Director Health Information Management

Job description

SUMMARY: The Director of Health Information Management provides enterprise leadership for the management, integrity, accessibility, confidentiality, and retention of patient health information across Brown University Health. This role is responsible for medical record operations, record completion, release of information, document management, patient identity integrity, legal health record standards, regulatory compliance, and electronic health record governance. The Director collaborates with clinical, Revenue Cycle, Compliance, Legal, Privacy, Information Technology, Quality, Risk Management, and operational leaders to ensure health information is accurate, complete, secure, and available to support patient care, regulatory requirements, and organizational decision-making. Brown University Health employees are expected to successfully role model the organization’s values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence, as these values guide our everyday actions with patients, customers and one another. In addition to our values, all employees are expected to demonstrate the core Success Factors which tell us how we work together and how we get things done. The core Success Factors include: Instill Trust and Value Differences Patient and Community Focus and Collaborate In addition, our leaders will demonstrate an aptitude for: Ensure Accountability and Build Effective Teams Drive Vision and Purpose and Optimize Work Processes By applying core and leadership competencies, leaders help Brown University Health achieve its strategic goals. RESPONSIBILITIES: Leadership and Operational Management • Provide strategic and operational leadership for enterprise Health Information Management functions across Brown University Health. • Direct daily HIM operations, including record completion, chart deficiency management, document imaging and indexing, release of information, patient identity management, record corrections and amendments, chart reconciliation, and record retention. • Establish a clear operating model, service standards, ownership structure, and escalation process for HIM functions across all facilities and care settings. • Lead and develop HIM managers, supervisors, and staff while promoting accountability, collaboration, professional growth, and continuous improvement. • Standardize HIM policies, procedures, and workflows across the organization while addressing necessary site-specific regulatory and operational requirements. • Evaluate staffing models, workloads, technology, and vendor support to improve productivity, service, quality, and cost effectiveness. Legal Health Record and Data Integrity • Establish and maintain the organization’s definition, content, and governance of the designated record set and legal health record. • Ensure the accuracy, completeness, accessibility, and integrity of patient health information within the electronic health record and related systems. • Oversee patient identity integrity, including duplicate medical record prevention, record overlays, demographic corrections, and remediation of identity-related issues. • Direct processes for documentation corrections, amendments, late entries, record merges, and other activities affecting the integrity of the patient record. • Partner with clinical and technology leaders to improve document capture, indexing, scanning, and interoperability processes. Privacy, Security, and Release of Information • Oversee release-of-information operations and ensure timely, accurate, and compliant responses to patients, providers, auditors, payers, attorneys, government agencies, and other authorized requestors. • Ensure HIM practices comply with HIPAA, applicable state privacy laws, information-blocking requirements, record-retention standards, and other regulations. • Collaborate with Privacy, Information Security, Compliance, and Legal leadership on privacy incidents, subpoenas, legal holds, regulatory inquiries, records requests, and investigations. • Maintain appropriate controls for access, disclosure, storage, retention, destruction, and transmission of protected health information. • Monitor release-of-information vendors and other HIM business partners for quality, timeliness, compliance, service levels, and contractual performance. Medical Record Completion and Regulatory Readiness • Oversee incomplete-record and delinquent-documentation processes, including physician notifications, escalation, and enforcement consistent with medical staff bylaws and organizational policy. • Develop and monitor processes that support timely completion and authentication of clinical documentation. • Serve as the primary HIM representative for accreditation surveys, internal and external audits, regulatory reviews, litigation support, and compliance inquiries. • Ensure readiness for requirements established by CMS, The Joint Commission, state agencies, and other applicable regulatory or accrediting bodies. • Implement corrective action plans in response to identified documentation, privacy, record-management, or regulatory deficiencies. Electronic Health Record and Technology Optimization • Provide HIM leadership for Epic and other health information technology initiatives. • Promote adherence to Epic Foundation workflows and reduce unnecessary manual, fragmented, or sitespecific processes. • Establish governance for HIM work queues, chart deficiencies, document types, record corrections, identity management, scanning, release of information, and retention workflows. • Partner with Information Technology to prioritize system enhancements, testing, implementation, access controls, workflow design, and issue resolution. • Use automation and technology to improve turnaround times, record quality, productivity, and patient and provider service. Performance Management and Continuous Improvement • Establish and monitor HIM key performance indicators, including medical record completion timeliness, delinquent record volume, release-of-information turnaround time, document indexing accuracy, duplicate medical record rate, record-correction turnaround time, request backlog, productivity, audit results, and vendor performance. • Regularly report results, risks, barriers, corrective actions, and improvement opportunities to senior leadership. • Use data, industry benchmarks, and root-cause analysis to improve quality, productivity, compliance, and cost effectiveness. • Establish clear action plans with accountable owners and estimated completion dates for identified performance gaps. Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement • Collaborate with clinical operations, medical staff leadership, Revenue Cycle, Compliance, Legal, Privacy, Finance, Information Technology, Quality, and Risk Management. • Serve as the organizational subject-matter expert for health information practices, legal health record requirements, record integrity, and information disclosure. • Build effective relationships with physicians and clinical leaders to improve documentation completion and record quality. • Represent HIM on enterprise governance committees, technology initiatives, operational improvement teams, and regulatory workgroups. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: EDUCATION: Education • Bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management, Health Informatics, Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or a related field required. • Master’s degree preferred. Certifications • Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) required. • Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) may be considered with significant enterprise HIM leadership experience and a commitment to obtain RHIA certification within an established timeframe. • Additional certification in healthcare privacy, security, compliance, or information governance, such as CHPS or CHPC, preferred. Experience • Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible Health Information Management experience. • Minimum of five years of management or leadership experience in a hospital or integrated health system. • Demonstrated experience leading HIM operations across multiple hospitals, facilities, or care settings. • Experience with medical record completion, release of information, legal health record management, patient identity integrity, privacy regulations, record retention, and regulatory audits. • Experience with Epic or a comparable enterprise electronic health record strongly preferred. • Demonstrated success standardizing processes, improving performance, developing teams, and leading organizational change. Skills and Competencies • Comprehensive knowledge of HIM operations, HIPAA, information blocking, record-retention requirements, legal health record standards, and applicable federal and state regulations. • Strong understanding of health information governance, data integrity, privacy, and electronic health record operations. • Strong analytical and performance-management capabilities. • Ability to establish accountability, translate performance findings into action plans, and drive work to completion. • Excellent leadership, communication, collaboration, and organizational-change skills. • Ability to work effectively with clinical, administrative, legal, compliance, and technology stakeholders at all organizational levels. Supervision Direct and indirect supervisory responsibility for HIM leaders and staff across Brown University Health. Final FTE accountability will be based on the approved organizational structure Pay Range: $134,035.20-$221,187.20 EEO Statement: Brown University Health is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and maintaining a work environment free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment. Location: BHCS 15 LaSalle Square - 15 LaSalle Square Providence, Rhode Island 02903 Work Type: M-F 8:00am-5:00pm Work Shift: Day Daily Hours: 8 hours Driving Required: Yes