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Justice, Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System

Medical Records Administration Specialist

Justice, Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System See More Job Openings by This EmployerArrow
  • Full Time
  • $64,682 - $93,076/year
  • San Diego, CA
October 24, 2025

Job Description

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

Duties

Conducts quality improvement reviews, evaluates documents in medical records, identifies unrecorded diagnosis and inadequate coding and documentation.

Assists in developing policies and procedures for the Medical Record Department, answers medico-legal requests, advises staff members on methods of recording and retrieving health care data for special studies, coordinates doctors’ clinical pertinence reviews and closed record reviews.

Performs retrospective and concurrent chart reviews, retrieves data for studies, coordinates with appropriate personnel to meet local requirements concerned with the admission, treatment, transfer and discharge of patients.

Participates in the assessment and recommendation for automating department functions and the medical records.

Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with the responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staff's correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and is performed on a regular and recurring basis.

Salary
  • $64,682 - $93,076/year
Conditions of Employment
  • U.S. Citizenship is Required.
  • See Special Conditions of Employment Section.

Career Transition Programs (CTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:

  • 1. Meet CTAP eligibility criteria;
  • 2. Be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above based on scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and
  • 3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility.

NOTE: Applicants claiming CTAP eligibility must complete all assessment questions to be rated under the established ranking criteria.

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements:

Basic Requirements:

Education:

Successfully completed training in an approved school for medical records technicians equates to 1 year of general experience. No credit may be given for partial completion of such training.

Successful completion of a bachelor's degree in a medical records administration educational program accredited by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the American Medical Association's Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA) meets the requirements for GS-5 positions.

Successful completion of the requirements for a bachelor's degree (in any field) and 1 year in a medical records administration educational program accredited by AHIMA and CAHEA meets the requirements for GS-07.

OR

General Experience (for GS-5 positions):

Experience in the preparation, maintenance, and management of medical records and health information systems that provided a knowledge of medical terminology, medical records procedures, and medical, administrative, and legal requirements of health care delivery systems.

Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-05):

Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

  • Planning, developing, and directing a medical records program for a health care facility that meets both institutional goals and standards of accrediting agencies.
  • Evaluating and analyzing the organization and operation of medical records services, including medical records and indexes, and recommending and/or implementing appropriate revisions and modifications.
  • Assisting medical and administrative staff in evaluating the quality and appropriateness of patient and health care services.
  • Designing information systems to collect, analyze, monitor, report, and maintain privacy and confidentiality of patient and institutional data for health care related programs, and evaluating and implementing changes to assure the reliability of data.
  • Developing and implementing policies and procedures for processing legal medical documents and insurance and correspondence requests in accordance with Federal, State, and local statutes.

AND

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must have:

Education:

GL-07: One full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement.

GL-09: Master's or equivalent graduate degree, or two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.B or J.D., if related.

OR

Experience:

GL-07 and GL-09: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and must typically be in or related to the position to be filled.

Some examples of this qualifying experience are:

GL-07:

  • Experience working with automated medical records systems.
  • Experience recognizing acceptable medical record standards, medical and legal requirements, and proper maintenance of medical records.
  • Experience maintaining computer programs to accommodate health information data.
  • Experience reviewing routine health information and procedures for local compliance with regulatory, professional or JCAHO standards.
  • Experience and knowledge of the requirements of the Privacy Act and Freedom of Information Act and agency policies concerning release of medical information.

GL-09:

  • Experience training medical staff on correct procedures related to medical records documentation and requirements.
  • Experience reviewing requests and reporting unusual circumstances related to the use of medical records information.
  • Experience conducting quality improvement reviews to enhance the accuracy of medical records information.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience:

GL-07 and GL-09: Combination of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience. This experience must have equipped you with the qualifications to perform the major duties of this position as described above.

If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as number of hours worked per week) spent in the activities.

