Regional HIM Coding Director - Western Region - Full-time / Part-time

The Regional Coding Director will be responsible for providing regional level leadership and oversight to Optum360 coding services, directly overseeing facility-based and/or or HIM Center operations leadership of Optum 360 Coding Departments within their assigned Region.  This Director will lead key initiatives within the organization to meet or exceed DNFB metrics, drive efficient coding services, and manage both internal and contract labor coding team, deliver performance excellence through standardization of processes and focus primarily on ensuring best practices are followed within their respective facilities.  This position is key in delivering critical feedback and coaching to facility-based leadership, consistently improving the patient, employee and client experience. The Regional Coding Director is a critical member of the Optum360 HIM/Coding Operations team.  This position is directly accountable for meeting performance and financial metrics, key performance indicators established by both the client and Optum 360 to ensure accurate and timely coding.  This role is also responsible for creating a patient centric culture while maintaining strong operational metrics and being financially fiscal. 
 
The Regional Coding Director drives continuous improvements and tracks, monitors and trends performance to improve business objectives and to disrupt the status quo in order to exceed Service Level Agreement commitments.  This position must maintain strong client relationships and represent Optum360 in all aspects of its values.  This Regional Coding Director will serve as a conduit to drive employee engagement, set and balance expectations and reward and recognize winning performance through accountability, performance management, and strong leadership.
 
Primary Responsibilities:

Maintains and demonstrates expert knowledge of coding, coding operations, managing contract coders (domestic and global) and best demonstrated coding practices; drives the integration of Optum360 Coding related business objectives within the client environment
Identifies & builds consensus for facilitation of system and process standardization, utilization of best practices, work integration, change management, issue resolution, metric development and measurement, and communication related to the key components of coding operations:

Executes the integration of the Optum360 Coding functions and processes in the facilities they serve
Leverages standard processes, systems or other vehicles to reduce waste and cost at the facility while improving SLAs, KPIs, metrics and the overall client and/or patient experience
Works collaboratively with the Regional HIM Operations Director and facility HIM Director to monitor day to day coding operations
Provides facility level oversight for processes and initiatives designed to continuously improve DNFB and Coding Revenue Cycle performance and/or efficiency
Maintains expert knowledge of coding to ensure high productivity and proficiency standards of performance are achieved and utilizes such skills to manage DNFB/FBNM and other coding metrics as assigned to meet or exceed targets
Effectively leads and participates in coding quality assurance/compliance activities that include action plans relevant to audit results including remediation, education, and when appropriate assisting to create and monitor corrective action plans
Routinely performs site visits to each facility and HIM Business Center of Excellence as needed to provide support, review of process improvements, provide feedback and identify areas of opportunity
Provides comprehensive site visit reports as requested to leadership team, Client Service Executive and local Chief Financial Officer as necessary
Serves as the liaison between the coding and the Regional Revenue Cycle team and collaboratively brings each unit together including establishing, building and maintaining cohesive relationships with the client
Effectively utilizes tools and data provided to capture and continually improve union, client and employee engagement. Leads initiatives towards meeting and exceeding employee satisfaction
Leads by example; promotes teamwork by fostering a positive, transparent and focused working environment which achieves maximum results
Participates actively in leadership forums at the system level, and leads such forums and other informational/educational offerings for assigned HIM/Coding Directors and Managers
Provides team leadership and promotes a successful business operation by:

Fosters teamwork atmosphere between business and clinical stakeholders
Hires and manages staff to achieve strategic objective
Provides staff training and mentoring
Maintains close business relationship with associates at the regional and local levels by ensuring onsite presence at regular intervals and during special events
Provides coaching and development of employees through consistent performance management and constructive feedback geared towards accountability
Rewards and recognizes performance and provides leadership direction during the common review process
Seeks to innovate and foster new ideas toward the development of staff to ensure increased employee engagement and employee satisfaction
Other duties as needed and assigned by HIM Leadership and/or other Optum360 leadership, including but not limited to leading and conducting special projects.  Develops project work plans, facilitates resource allocation, executes project tasks and obtains assistance from other intra and inter-departmental resources, as required
Function as the Subject Matter Expert of applicable Federal, State, and local laws and regulations, Optum360’s organizational integrity program, standards of conduct, as well as other policies and procedures in order to ensure adherence in a manner that reflects honest, ethical, and professional behavior. Promotes a service-oriented culture within the organization and assures satisfaction with the quality and amount of support provided for departmental functions, initiatives and projects

