Become A Cancer Registrar

* Abstracts information from patients' medical records according to the Commission on Cancer standards.
* Analyzes clinical cancer information, independently completes patient abstracts, and performs patient follow up activities according to all national and state reporting requirements with accuracy and in a timely manner.
* Enters information into facility's data base and submits data to the National Cancer Database.
* Ensures accuracy and integrity of medical record abstracted data.
* Works with physicians and patients to get complete records and report findings related to the cancer disease process as it relates to diagnosis, treatment, staging, progression and follow up to maintain an accredited Oncology Program through the American College of Surgeons; Commission on Cancer.
* Participates in tumor registry quality initiatives, program development and process improvement initiatives

* 1. Actively demonstrates the organization’s mission and core values, and conducts oneself at all times in a manner consistent with these values.
* Knows and adheres to all laws and regulations pertaining to patient health, safety and medical information.
* Process pathology, radiation oncology and diagnosis index reports for cancer case finding.
* Enter new cancer cases into the suspense system assigning ICD
* codes.
* Generates TNM clarification and the daily determination and generation of TNM Staging form requirements for all newly diagnosed cancers and routes the forms to physicians for completion.
* Abstracts patient medical records into cancer registry database to include complete data sets.
* Clinical data abstracted from electronic patient medical record.
* Generate and cross check follow up control lists and process.
* Prepare follow up letters, process results, and updates patient records as necessary.
* Respond to follow up request from other hospitals.
* Coordinate cancer patient conferences: Schedule cancer cases for discussion, coordinate efforts to obtain radiology films and pathology slides, monitor cancer conference activities, and report activities to cancer committee.
* Maintain physician database in clinical registry software system.
* Coordinate volunteer activities.
* Performs other related Clinical Registry duties as assigned.
* JOB SPECIFICATIONS AND CORE COMPETENCIES

* Identifies, codes and abstracts records of all eligible cancer patients (analytic and non-analytic), utilizing the cancer registry data system within the guidelines and requirements of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Program Standards.
* Conducts annual follow-up on patients in the Cancer Registry to ensure complete data tracking.
* Provides assistance to the Cancer Committee to ensure compliance with Commission on Cancer Standards, including Cancer Case conference participation.
* Prepares reports per data queries, as delegated, to provide timely and accurate statistics as required for treatment, quality, education, research and administrative purposes.
* Assists with the preparation of the annual report and departmental policies and procedures as requested.
* Flexible hours once training is complete.
* Remote work possible for experienced CTR's

* _
* a.
* Follows policy/procedure for Incident Report/ Sentinel Events.
* b.
* Follows Confidentiality Policy/Procedure.
* c.
* Creates a Safe Environment: Patient I
* D.; Unit/Departmental Specific Policies.
* d.
* Adheres to hospital wide and specific department safety regulations: Fire and Tornado; Environmental Safety.
* e.
* Complies with patients rights/regulations.
* Coordination of Services:_
* a.
* Abstracting and Follow-up: Prepares St.
* John’s Mercy Medical Center summary information regarding patient demographics, tumor characteristics (site, histology, extent of disease), treatment (surgical, radiological, chemotherapeutic), vital status, and social history.
* Demonstrates complete understanding of the SEER and TNM staging systems.
* Documents follow-up system annually (records any evidence of recurrent disease, further treatment given, and quality of survival, etc.) to assure patient follow-up with their physician.
* b.
* Quality Assurance/Research: Responds to requests for information, participates in the development of QI program to ensure accuracy and quality data, patient care evaluation studies, outcome data, and researching the feature site(s) for the annual report.
* c.
* Casefinding: Ensures the inclusion of all patients diagnosed and/or treated for malignancies at St.
* John’s Mercy Medical Center (inpatient and outpatient); provides synthesis of information from pathology reports, medical records, computer-generated reports, radiation therapy and cytology results.
* d.
* Project Management/Conferences: Assists in special tumor registry projects, cancer committee and oncology conference preparation and attendance.
* e.
* Establishes and maintains procedure through which the dual requirements of casefinding and abstracting timelines (as defined by ACoS) are met (i.e. “close out”).
* Primary Aspects:_
* A.
* Demonstrates proper time management skills and priority setting.
* B.
* Casefinding: Utilizes current ACoS principles and cancer committee directives to establish reportable and non-reportable cases.
* Establishes procedures to ensure inclusion of all reportable cases.
* Source documents include, but are not limited to, pathology reports, radiation oncology records, medical records provided and/or requested from HIS and cytology reports.
* Abstracting:_
* a.
* Determines from source documents: i.
* Patient demographic characteristics; ii.
* Morphology and histology of primary cancer according to current edition of ICD
* O; iii.
* Diagnostic procedures; iv.
* Stage/extent of disease using both SEER and current TNM guidelines. v.
* All relevant medical treatment modalities.
* b.
* Coordinates physician review of 10% of all cases accessioned by the Cancer Registry under the direction of the Cancer Committee.
* c.
* Documentation is factual, accurate, organized, complete, current and confidential.
* d.
* Coordinates peer review of charts to ensure quality abstracting.
* e.
* Inputs above data items into computer system according to specific guidelines in abstracting manual.
* Follow-up:_
* a.
* Follow all living patients with reportable malignancies (except for carcinoma in-situ of cervix and non-analytic) to obtain vital status, cancer status, subsequent treatment received, and inputs results into computer system.
* b.
* Assists in maintaining at least the minimum follow-up rate (90%) as required by ACoS.
* E.
* Demonstrates flexibility regarding workload, assignments and change
* F.
* Attends Cancer Committee and tumor conferences.
* G.
* Provides staff assistance to the Cancer Committee:
* a.
* Special projects delegated by the committee.
* H.
* Maintains quality control of casefinding, abstracting, follow-up and data entry with a minimum overall accuracy rate of 90% (random sample)
* a.
* Data Entry: All data input is double-checked daily by the abstractor.
* Communication Management:_
* A.
* Assists Cancer Registry supervisor and/or Executive Director in assembling and disseminating data collection in the Cancer Registry; 1.
* Answers requests for data; 2.
* Assists in defining parameters of both routine and special requests.
* Assists in various developmental stages of Annual Report.
* B.
* Assists Administration, clinicians, epidemiologists and other researchers on cancer-related studies and research projects as requested; 1.
* Completes selected Patient Care Evaluation studies (PCEs) from ACoS subject to review by selected physician-advisors; 2.
* Completes studies according to specific guidelines in areas identified as needing special review.
* Participates as a team member with department wide
* events/programs.
* D.
* Participates in continuing education through attendance at lectures, workshops and training programs and shares with co-workers.
* Technology:_
* A.
* Understands applicable and effectual uses of hospital and departmental computer systems.
* B.
* Demonstrates ability to maintain accurate data entry relevant to cancer cases, utilizing current software

