Position Summary:

The General Counsel amp; Chief Compliance Officer (GC/CCO) is responsible for leading Life Link III’s Legal Department, serving as the primary advisor for the organization on all legal matters, managing Life Link III’s relationships with outside counsel, overseeing implementation of Life Link III’s Compliance Plan, and ensuring the organization maintains an effective Compliance Program. The GC/CCO addresses problems and challenges as they arise and assesses the organization’s decisions, focusing on mitigating risk and maximizing performance. The CG/CCO is a member of the Executive Leadership Team and reports to the President/CEO. The President/CEO is responsible for directing the GC/CCO’s work and managing performance. The retention of the GC/CCO must be approved by the Life Link III Board of Directors, and the CEO must consult with the Chair of the Life Link III Board of Directors prior to discipling or terminating the employment of the GC/CCO. Embraces and lives out Life Link III’s mission and values.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school
• Bar membership (MN license required) in good standing
• 7-10 years’ professional legal experience in a firm or corporate setting
• Health care compliance and transactional (contract) experience
• Ability to provide timely, effective, and strategic legal advice in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to communicate effectively with leadership, consortium board members, outside counsel, elected and regulatory officials, payers, and healthcare organizations
• Ability to combine strategic legal thinking with sound business judgment to provide practical advice
• Ability to clearly present complex information to all stakeholders
• Maintains confidentiality and discretion

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous in-house legal experience
• Previous experience with medical/critical care transportation
• Previous experience with employment law matters
• Previous experience with contract review and drafting
• Knowledge and understanding of the federal No Surprises Act (NSA) legislation

Typical Duties:

General Counsel Duties

The General Counsel is responsible for providing the President/CEO and other members of the Executive Leadership Team with effective legal advice on the organization’s business strategies and initiatives and overseeing all legal matters that affect the organization. The General Counsel has the following specific responsibilities:

• Serves as a member of the organization’s Executive Leadership Team, providing legal input on strategy, business development, and operations
• Serves as the Corporate Secretary of Life Link III
• Participates in and provides a legal/risk perspective to define and develop the organization’s policies, procedures, and programs
• Supervises, organizes, and directs the organization’s legal activities to protect the organization’s interests and prevent legal disputes from occurring
• In collaboration with departmental leadership, investigates claims and complaints by or against the organization
• Assess the merits of legal claims filed against or on behalf of the organization and work with the appropriate members of the Executive Leadership Team to develop and define legal strategies in all legal matters involving the organization
• Recommends, retains, and supervises outside counsel, as required, to obtain legal opinions or handle claims, litigation, or significant transactional or legal compliance mattersDrafts, reviews, and negotiates proposed contracts, leases, formal agreements, policies, and other legal instruments to safeguard the organization’s interests
• Provides legal assistance and direction regarding commercial and business transactions
• Supports the Life Link III Board of Directors and Board committees, including preparation of board resolutions and maintenance of all official corporate records
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of laws, legislative developments, and developing external trends, including federal and state employment laws and other laws and regulations relevant to Life Link III’s business
• Assists in the preparation and administration of the budget for all legal and regulatory expenditures
• Identifies and advocates for legal resources necessary to support the organization
• Oversees the company’s intellectual property portfolio and strategy
• Performs all other duties consistent with the General Counsel role as requested

Chief Compliance Officer Duties

The Compliance Officer is responsible for overseeing implementation and maintenance of the Compliance Plan, making recommendations to Life Link III regarding changes to enhance compliance, updating the Compliance Plan, and serving as liaison to the clients served by Life Link III to ensure that the Compliance Plan conforms with those of vendors, suppliers, and third-party agents. The Compliance Officer reports directly to the CEO and has unfettered access to the Chair of the Life Link III Board of Directors. The Compliance Officer has the following specific responsibilities:

• Develops policies and standards related to the Life Link III Corporate Compliance Program
• Oversees/monitors implementation and ensures ongoing compliance by conducting periodic audits of compliance activities
• Conducts or assists in the conducting of appropriate internal compliance reviews and audits
• Serves as the organization’s Privacy Officer, and performs duties of a Privacy Officer as required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”)
• Reports regularly to the Life Link III CEO and Board on compliance matters
• Convenes with the Corporate Compliance Committee composed of the organization’s senior leaders
• Assists in developing methods for reducing the company’s vulnerability to fraud, abuse, and waste
• Periodically revises the Compliance Plan to reflect changes in practice, or in the laws and policies of government and private Payer health plans
• Facilitates the creation and delivery of educational activities and other methods of communication that focus on elements of the Plan and the specific risk areas identified in the Plan, e.g., training for employees regarding coding, appropriate documentation, and the medical necessity of transports
• Ensures that all employees have read the Compliance Plan and sign a statement acknowledging their understanding of its requirements
• Seeks to assist provider clients in ensuring that all relevant employees and management are knowledgeable about and comply with relevant federal and state standards within the scope of the Compliance Program
• Works with individuals responsible for personnel decisions to ensure that appropriate credentials are checked for all employees
• Develop policies that encourage reporting of suspected fraud and other improprieties without fear of retaliation
• Coordinates the investigation of compliance problems and brings them to the attention of the Life Link III management staff for appropriate response and disciplinary action if necessary
• Identifies and advocates for necessary resources to support the compliance function
• Carries out corrective actions with approval of Life Link III management
• Performs all other duties consistent with the Compliance Officer role as requested

The Compliance Officer has the authority to review all documents and other information relevant to compliance activities, including, but not limited to, patient records, billing records, contracts, and records relating to spaneting of the business, as well as the company’s arrangements with other clients, independent contractors, vendors, agents, etc.
It should be clearly understood that the Compliance Officer is not responsible for ensuring the organization’s actual compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations or for conducting business in conformity therewith. Rather, the Compliance Officer is responsible for ensuring that the organization maintains, at all times, an effective Compliance Program and that the applicable policies, procedures, and practices are sufficient to communicate, monitor, and enforce Life Link III’s ongoing commitment to compliance.