Job Details

Certified Tumor Registrar

At Houston Methodist, the Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR) position is responsible for complete and accurate data collection/abstracting in accordance with state law as detailed in the Texas Cancer Incidence Act, the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Program Standards (ACOS CoC PS), and HM guidelines. This position ensures all healthcare cancer information is thoroughly reviewed and assigned appropriate codes and staging such that the statistical database is accurate, complete, and timely for required reporting. The CTR position also participates in continuous improvement, reporting, and follow-up programs in order to meet departmental goals and assists management and colleagues in all aspects of cancer program activities.

Patient age group(s) and population(s) served: Refer to departmental "Scope of Service" and "Provision of Care" plans, as applicable, for description of primary age groups and populations served by this job for the respective HM entity.

Houston Methodist experience expectations:

• Provide personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values:
• Integrity: We are honest and ethical in all we say and do.
• Compassion: We embrace the whole person including emotional, ethical, physical, and spiritual needs.
• Accountability: We hold ourselves accountable for all our actions.
• Respect: We treat every individual as a person of worth, dignity, and value.
• Excellence: We strive to be the best at what we do and a model for others to emulate.
• Practices the Caring and Serving Model
• Delivers personalized service using HM Service Standards
• Provides for exceptional patient/customer experiences by following our Standards of Practice of always using Positive Language (AIDET, Managing Up, Key Words)
• Intentionally collaborates with other healthcare professionals involved in patients/customers or employees' experiential journeys to ensure strong communication, ease of access to information, and a seamless experience
• Involves patients (customers) in shift/handoff reports by enabling their participation in their plan of care as applicable to the given job
• Actively supports the organization's vision, fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

Responsibilities:

• Participates in planning and conducting of a continuous improvement program to ensure accurate, complete, and timely data collection.
• Assists with development and maintenance of policies & procedures and other reference aids.
• Analyzes and reviews the healthcare documented in various sources that includes system records as well as correspondence with physician offices and other facilities to obtain all necessary cancer information ensuring each case is thoroughly and completely abstracted.
• Assists with reporting of data to the Texas Department of Health (state central cancer registry), National Cancer Data Base, physicians, and other authorized users in accordance with departmental procedures for release of information.
• Coordinates case finding and data collection activities in accordance with the Texas Cancer Incidence Reporting Act, American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Program Standards (ACOS CoC PS) and HM Cancer Committee; ensuring timely abstracting of data.
• Ensures department productivity and data accuracy is maintained at appropriate levels to meet agency requirements.
• Identifies continuing education needs of the department and participates in staff development.
• Maintains and actively expands knowledge of the cancer disease process, diagnostic methods and procedures, and all possible treatment variations.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

Qualifications:

• High School diploma or equivalent education (examples include: GED, verification of homeschool equivalency, partial or full completion of post-secondary education, etc.)
• Some college preferred
• Successful completion of a clinical practicum or one year of experience in the cancer registry field

License/Certification:

• ODS - Oncology Data Specialist (NCRA) -- Formerly known as Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR) by National Board for Certified Registrars

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations
• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security
• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members, and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles
• Thorough knowledge of and ability to code cancer data utilizing International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (ICDO), FORDS, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC), SEER Summary Stage and Texas Cancer Reporting Handbook
• Knowledge of statistics, medical terminology, and anatomy
• Basic computer skills as related to database and other software applications related to registry data management
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality
• Detail oriented

Supplemental requirements:

• Work attire: Business professional
• On-call: No
• Travel: May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area

Company Profile

Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital, scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2025, will be Houston Methodist's ninth hospital and will incorporate the most advanced technology available from the day the doors open. With 100 beds (at our opening; licensed for 276) and a prime location in the heart of the rapidly growing U.S. 290 corridor, the hospital will be equipped with technologically advanced innovations implemented during COVID, many of them designed to make patient communication with physicians, staff, and families the very best and most effective in any health care facility. Even though the hospital won't be fully operational until 2025, we have several services and specialties opening in 2024.