Upstream Rehabilitation is looking for a Director of Medical Records to join our team!
Director of Medical Records
Location Type: Birmingham, AL
On-Site
Build Your Career with Us!
Upstream Rehabilitation is the country’s largest dedicated provider of outpatient physical and occupational therapy services. Our mission is to inspire and empower the lives we touch, to serve our communities, and to lead with purpose-driven passion.
We are committed to delivering remarkable experiences and fostering an inclusive workplace where differences are valued and celebrated. With 1,200+ locations nationwide, 26 brand partners, and 8,000+ employees, Upstream operates at scale while leveraging data, technology, and innovation to drive smarter decisions and operational excellence across the organization.
The Role:
Join Upstream Rehabilitation, where your work makes a real impact! As the Director of Medical Records, you will own the Company’s health information management and medical records release process end to end, from request intake through fulfillment. You will set policy and standards for the release of protected health information, owns the systems and vendors that support the process, and is accountable for turnaround, accuracy and compliance across all request types. You will partner with Compliance, Legal, Sales, Information Technology and Clinic Operations to establish clear work paths, escalation routes, and accountability across the records-release process. As a key member of the team, you will help advance Upstream's mission, vision, and values while supporting the organization's continued growth and success.
What You’ll Do:
- Owns the end-to-end records release process, from all intake channels through processing, triage, certification, fulfillment, and case closure.
- Defines clear workflows, accountability, and service standards across intake, processing, certification, notarization, mail and shipping, and case closure activities.
- Establishes turnaround time, quality, and compliance standards by request type.
- Develops process metrics and reports to Company leadership on request volume, turnaround times, error rates, unlocatable records, legal holds, escalations, and overall operational performance.
- Leads efforts to identify and resolve recurring process errors at the source (e.g., patient identification, dates of service) in partnership with Clinic Operations and Patient Access teams.
- Develops and maintains records release policies, procedures, and standards, including requirements for certification, legal holds, escalated requests, and regulatory compliance.
- Partners with Compliance and Legal on court orders, subpoenas, legal holds, regulatory changes, and other complex or high-risk disclosure matters.
- Establishes service expectations, monitors vendor and system performance, and leads the resolution of recurring operational or technology issues.
- Owns relationships and performance management for records management systems and vendors (e.g., ChartStream and Infinx).
- Represents records management and release requirements in technology evaluations, system implementations, and process improvement initiatives.
- Establishes escalation paths for Sales, Account Management, and law firm partners, including standards for case ownership, communication, and closure.
- Serves as the senior escalation point for complex or high-risk requests; account and relationship management responsibilities remain with Sales and Account Management.
- Leads the Manager of Medical Records and, through that leader, the broader Medical Records team.
- Evaluates staffing models, organizational design, and capacity needs using volume, productivity, and performance data, and recommends improvements to Company leadership.
- Travels up to 25% as needed.
- Other projects and duties as assigned.
Who You Are:
- Bachelor's degree in Health Information Management, Healthcare Administration, or a related field.
- 7+ years of progressive experience in Health Information Management (HIM), Release of Information (ROI), medical records operations, or a related healthcare function.
- 3+ years of experience leading teams, programs, or operational functions within a multi-site healthcare environment.
- Expert knowledge of HIPAA privacy requirements, state medical records and release-of-information regulations, records certification requirements, and legal hold practices.
- Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, and leading high-volume, multi-channel request management processes with established service, quality, compliance, and performance standards.
- Experience managing technology vendors, outsourced service providers, and business partners against defined service-level agreements and performance expectations.
- Proven ability to establish clear ownership, decision-making authority, and cross-functional accountability in environments where stakeholders do not report directly to the role.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to leverage volume, turnaround, productivity, quality, and error data to drive operational and staffing decisions.
- Executive-level written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Nice to Haves:
- Master's degree in Health Information Management, Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or a related field.
- Experience in outpatient rehabilitation, physical therapy, or another multi-site ambulatory healthcare setting, including oversight of legal, workers' compensation, and personal injury records requests.
- Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA), Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security (CHPS), Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC), or similar healthcare compliance, privacy, or information management certification.
- Experience leading technology implementations, process transformation initiatives, or vendor transitions within a records management or health information environment.
Why You’ll Love Working Here
- The chance to directly shape our organization’s growth by hiring the talent that drives our mission.
- Opportunities to stretch your skills—whether you’re building pipelines, designing sourcing strategies, or advising leadership.
- A collaborative team environment where your ideas are valued.
- Competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and ongoing professional development.
Benefit Offerings:
- Annual paid Charity Day to give back to a cause meaningful to you
- 100% employer paid medical health insurance premium option available
- Dental and Vision insurance
- 401(k) with company match
- Generous PTO and paid holidays
- Supportive team and leadership invested in your success
A Better Place to Build Your Career
Upstream Rehabilitation offers meaningful opportunities across corporate and non-clinical roles, both remotely and in corporate offices nationwide. We invest in our people through leadership development programs, ongoing education, and professional growth opportunities.
Our corporate teams are critical to Upstream’s success—and to the culture that makes this a great place to work. You’ll join a group of talented professionals who collaborate, innovate, and know how to have fun while making a real impact.
Benefits and eligibility are dependent on employment status and pay class (full-time, part-time, or PRN). Specific details will be provided during the hiring process.
#LI-Onsite
Upstream Rehabilitation is an Equal Opportunity Employer that strives to provide an inclusive work environment where our differences are celebrated for the value they bring to our communities, our patients and our teammates. Upstream Rehabilitation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or other status protected under applicable law.