Job Description

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Organization:

Health Information ManagementProvides strategic and operational leadership for medical record operations across Vanderbilt hospitals, and outpatient clinics. This role oversees record completion, transcription, indexing, scanning, and birth certificate processes (Clarksville). The Associate Director collaborates closely with HIM and VUMC leadership to ensure timely, accurate, compliant, and high quality health records that support clinical care, regulatory compliance, legal requirements, and organizational objectives.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Operational Leadership

• Oversees and manages all HIM/Medical Record Operations for regional Vanderbilt hospitals, and outpatient clinics/offices. (Clarksville, Tullahoma, Bedford and Wilson County)
• Ensures the effective operation of the department through program development, process improvement, and coordination of workflows across HIM functions.
• Manages record completion functions, including deficiency tracking.
• Develops, implements, and maintains standard operating procedures (SOPs) for all HIM operational areas.
• Resolves operational issues and ensures continuity of services across inpatient and outpatient settings.
• Manages all functions related to the Birth Certificate process (Clarksville only)
• Manages all functions related to medical record indexing and scanning.
• Develops in collaboration with each HIM Manager comprehensive productivity and QA standards for all of HIM personnel.
• Participates in budget planning, resource allocation, and cost containment activities related to HIM operations.

People Management

• Directly and indirectly manages HIM/Medical Record Operations staff members.
• Supports employee engagement, performance management, professional growth, and staff development.
• Promotes a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Identifies and develops future HIM leaders through coaching, mentoring, and succession planning.

Compliance, Quality & Risk Management

• Collaborates with HIM and VUMC leadership to ensure the integrity, accuracy, and completeness of the medical record.
• Ensures compliance with HIPAA, Joint Commission, CMS, state regulations, and organizational policies.
• Contributes to policy development, review, and updates related to medical records and documentation standards.
• Provides financial, quality, administrative, legal, and risk management oversight related to health information practices.
• Supports internal and external audits, regulatory reviews, and legal inquiries related to health information management.

Data, Reporting & Quality Oversight

• Oversees quality review processes to ensure documentation and records meet established standards.
• Uses data and metrics to monitor performance, identify trends, and drive continuous improvement.
• Prepares and presents operational and quality metrics to HIM and executive leadership.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

• Operations Planning (Intermediate): Anticipates resource needs, aligns staffing and workflows, and implements processes to meet operational objectives.
• People Management (Intermediate): Builds relationships, communicates effectively, and develops staff to achieve departmental and organizational goals.
• Compliance (Intermediate): Demonstrates understanding of regulatory, statutory, and accreditation requirements governing health information.
• Business Results (Novice): Achieves outcomes while emphasizing quality, customer service, and stewardship of resources.
• Quality Management (Intermediate): Implements systematic quality checks to ensure compliance with documentation and service standards.
• Leadership (Intermediate): Articulates a vision, sets measurable goals, motivates teams, and drives accountability and engagement.
• Data Entry (Advanced): Demonstrates strong accuracy and efficiency in managing and validating health information systems and documentation workflows.
• Health Information Systems & Data Integrity (Advanced): Demonstrates strong proficiency in EHR systems, data validation, and documentation workflows.

Our professional administrative functions include critical supporting roles in information technology and informatics, finance, administration, legal and community affairs, human resources, communications and marketing, development, facilities, and many more.

At our growing health system, we support each other and encourage excellence among all who are part of our workforce. High-achieving employees stay at Vanderbilt Health for professional growth, appreciation of benefits, and a sense of community and purpose.

Core Accountabilities:

* Organizational Impact: Establishes key tactical and operational plans of a sub-function or multiple departments that has longer-term effect on results of the sub-function. * Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Integrate knowledge and in-depth analysis from several areas to resolve complex problems that are both technical and operational. * Breadth of Knowledge: Applies comprehensive knowledge of professional/technical area and broad management knowledge of other professional areas to carry out objectives. * Team Interaction: Leads multiple departments with a function.

Core Capabilities

Supporting Colleagues: - Develops Self and Others: Acts upon constructive feedback from all levels of the organization and initiates strategies to develop talent in others. - Builds and Maintains Relationships: Leverages relationships and insight to forecast potential future needs and influence delivery of work to exceed expectations. - Communicates Effectively: Anticipates difference audience concerns, styles and finds mutually beneficial solutions across conflicting and sensitive issues. Delivering Excellent Services: - Serves Others with Compassion: Demonstrates in-depth knowledge of broad-based issues and considers the interests of others to improve satisfaction of services. - Solves Complex Problems: Critically evaluates complex information and identifies trends/risks to make recommendations to improve processes across areas. - Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing feedback and development discussions to motivate and support team members to maximize performance.Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Anticipates problems or obstacles which may interfere with quality standards and develops plants to ensure area's quality standards are met. - Ensures Continuous Improvement: Routinely draws upon valuable learning from others, past experiences, and new information to determine key opportunities. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Develops appropriate corrective actions for unsafe environments in order to ensure operational and safety compliance. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Identifies potential obstacles to goal achievement and develops solutions to address those obstacles. - Stewards Organizational Resources: Creates the appropriate systems and processes to effectively manage resources. - Makes Data Driven Decisions: Applies in-depth knowledge of data to recommend and implement new approaches to improve decision making capabilities. Fostering Innovation: - Generates New Ideas: Identifies opportunities and leads development of new initiatives that create value across areas. - Applies Technology: Creates the energy and drive for self/others to identify and leverage technology in new, innovative ways to drive greater efficiencies. - Adapts to Change: Anticipates the change process and clearly communicates impact on others/own team(s), assisting them in embracing the change.

Position Qualifications:

Responsibilities:

Certifications:

Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) - American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) - American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)

Work Experience:

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level:

5 years

Education:

Bachelor's (Required)

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth.

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity. EOE/Vets/Disabled.