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor’s Degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or a related field required; Master’s Degree preferred
7+ years of experience in corporate coding leadership role for large multi-site healthcare organizations with responsibility for at least 100-150 coding staff members, both internal and contract as well as remote and/or domestic and global   
Proven record of successfully managing DNFB, global contract coding, and coding compliance programs, preferable in a client-vendor based environment
Experience working collaboratively with CDI departments in partnership to improve reimbursement accuracy
Required Certifications include RHIT or RHIA and CCS or AAPC credential 
Requires proficiency with:  Microsoft Excel, Word, Project, PowerPoint and SharePoint
Prior experience with computer assisted coding technologies and EMR coding workflow
Frequent travel (up to 70%) to client locations
Pacific, Mountain or Central time zone required
Excellent organizational skills including ability to multi-task, produce rapid turnaround, and effectively manage multiple projects 
Exemplary leadership and business driver skills including ability to make hard decisions focusing upon operational goals and business requirements
Identify and utilize key data points for making informed, data driven decisions.  Demonstrated success in assessing operational opportunities for greater efficiency and/or effectiveness by apply critical thinking expertise
Ability to influence change and serve as primary change agent
Demonstrated client service/account management orientation, ability to build and maintain effective relationships and ability to influence without authority
Strong program management skills with the ability to lead and manage multiple, concurrent running projects, prioritize tasks and adapt to frequent changes in functional/regional/departmental priorities.  Ability to recognize necessary changes in priority of tasks and allocation of resources, and bring them to the attention of Optum360 leadership, as required.  Demonstrated knowledge of process improvement techniques are essential to success, as is the ability to be a self-starter and work independently to move projects successfully forward
Ability to work with a variety of individuals in executive, managerial and staff level positions.  The incumbent frequently interacts with staff at the Corporate/National, Regional and Local organizations.  May also interact with external parties, such as financial auditors, third party payer auditors, consultants, and various hospital associations
Operational knowledge of health care related Federal and State regulations, as well as standards from regulatory agencies and accrediting organizations (e.g. CMS, TJC)
Five or more years of consulting and project management experience in revenue cycle design and optimization highly desirable
Experience working in a union environment preferred
Experience leading or participating in large Coding-related IT implementation projects preferred
Must be comfortable operating in a collaborative, shared leadership environment that encourages change engagement and participation, and open dialogue. Ability to work within the organization at all levels utilizing a very “hands-on” approach to creating value and buy-ins as the lead change facilitator
Ability to attract, develop, deploy and retain a world‑class revenue cycle team, capable of performing as a team and of evolving with the organization’s vision and with cutting‑edge technologies
Must possess a personal presence that is characterized by a sense of honesty, integrity, and caring with the ability to inspire and motivate others to promote the philosophy, mission, vision, goals, and values of Optum360 and our client organization(s)Careers with Optum. Here's the idea. We built an entire organization around one giant objective; make health care work better for everyone. So when it comes to how we use the world?s large accumulation of health-related information, or guide health and lifestyle choices or manage pharmacy benefits for millions, our first goal is to leap beyond the status quo and uncover new ways to serve. Optum, part of the UnitedHealth Group family of businesses, brings together some of the greatest minds and most advanced ideas on where health care has to go in order to reach its fullest potential. For you, that means working on high performance teams against sophisticated challenges that matter. Optum, incredible ideas in one incredible company and a singular opportunity to do your life's best work.SM
 
Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.