Associate General Counsel

Overview

This role assists the General Counsel & Compliance Officer with corporate legal initiatives, including providing guidance to senior management and supporting day-to-day management of the legal function. The Associate General Counsel will be involved in complex business transactions, negotiating critical contracts in coordination with the General Counsel & Compliance Officer, and supporting privacy and compliance activities related to federal and state laws governing privacy, access, and patient health information.

Responsibilities

• Participate in the definition and development of corporate policies, procedures, and programs; provide continuing counsel and guidance on legal matters and legal implications.
• Draft contracts and amendments based on templates provided by the General Counsel & Compliance Officer as necessary for ongoing business operations.
• Assist with creating new contracts and templates for new business arrangements, programs, and offerings.
• Review and support requested contract edits for healthcare-related contracts, including non-disclosure agreements, services agreements, and data exchange agreements (including Business Associate Agreements and Data Transfer & Confidentiality Agreements, etc.).
• Support the legal/compliance team in ensuring the organization conducts business in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including licensing of all operating entities and state and federal reporting requirements.
• Work with the legal/compliance team to ensure necessary contracts are prepared and sent to clients and returned fully executed in a timely manner.
• Manage and track regulatory matters affecting the organization.
• Educate staff on regulatory matters and legislative changes; assist in creating client communications regarding state and federal regulation and legislation.
• Assist with drafting settlement agreements and negotiating settlement matters.
• Correspond with administrative and regulatory bodies and, as applicable, appear on the organization’s behalf during administrative proceedings.
• Support internal and external audits, including annual SOC audits.
• Assist with responding to and assessing how to handle reported HIPAA violations, and with preparing and archiving necessary documentation.
• Coordinate with legal/compliance and other departments and committees to ensure appropriate privacy and confidentiality consent, authorization forms, and information notices and materials reflect current organizational practices and legal requirements.
• Oversee, direct, deliver, or ensure delivery of initial and privacy training and orientation to employees, volunteers, medical and professional staff, contractors, alliances, business associates, and other appropriate third parties.
• Participate in development, implementation, and ongoing compliance monitoring of trading partner and business associate agreements to ensure privacy concerns, requirements, and responsibilities are addressed.
• Establish with management and operations a mechanism to track access to protected health information as required by law and allow qualified individuals to review or receive a report on such activity.
• Establish and administer a process for receiving, documenting, tracking, investigating, and taking action on complaints concerning privacy policies and procedures in coordination with other functions and, when necessary, legal counsel.
• Ensure compliance with privacy practices and consistent application of sanctions for failure to comply with privacy policies across the organization’s workforce and extended workforce, and for business associates, in cooperation with Human Resources, the information security officer, administration, and legal counsel as applicable.
• Review system-related information security plans throughout the organization to ensure alignment between security and privacy practices; serve as a liaison to the information systems department.
• Work with organization personnel involved in any aspect of release of protected health information to ensure coordination, cooperation, and alignment with organizational policies and procedures and legal requirements.
• Maintain current knowledge of applicable Federal and state privacy laws and accreditation standards; monitor advancements in information privacy technologies to support organizational adaptation and compliance.
• Serve as an information privacy consultant to the organization for all departments and appropriate entities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

HIPAA & Confidentiality Obligations

• Abide by all obligations under HIPAA related to Protected Health Information (PHI).
• If a HIPAA violation is discovered (whether individually or by another), report the violation to the Compliance Officer and/or Human Resources.
• Attend, complete, and demonstrate competency in all required HIPAA training.

Supervisory Responsibility

No supervisory responsibility expected for this position.

Required Education and Experience

• Juris Doctor degree.
• Active license to practice law in the US (must be able to provide a Certificate of Good Standing, upon request).
• Knowledge and experience in information privacy laws, access, release of information, and release control technologies.
• Knowledge and experience in health information management.
• Proven experience as a legal counsel in a business environment.
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of corporate law and procedures.
• Full comprehension of the influences of the external environment of a corporation.
• Demonstrated ability to create legal defensive or proactive strategies.
• High degree of professional ethics and integrity.
• Sound judgment and ability to analyze situations and information.
• Outstanding communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Healthcare law experience.

Compensation & Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• Disability and Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Remote work options
• Generous Paid-Time Off
• Annual Reviews and Development Plans
• Retirement Plan with company match immediately 100% vested.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work

• Full-time, salary/exempt position.
• Some flexibility in hours is allowed, but the employee must be available during the “core” work hours of 8:00AM to 5:00PM CT.
• Ability to work extended hours, weekends and holidays pursuant with industry demands.
• Work times must be adjusted to cover meetings in all time zones.

Location

Remote position.

Travel

Remote position that may require travel as needed, up to 20%.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The employer provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. The employer also complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the organization has facilities.

The employer prohibits workplace harassment based on protected characteristics and improper interference with employees’ ability to perform job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.