Inpatient Coder

Come lead with us at Corporate at Houston Methodist. The Inpatient Coder position is responsible for ensuring diagnostic and procedure codes are assigned accurately to inpatient encounters based upon documentation within the electronic medical record while maintaining compliance with established rules and regulatory guidelines.

FLSA Status

Non‑exempt

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree or higher in a CAHIIM‑accredited program, or an additional two years of experience in lieu of the degree.
• One year of relevant inpatient coding experience, or successful completion of the Houston Methodist Coding Apprentice Program, or the Outpatient to Inpatient Coder Transition Program.

Licenses and Certifications

• RHIT – Certified Health Information Technician (AHIMA)
• RHIA – Registered Health Information Administrator (AHIMA)
• CCS – Certified Coding Specialist (AHIMA)

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through ongoing assessments.
• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing English to perform essential functions, especially those impacting patient or employee safety.
• Ability to communicate effectively with patients, physicians, family members, and co‑workers with a customer‑service focus.
• Knowledge of coding classification systems, DRG and APC systems, official coding guidelines, and coding compliance.
• Knowledge of an electronic medical record and imaging systems (preferred).
• Working knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology.
• Proficiency with electronic encoder applications (preferred).
• Extensive PC knowledge; ability to work effectively with common office software, coding software, and abstracting systems.

People Essential Functions

• Interacts and communicates effectively with members of the coding team and appropriate stakeholders.
• Participates and provides feedback during coding section meetings and coding education in‑services.
• Initiates assistance to others and shares knowledge with appropriate stakeholders.

Service Essential Functions

• Responds promptly to internal and external customer requests.
• Responds promptly and appropriately to requests to code or review coded accounts for accuracy.
• Initiates queries with physicians to obtain or clarify diagnoses and/or procedures, utilizing the established physician query process.

Quality/Safety Essential Functions

• Maintains the highest standards of coding quality by assigning accurate ICD‑10‑CM/ICD‑10‑PCS codes using an electronic encoder in accordance with hospital policy and regulatory guidelines.
• Reviews discharge disposition entered by nursing and corrects as necessary to achieve high‑quality data.
• Assigns and enters physician identification numbers and procedure dates correctly in the medical record abstracting system.
• Reviews medical record documentation and abstracts data into the encoder and EPIC/EHR to determine principal/final diagnosis, comorbid conditions, complications, secondary conditions, and procedures.
• Utilizes all tools and resources to ensure accuracy.
• Complies with the Standards of Ethical Coding set forth by AHIMA and adheres to official guidelines.

Finance Essential Functions

• Utilizes time effectively while maintaining departmental productivity standards.
• Supports organizational goals for Accounts Receivable by reducing uncoded accounts.
• Maintains coding timeframes within established departmental standards, ensuring timely processing of work items in coding queues.

Growth/Innovation Essential Functions

• Critically evaluates personal performance, accepts constructive criticism, and seeks improvement.
• Displays initiative to improve job performance.
• Contributes ideas to improve the quality of coding and abstracting data.

Supplemental Requirements

• Uniform: Business professional attire required; no scrubs.
• On‑Call: Not required, though employees may be called during emergencies (e.g., disaster, severe weather).
• Travel: May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area (yes) and may require travel outside the Houston Metropolitan area (yes).