General Counsel

General Counsel

Position Location: Hospital for Special Care

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40

Work Shift: First Shift

Department: Legal Services

Reports To: President & Chief Executive Officer

Required Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Member in good standing of CT state bar
• Minimum 7 years of legal experience, with at least 3 years in the healthcare sector.
• Deep knowledge of healthcare laws and regulations (HIPAA, EMTALA, Stark Law, AKS, etc.).
• Experience in both in-house and law firm settings preferred

Position Summary

The General Counsel develops and institutes the legal philosophy and policy for Center of Special Care, Inc. (“Center”) and all of its wholly or partially owned affiliates, including but not limited to, Hospital for Special Care, HSC Community Services, Inc., CSI Residential, Inc., Hospital for Special Care Foundation, Inc. and Manes & Motions Therapeutic Riding Center, Inc. (collectively referred to as “affiliates”). The General Counsel is responsible for leading and managing the legal affairs of Center and its affiliates, including providing legal guidance to the executive team, and ensuring compliance with state and federal regulation. This role also oversees all legal aspects of Center’s and its affiliates’ operations and transactions. The role reports to the Chief Executive Officer.

Physical Demands

This position is generally sedentary in nature, but may occasionally require lifting of up to 50 lbs. This position also requires frequent keyboarding and telephone use

Work Demands

The position requires working in a pleasant climate-controlled environment. The position requires extreme flexibility that is required for this type of independent work. The position requires attendance at outside meetings to represent Center and affiliates. The position demands frequent schedule changes and also irregular working hours to accommodate fluctuations in business needs.

Cognitive Demands

The position requires a high ethical standard and professional integrity. Ability to manage complex legal issues in a dynamic healthcare environment. Strategic mindset with attention to operational impact. Also, required on a continual basis is the ability to effectively communicate legal opinions and draft and interpret legal and related documents. This position requires on a frequent basis the ability to problem solve issues of complex and sensitive nature. The position also demands on a continual basis the ability to exhibit strong written and verbal communication skill

Essential Functions

• Legal Strategy & Advice
  Serves as an advisor to the CEO, senior leadership, and Board on all legal and regulatory matters. Provides legal guidance on relevant laws and regulations, including HIPAA, Stark Law, Anti-Kickback Statute, ACA, and Medicare/Medicaid compliance, among others impacting Center and its affiliates. Manages Corporate Compliance Officer, Regulatory Counsel, and Legal Assistant.
• Regulatory Compliance and Risk Management
  Oversees the organization's compliance programs and ensures adherence to federal, state, and local regulations, among others, impacting Center and its affiliates. Provides counsel on Medical Staff privileging and related regulatory and risk management activities. Provides relevant legal guidance to Board members, executives, Medical Staff and others to support organizational operations that align with applicable policies and risk mitigation practices. In conjunction with Quality and Risk Management, develops and implements strategies to minimize legal exposure.
• Contract Management
  Drafts, reviews, and negotiates a wide range of contracts including vendor agreements, physician employment contracts, service agreements, and business associate agreements.
• Corporate Governance
  Supports and advises on governance matters, including bylaws, board policies and corporate structure, among others. Performs Corporate Secretary duties and directs the Assistant Secretary regarding managing minutes of Center and affiliates, sending notices, acting as a custodian of records not in the custody of Treasurer, and advising on procedural and related matters.
• Litigation Management
  Manages and oversees all litigation, claims, and disputes, including coordination with external counsel. Represents the organization in legal proceedings as necessary.
• Employment Law
  Advises Human Resources (HR) and leadership on employment law issues including labor relations, employee disputes, and internal investigations. Supports HR Department with CHRO and other related claims.
• Policy Development
  Drafts and updates internal policies to reflect legal and regulatory changes. Leads legal training and education programs for staff and management. Has familiarity with nonprofit healthcare organizations (if applicable). Possesses familiarity with digital health, telemedicine, and data privacy laws and regulations.
• Government Relations
  Monitors, analyzes, and reports on legislative, regulatory, and proposed developments affecting Center and its affiliates. Drafts policy briefs, testimony, position papers, and legislative/regulatory comments. Educates key internal stakeholders on relevant enacted statutes, regulations, and other legal changes.
• Corporate Compliance
  Provide oversight and strategic direction for the organization’s Corporate Compliance Program, ensuring alignment with applicable federal and state laws, regulatory requirements, accreditation standards, and organizational policies. Supervise and provide strategic direction to the Director of Corporate Compliance, including establishing priorities, evaluating program effectiveness, and ensuring appropriate resources, reporting structures, and accountability. Oversee the development, implementation, monitoring, and continuous improvement of compliance policies, procedures, education, auditing, investigations, and corrective action plans. Advise executive leadership and the Board on significant compliance risks, emerging regulatory requirements, investigations, and remediation activities. Ensure effective mechanisms are in place for employees and other stakeholders to report potential compliance concerns and that such concerns are appropriately investigated, escalated, and resolved.
• Enterprise Risk Management
  Lead and provide strategic oversight of the organization’s Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Program, establishing a comprehensive framework for identifying, assessing, prioritizing, mitigating, and monitoring enterprise-wide risks. Partner with executive leadership and operational leaders to identify and assess strategic, operational, financial, legal, regulatory, clinical, reputational, cybersecurity, and other enterprise risks. Establish processes for maintaining the enterprise risk register, defining risk ownership, developing mitigation strategies, and monitoring key risk indicators and trends. Provide regular reporting to executive leadership and the Board regarding significant enterprise risks, mitigation efforts, emerging risks, and the overall effectiveness of the ERM program. Foster an organization-wide risk-aware culture, integrating risk management considerations into strategic planning, operational decision-making, resource allocation, and major organizational initiatives. Coordinate ERM activities with the organization’s compliance, quality, patient safety, privacy, information security, and other risk-related functions to promote an integrated approach to risk management.

Compensation & Benefits

• At Hospital for Special Care, we are committed to supporting the health, financial well-being, and professional growth of our team members. The wage range for this position is $ 126.44 to $166.83.
• Eligible employees may participate in a comprehensive benefits package that includes employer-subsidized medical and dental, vision insurance; a 403(b) retirement savings plan with an employer match of up to 6%; paid time off; employer-paid life insurance; short-term and long-term disability insurance; a Health Savings Account (HSA) with employer contributions; Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA); an Employee Assistance Program (EAP); tuition reimbursement and professional development opportunities; voluntary benefits, including pet insurance; employee wellness programs with access to our onsite fitness and aquatics center; an employee referral bonus program; and meaningful employee recognition and appreciation initiatives.
• Eligibility for certain benefits is based on scheduled hours worked.

About Us

At HFSC, we are a family. Each person who is a part of our team of 1,300 employees and volunteers offers unique talents and perspectives. We all believe in keeping the same shared value of making our patients the center of what we do. By combining all of our unique skills and shared values we are able to make a positive difference in the lives of our patients. We are dedicated to creating an environment of care and engagement that makes us one of the most desirable places to work. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and offer a competitive benefits package.