Location: Boone, North Carolina | Full-Time | Why You'll Love Working Here
As a Hospital Coder Lead at UNC Health Appalachian, serve as the subject matter expert for inpatient and outpatient hospital coding accuracy, documentation integrity, regulatory compliance, and coding quality improvement initiatives. This position performs advanced coding and auditing functions while providing leadership, education, mentoring, and technical guidance to coding staff. The Lead Hospital Coder promotes accurate reimbursement, quality reporting, case mix optimization, and compliance with all federal, state, and organizational coding standards.
Compensation: Starting pay begins at $25.86 per hour, with competitive rates based on experience and education. Schedule: Variable shifts, including weekends and holidays. Benefits: Comprehensive medical/dental/vision coverage, retirement with employer match, paid time off, tuition reimbursement, paid parental leave, wellness incentives, and employee discounts. Position Summary
The Lead Hospital Coder assists the Facility Coding Operations and CDI Manager with oversight of daily coding operations. This position performs the full range of coding; abstracts data from the record; performs chart analysis and research of coding issues; peer reviews; and serves as a medical documentation and coding liaison to UNC Health Appalachian providers.
Position Qualifications
Minimum Education
High School diploma or GED is required at time of hire.
Associate Degree in related field preferred, but not required.
Experience
Three years inpatient coding experience or extensive knowledge and demonstrated work experience.
Previous supervisory experience in an HIM Department preferred.
Required Registration/License/Certification
Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) is required at time of hire.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Ability to communicate courteously and effectively with the public, patients, family, staff, and physician and acts within the chain of command, utilizing positive verbal and non-verbal skills
Competent in delivering safe and effective patient care within legal limits of license and certifications and hospital policies and procedures
Knowledge of the continuum of care provided in the patient care department
Ability to demonstrate exceptional customer service to patients, family, staff, and physicians
Physical Demands
Lifts, positions, pushes, pulls, and/or transfers up to and greater than 30 pounds
Manual dexterity and mobility
Prolonged, extensive or considerable sitting/standing/walking
Bending, squatting, twisting, and turning
Near acuity: ability to see clearly at 20 inches or less
Working Conditions
Infrequently exposed to the risk of bloodborne diseases
Infrequently exposed to hazards from electrical/mechanical/power equipment, odorous chemicals and specimens, and unpleasant elements (accident, injury, slippery surfaces, uneven surfaces), etc.
May be subject to irregular hours (days, evenings, nights, weekends, holidays) and emergencies
Continuous sitting, standing and walking long periods = to or greater than > 8 hours per shift
Speaking, reading, and writing, expanded > 8 hours per day