Health Information Specialist

Position Summary
The Health Information Specialist (HIS) maintains the accuracy, completeness, accessibility, and compliance of patient records across the practice. The role brings together medical records management, clinical documentation auditing, intake and patient outreach, provider credentialing, prior authorization support, and quality and compliance work in a psychiatry and behavioral health setting. The specialist works closely with psychiatric providers, clinical leadership, and administrative teams to support high-quality, compliant, and well-documented patient care.
The practice employs two Health Information Specialists who share this job description. Primary ownership of individual functions is assigned by leadership and may rotate to provide cross-coverage.
Key Responsibilities
Medical Records and Correspondence
Process and track all incoming and outgoing medical records requests
Handle legal documentation requests related to medical records, including subpoenas and other formal requests
Manage the HIS inbox and respond to patient and staff inquiries related to records and documentation
Manage the patient forms inbox and complete forms for provider review
Manage incoming and outgoing faxes
Notify primary care providers when a referred patient begins services with the practice
Maintain and organize patient ID documentation and other records in Dropbox, and upload documents to the correct patient chart
Clinical Documentation Audit and Compliance
Conduct regular chart audits and provider note compliance checks to verify documentation is complete and meets insurance and regulatory requirements
Flag missing or incomplete documentation and coordinate with providers and administrative staff to resolve it
Maintain strict confidentiality and compliance with HIPAA, payer, regulatory, and organizational policies
Intake and Patient Documentation
Ensure intake paperwork is fully completed before patients are seen, and follow up with patients when it is not
Connect with patients requiring completion of new or updated intake and clinical paperwork
Connect with patients turning 18 to complete and sign their own documentation
Patient Outreach and Re-engagement
Send next-day texts to patients who no-show and assist with rescheduling
Connect with patients who have missed 3 consecutive appointments
Conduct 3-month outreach to patients not seen within the past three months to support scheduling and re-engagement
Prepare and send discharge letters, including annual discharge letters to inactive patients, in accordance with behavioral health policies and continuity-of-care requirements
Provider Credentialing and Payer Enrollment
Own and manage provider credentialing and termination processes with insurances
Manage provider CAQH profiles, updating and attesting as required
Attest the organization and its providers with insurances every 90 days
Liaise with the practice's malpractice vendor to add new providers to coverage and remove providers leaving the practice
Maintain LabCorp, Quest, GeneSight, and CRISP accounts
Prior Authorizations
Support the Prior Authorizations team and process prior authorizations for medications as needed
Quality and Process Improvement
Assist in developing and maintaining audit tools, compliance workflows, and documentation
Support quality improvement initiatives related to patient access, retention, and documentation compliance
Maintain task data for monthly Quality Team dashboard updates
Other
Additional duties as assigned
Qualifications
Required
Associate's degree (minimum)
Experience in behavioral health, psychiatry, healthcare administration, compliance, or medical records
Strong attention to detail and ability to manage sensitive clinical information
Proficiency with electronic health records (EHR) and standard office software
Preferred
Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration, Psychology, Health Information Management, or a related field
Familiarity with behavioral health documentation standards, audits, and prior authorization processes
Knowledge of HIPAA and behavioral health confidentiality regulations
Experience with provider credentialing, CAQH, and payer enrollment
Skills and Competencies
Strong analytical and organizational skills
Clear and professional written and verbal communication
Ability to collaborate effectively with psychiatric providers and clinical teams
Discretion and sound judgment when handling confidential behavioral health information
Experience completing prior authorizations for medications
Strong general computer skills, including Excel with data manipulation, Word, and Google Workspace
Work Schedule
Full-time, salaried position
9:30am – 6:00pm Monday to Friday
Location: hybrid

Employment type
Full-Time

Work arrangement
No