* _
* Identifies all eligible analytic and non-analytic cases of malignant disease from sources such as pathology reports, logbooks, and the medical records department disease index.
* Maintains suspense log of reportable cases.
* Uses technical expertise to execute all data management activities with a focus on maintaining the Cancer Registry database through data abstraction according to the ACS CoC and Oncology Service Line requirements.
* Abstracts and codes core information from patient's medical record, including demographic characteristics, history of cancer, diagnostic procedures, diagnosis, stage, extent of disease and treatment in the Cancer Registry Database.
* Complies with state and national requirements and electronically submits cases
* Utilizes expertise in Facility Oncology Registry Data Standards (FORDS) Coding, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Staging, Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Summary Staging, ICD
* and ICD
* O3 Coding principles.
* Contacts physician’s offices to obtain complete diagnostic, treatment and clinical trial information on cases included in the Cancer Registry.
* Maintains a follow up rate consistent with CoC Standards on living patients to obtain end results information on the quality of life and length of survival, and assists other registries with their follow-up.
* Works with physicians in performing quality assurance of registry data as required by the ACS CoC.
* Communicates results of quality assurance activities to the Cancer Registry Quality Coordinator and Cancer Committee.
* Assembles and disseminates data collected in the tumor registry for appropriate studies and reports while maintaining a request log of usage.
* Complies with requests for data and/or statistics from the Cancer Committee, physicians, and other health care professionals as appropriate, while ensuring compliance with policies related to confidentiality and control of patient information.
* Responds to external requests for cancer data on mutual cases from staff at other facilities.
* Coordinates Cancer Conferences and works with pathology, radiology, physicians and the medical staff office to ensure that cases are presented and conferences meet ACS CoC and Continuing Medical Education (CME) requirements.
* Ensures that all necessary audio-visual equipment is set up for conference and working properly.
* Serves as a member of the Cancer Committee and interacts frequently with medical staff in order to maintain program components required for CoC accreditation.
* After consultation with the Cancer Committee Chairman and Coordinators, assists in preparing the Cancer Committee meeting agenda and taking minutes.
* Facilitates the development of the Cancer Program Annual Review, in collaboration with the Cancer Committee, demonstrating graphic presentations of data according to the requirements of the ACS CoC.
* Assists the Cancer Committee in evaluating and verifying performance reports and in developing criteria for quality improvement studies, and carries out short term and/or long term audits as required.
* In collaboration with the Cancer Committee, completes patient care evaluation studies.
* Other duties as assigned by Supervisor.
* This position adheres to and is responsible for the safety standards of Centegra Health System including the completion of the mandatory organizational safety standards on an annual basis.
* This position actively maintains confidentiality for our patients and their families as outlined in the CHS Patient Confidentiality Policy and shows the same level of respect for every Associate with in CHS.
* Values of genuine respect, passionate caring and a joyful spirit into each of the responsibilities of this job and daily communication with our customers and co-workers.
* MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE