Health Information Technician

About the role

Hawthorn Children’s Psychiatric Hospital provides specialized care for clients diagnosed with mental illness. The Health Information Technician is responsible for the accurate collection, processing, coding, maintenance, and release of health information records. This role ensures completeness and compliance of documentation, protects patient confidentiality, and maintains regulatory standards.

Responsibilities

• Verify completeness of medical documentation, ensuring all necessary signatures, reports, and forms are present.
• Upload, scan, index, and maintain documents in electronic health record systems.
• Compile, review, catalog, and maintain medical reports and health information records.
• Assign accurate ICD‑10 Diagnosis codes.
• Read and analyze patient charts, contacting providers when clarification or additional documentation is needed.
• Release medical records per established procedures, ensuring strict confidentiality and compliance with federal/state regulations.
• Manage faxes, distribute them to correct destinations, verify patient information accuracy, and notify providers of available reports.
• Maintain spreadsheets, census data, admissions/discharges, and length‑of‑stay statistics.
• Coordinate with clinical, administrative, medical, quality management and billing departments regarding health record processes and requirements.
• Prepare charts for new admissions, complete forms, and process requests for records.
• File, retrieve, and track health information within electronic and physical systems.

Requirements

• Associate degree in Health Information Technology required
• RHIT certification required
• Minimum 1 year of experience in medical records or HIMS required; 2–3 years preferred.
• Knowledge of medical terminology, EHR terminology, anatomy, pathophysiology, Medicare/Medicaid regulations, Joint Commission standards, and confidentiality requirements.
• HIPAA compliance experience.
• Experience with medical coding (ICD‑10, CPT) practices.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, electronic record systems, spreadsheets, and data tracking.

Competencies

• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Independent, self‑motivated, and able to prioritize tasks effectively.
• Analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to identify workflow inefficiencies.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and handle sensitive information appropriately.