**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**

Education See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable. ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here. Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty. Other Information In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3307, a maximum entry age of 36 has been established for initial appointment to a position in a Bureau of Prisons institution. The representative rate for this position is $79,115 per annum ($37.91 per hour). Special Conditions of Employment Section: Initial appointment to a supervisory/managerial position requires a one-year probationary period. The incumbent is subject to geographic relocation to meet the needs of the agency. Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation. All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks. All applicants not currently working in an institution will be required to complete a qualification inquiry regarding convictions of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence in order to be authorized to carry a firearm. The Core Value Assessment (CVA) is an in-person assessment that must be facilitated at a Bureau of Prisons Human Resource Servicing office. On the day of the scheduled interview, a CVA will be administered. The applicant assessment must be completed within a 70 minute time period and a passing score of 68 must be obtained. Further employment consideration will not be extended if the applicant fails to complete the examination or fails to achieve a passing score. Note: The Core Value Assessment will not be administered to current BOP employees. Successful completion of the "Introduction to Correctional Techniques," three-week training course at Glynco, Georgia is required. The addresses listed on the USAJOBS account/resume must be the primary residence at the time of application. You may be required to provide proof of residence. Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate. Although competitive and non-competitive applications are being accepted, the selecting official may elect to have only one group reviewed. NOTE: A 13% GROUP RETENTION INCENTIVE WILL BE OFFERED TO SELECTEE(S) WHO MEET THE CRITERIA FOR GROUP RETENTION INCENTIVE. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Exceptions may apply. See 5 CFR part 11. Required Documents

Failure to provide legible required documents and/or follow the prescribed format often results in removal from consideration.  If uploading documentation, do not identify/save your documents utilizing a special character such as %, #, @, etc. Documentation should be identified/saved as VA Letter, DD-214, or Transcripts.

  • Resume: Resume limited to 2 pages showing relevant experience (cover letter optional). Experience that would not normally be part of the Federal employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence of qualifying experience (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, Human Resource Manager, SF-52, etc.).
  • To receive credit for experience contained in an application, the experience must be documented:
    • Reflecting start date and end date in month/year format (MM/YYYY) AND
    • Include the number of hours worked per week.
  • SF-50: Current or former Federal employees NOT employed by the Bureau of Prisons MUST submit a copy of their SF-50 Form which shows competitive service appointment, tenure group, and salary. If you have promotion potential in your current position, please provide proof. If you are applying for a higher grade, and your experience was gained at a Federal agency other than the Bureau of Prisons, you MUST provide the SF-50 Form which verifies the length of time you have been in your highest grade and supports your claim for time in grade.
  • Employees applying with an interchange agreement must provide proof of their permanent appointment.
  • Current federal employees NOT employed by the BOP and former federal employees MUST submit a copy of their latest yearly performance appraisal/evaluation.
  • CTAP, Click Here, if applicable.
  • College transcript: includes the School Name, Student Name, Degree, and Date Awarded (if applicable).
    • NOTE: If you are selected, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day.

For more help, visit USAJOBS Help Center - What should I include in my resume?

We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, delays in mail service, applicant application errors, etc.

How to Apply

You must apply through the online application system at www.USAJOBS.gov. Follow the prompts to register, answer a few questions and submit all required documents.

Limit your resume to 2 pages. If the only resume(s) received is/are longer than two pages, your application is ineligible for further consideration. Submission of a resume alone is not a complete application. This position may require the completion of additional forms and/or supplemental materials as described under the Required Documents section. Please carefully review the complete job announcement and the "How to Apply" instructions. Failure to provide the required information and/or materials will result in your application not being considered for employment.

We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. USAJOBS Help Center - How to add a resume to your profile

Required supporting documentation must be electronically uploaded or transferred from USAJOBS (uploaded).

All required supporting documentation MUST be received by the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. You MUST include the vacancy announcement number on your supporting documentation.

Supporting documentation for announcements with an application limitation MUST be uploaded the same day you apply, as these positions may close earlier than stated in the announcement.

Paper applications: If applying online is impossible, please contact the Consolidated Staffing Unit at the telephone number listed below, prior to the closing date of the announcement for the alternate application procedure.

If applicable see Notice for Preference Eligible Veterans Applicants

Contact for Assistance in Applying On-Line:
DOJ, Federal Bureau of Prisons
Consolidated Staffing Unit
346 Marine Forces Drive
Grand Prairie, TX 75051
E-Mail: BOP-HRM-HRSC-ConsolidatedStaffingUnit-S@bop.gov
Phone: 972-352-4200



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