospital coder clinical questions.
3. Develops a trust and confidence of the COO, CFO and other market and divisional managers with accountability for coding within assigned geographic areas.
4. Manage and coordinate with HIM Directors on specific clinical documentation and coding compliance accountability issues.
VI. YEARLY MEASURABLES
1. Perform required concurrent and retrospective documentation audits for all assigned each fiscal year.
2. Perform follow-up and focused documentation compliance audits as necessary.
3. Submit audit summary report and other materials in a timely and thorough manner.
4. Develop and conduct educational programs and presentations as required.
5. Write articles for internal newsletter related to clinical documentation improvement, data accuracy, and MS-DRGs and compliance.
6. Assist in compliance policy development and implementation.
7. Track documentation improvement results via data for the initiative and projects.
8. Participate in staff meetings and provide comments, suggestions and ideas to improve current functions.
9. Manage specific and detailed issues related to clinical documentation improvement
Physician liaison coding.rtf
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