How To BeA Records Liaison

Nina L. ThomasChief, Health Information Management

James A. Haley VA, Tampa, FL

Course Objectives

Records management is the planning, controlling, directing, organizing, training, promoting and other managerial activities involved in records creation, maintenance and use and disposition

in order to achieve adequate and proper documentation of policies and transactions of

the Federal Government and effective and economical management of agency operations.

(44 U.S.C.2901)

What is Records Management?

Facility Staff

Records Liaison

Records Manager

VHA Records Officer

Records Management Roles

What is your role?

A. Facility Records Manager B. Records LiaisonC. HIM ChiefD. Other

Poll Question 1

Oversees the Records Management

Program for the Veteran’s Health Administration

VHA Records Officer Responsibilities

Records ManagerResponsibilities

Poll Results

Support the Records Management Program

Record Liaison Responsibilities

RCS 10-1 Manual

Delegation of Authority

May Involve a Delegation of Authority Letter

1-2 Record Liaisons per Service/Department

Collateral Duty

Facility Staff Responsibilities

Recorded?

Created or received in

the course of business?

Informational value?

Three Prong Test

When Can a Record be Destroyed?

A. After one year of storage on-siteB. VA records can never be destroyedC. Records can be destroyed in accordance with

the disposition as listed in the RCS 10-1D. When the department is out of space

Poll Question 2

What is a Record?

Record Categories- Program Records- Administrative Records

Records Lifecycle

Creation

Maintenance

Use

DispositionTemporary

vs. Permanent

Poll Results

Temporary Records• Approved by NARA for destruction

Permanent Records• Never destroyed

Unscheduled Records• May be permanent

Temporary vs. Permanent

Is Everything a Record?

Blueprints Contracts Directives

Fiscal documents

Medical Records

Meeting Minutes

Personnel files

Project files

Examples of Records

Copies Library materials

Routing slipsCatalogs, trade

journals and other publications

Examples of Non-records

A - Full set of American Medical Association journals

B - Pathology results from a surgery performed five years ago

Is it a Record?

Personal Papers

A - Full set of American Medical Association journals

B - Pathology results from a surgery performed five years ago

“Is it a Record?” Results

A file maintained by a HAS employee containing copies of their personal

Notification of Personnel Action Form, including counseling and award letters from

management.

Is it a Record?

Managing Non-Records

& Personal Papers

Revisit Chat Room Results

These files are records

They document the work being done during the course of the

agency activity.

May be destroyed when final document is published

Problem Area – Working Files

Problem AreaEmail

A complete and accurate survey of the agency’s business information

that documents the function, flow and description of records

What is a Record Inventory?

Identify unscheduled records•What •Who•Where

The inventory tells you:

Purpose of a Records Inventory

File Plan

Benefits?

Potential Problems?

Summary

Trustworthy Retrievable

Proper Retention

Disaster Recovery

Proper Destruction

Agency Reputation

Benefits of Records Maintenance

Failure to perform agency functions

Failure to respond to special requests

Delays in disaster recovery

Problems of Poor Records Maintenance

Ask the Presenter