Coding Specialist, FT

Come work with an award winning team! Thanks to the readers of The Daily Freeman-Journal, VDMC was named Best Place to Work in both 2023 and 2024. Van Diest Medical Center has also been recognized as a 2025 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. Chartis’ annual Top 100 award program recognizes outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX®. This marks the second year for VDMC’s inclusion on the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals.  VDMC is one of only 12 hospitals in the state of Iowa to achieve this designation.  Nationwide, there are 1,366 critical access hospitals. Additionally, Van Diest Medical Center (VDMC) has also been named a 2024 and 2025 Top Workplaces INDUSTRY winner. Top Workplaces Industry awards celebrate organizations that have built people-first workplace cultures within their sector. The award marks them as an employer of choice for those seeking employment in the industry. Details about how Van Diest Medical Center builds a great workplace culture are available at: https://topworkplaces.com/company/van-diest-medical-center/. 

The Medical Coder is responsible for coding inpatient and outpatient records for the purpose of reimbursement, research and compliance with federal regulations according to diagnosis(es), operation(s), and procedure(s) using ICD-10, HCPCS, and CPT classification systems; analyzes and reviews records for completeness, audits charges against documentation to verify compliant billing practices, and queries the provider for supporting documentation as needed.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Completes all required competencies and continually provides all documentation to Human Resources, Employee Health Department and other departments that meet timeliness and other requirements
2. Identifies and codes hospital and/or clinic records for  the purpose of reimbursement, research, and compliance with federal regulations according to diagnosis(es), and procedure(s), using the ICD-10-CM, CPT, and HCPCS classification systems
3. Examines all applicable forms in the medical record to ensure they’re complete and accurate
4. Demonstrates ability to read, write and comprehend the contents of a patient’s chart sufficiently to code the medical record
5. Demonstrates complete understanding of all procedures concerning the sequencing of diagnoses, operations or procedures
6. Audits charges against documentation to verify compliant billing practices
7. Abstracts statistical data for discharged records using the hospital’s abstracting system
8. Maintains reference material on a continuing basis; recommends updates to procedures as required by coding conventions
9. Routinely monitors encounters not coded yet and/or on hold for appropriate action steps
10. Queries the provider and/or nurse in a timely manner for pertinent documentation to support compliant billing
11. Perform other duties as assigned.

Has the potential to be remote for Iowa residents. 

8am-4:30pm. .9-1 FTE