Vital Records Specialist

Vital Records Specialist I

340 Oklahoma State Department of Health

Under the direction of the State Registrar of Vital Records, the Vital Records Specialist assists the public and data providers in registering confidential events, amending the facts of those events, and obtaining copies of official state birth and death certificates and other associated records.

• Generous state paid benefit allowance to help cover insurance premiums.
• A wide choice of insurance plans with no pre‑existing condition exclusions or limitations.
• Flexible spending accounts for health care expenses and/or dependent care.
• Retirement Savings Plan with a generous match.
• 15 days of vacation and 15 days of sick leave the first year for full‑time employees.
• 11 paid holidays a year.
• Student Loan repayment options & tuition reimbursement.
• Employee discounts with a variety of companies and vendors.
• Longevity Bonus for years of service.

• Utilizes critical thinking to independently perform diverse and complex administrative tasks to research, assess, create, maintain and process vital records.
• Register birth and death certificates in accordance with standards established by extensive state law and policy for filing within the official state registry and federal contract for inclusion in national files.
• Assess and verify complex legal documents, e.g., court orders, affidavits, foreign and domestic identity documents, benefit statements, and lease agreements to determine the validity of submitted evidence to establish the identity and/or legal eligibility of applicants to amend and/or receive copies of records.
• Prepare and provide written individualized written and/or oral instructions to birth and death data providers including hospital/clinic staff, physicians, medical examiners, funeral homes, attorneys, and parents related to the filing, amendment, replacement of birth or death records, to include determinations of parentage, legitimation, adoption, delayed filings and providing for the registration of disinterment.
• Review and analyze records request applications for applicant eligibility, accuracy, consistency, and completeness of submitted information in accordance with established guidelines for identification, legal documents, and payment to prevent fraud, identity theft and the inappropriate release of confidential information. Actively monitor law, rules, policy, and procedure changes governing application process requirements.
• Responsible for the validation of identification for possible fraudulent submission.
• Analyze information, respond to questions, and resolve problems presented by customers or providers to determine the nature of the request and provide a reasonable solution.
• Advise leadership on laws, policies, and procedures related to the operations and provide other assistance as needed to promote strategic changes to these.
• Open, sort, prioritize, process, scan, and index mail according to department procedure.
• Manage and maintain legible permanent accessible electronic copies; amend and replace records within the system while maintaining all required documentation and administrative flags; and assure complete, accurate indexes of all vital records using various software applications and databases.
• Coordinate with internal divisions and state/federal agencies to acquire necessary legal documentation to register, amend or release records.
• Provide written and oral responses to inquiries concerning legal requirements for document submission, documentation, and filing deadlines.
• Provide instruction on the use of proprietary software to those given access to enter and certify legally required information for the purpose of officially registering a birth or death record.
• Serve as liaison to other public health, social service, and identity programs.
• Conduct User Acceptance testing of new software; prepare and write technical documents, e.g., user guides, system guide and policy manuals.
• Conduct medical record/chart audits for quality assurance of initial data submissions and as documentary evidence for the purpose of record modification.
• Serve as technical liaison on design, implementation and troubleshooting of various electronic systems.
• Assist in the development and deployment of online training, webinars and distance learning.
• Develop and implement training to enhance critical thinking, promote task completion, and correct poor performance of staff.
• Maintain organized case files for audits and special reports.
• Being present at the office is an essential function of the job.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements at this level consist of an associate’s degree and one year as a customer service representative or maintaining confidential records in an office environment; or an equivalent combination of education and experience, substituting one year of the qualifying experience for each 30 semester hours of the required education. Applicants must be willing and able to perform all…