Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• English Language Proficiency
• MRT (Cancer Registrar) candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f)
• Experience and Education: Experience
• One year of experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology and general understanding of the health record
• Six months of the required one year of experience must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to perform MRT work
• OR, Education
• Two years above high school with a minimum of 12 semester hours directly related to MRT work (e.g., courses in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and introduction to health records)
• OR, Experience/Education Combination
• Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying
• The following educational/training substitutions are appropriate for combining education and experience: (a) Six months of experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology and general understanding of the health record and one year above high school with a minimum of six semester hours of health information technology courses
• (b) Successful completion of a course for medical technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or hospital training obtained in a training program given by the Armed Forces or the U.S. Maritime Service under close medical and professional supervision
• Training may be substituted on a month-for-month basis for up to six months of experience, provided the training program included courses in anatomy, physiology, and medical record techniques and procedures
• The position requires six additional months of experience that indicates knowledge of medical terminology and general understanding of the health record
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria)
• Grade Determinations: GS-9, MRT (Cancer Registrar) Coordinator, Experience
• One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge and understanding of ACoS and/or facility requirements for administering, monitoring, and reporting compliance of the cancer program to the governing bodies
• (b) Ability to interpret data to set, evaluate, and adjust the cancer program and/or facility goals and objectives
• (c) Ability to inform cancer registry staff on the technical components of the cancer database, coordinate workflow and monitor data for accuracy and quality measures
• (d) Ability to multitask
• (e) Ability to communicate with individuals from various disciplines regarding the facility requirements of the cancer program
• (f) Ability to analyze and interpret data for use in facility strategic planning
• (g) Ability to develop cancer program/cancer registry policies and procedures to ensure patient-centered care for cancer patients in accordance with governmentwide, agency, and facility requirements
• Assignment
• For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time
• MRTs (Cancer Registrar) function as the coordinator of all activities associated with the cancer registry and cancer program
• Provides technical direction to program clerks and technicians who assist with the cancer registry
• Performs analysis of work processes to identify reasonable and efficient measurement of the quality of the work and identify areas of possible improvement
• Prepares routine and special statistical reports, narratives and graphic representations requiring use of registry data
• Conducts special studies and surveys for identifying opportunities to improve patient care
• MRT (Cancer Registrar) are subject matter experts on ACoS and/or facility standards pertaining to setting and monitoring goals, presenting statistical and written reports to identify resource needs and process improvement opportunities, and participating in strategic planning
• Serves as a liaison between the cancer committee and internal and external entities
• Serves as a core member on cancer committees to ensure that the discussions are consultative, address patient management issues, and contain applicable staging schema
• MRT (Cancer Registrar) are subject matter experts on registry and cancer program issues
• Preferred Experience: Minimum three (3) years Oncology Data Specialist (ODS)/cancer registry experience preferred
• Strong understanding and proficiency in using electronic health records and cancer registry software
• Prior experience with cancer accreditation preferred
• Certified Oncology Data Specialist or obtain certification within two (2) years of employment
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-9. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary with considerable computer and keyboard work
• The work includes some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items such as files, papers and books.