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CHIEF COUNSEL, HEALTH SYSTEM
Job Title: CHIEF COUNSEL, HEALTH SYSTEM
Job Code: 3810
FLSA: E
Job Level: 98
Revised Date: 04/09/2025
Job Family: JF 28
Occupational Summary
Reporting directly to Duke University's Vice President and General Counsel ("General Counsel") with dotted line reporting to the DUHS's Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Counsel - Health System will serve as the primary legal advisor to the Duke University Health System, its Chief Executive Officer, senior leadership, Board of Directors, physicians, and staff. The ideal candidate will possess exceptional leadership skills, demonstrating the ability to inspire, guide, and support team members in achieving their full potential. This role is crucial in fostering a collaborative and engaging environment, ensuring the team excels in delivering outstanding legal services within DUHS. They will work closely with leadership to understand DUHS's strategic initiatives and business needs, providing legal counsel and influencing appropriate legal considerations in decision-making. This role requires an excellent communicator, a creative, strategic leader, and highly motivational leader, a strong team player who is solution-oriented, client focused, able to thrive in a fast-paced environment, and acts with the highest ethics and integrity. The candidate must have an outstanding reputation, be immediately credible both internally and externally, and easily build trust and positive working relationships. They will also possess excellent leadership skills, maintaining calm under pressure with impeccable judgment. Additionally, the Chief Counsel - Health System will oversee all legal matters, manage a team of healthcare attorneys and legal professionals, and collaborate across Duke and with clients and external parties to achieve DUHS's objectives. The successful candidate will be mission-driven and have strong executive presence and excellent listening skills, working collaboratively in the pursuit of excellence.
Work Performed
The responsibilities of the Chief Counsel - Health System will include but are not limited to:
Leading and managing DUHS's legal function to ensure business objectives are met by providing practical advice regarding all legal matters relating to DUHS's business and strategic objectives.
Serving as the chief legal advisor to DUHS, its Chief Executive Officer, senior leadership, Board of Directors, physicians, and staff and advising on matters regarding laws and regulations applicable to DUHS on all legal and corporate governance issues.
Working closely with the General Counsel and the University Office of Counsel on matters related to DUHS, Duke Health Integrated Practice, as well as the Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University School of Nursing, and Duke-NUS Medical School.
Advising on litigation, regulatory, compliance, and other risks related to DUHS; providing counseling with respect to the legal risks and mitigation options associated with business practices, and developing strategy with both inside and outside counsel in response to litigation and regulatory inquiries, and cost effectively managing the resources required to address those matters.
Overseeing the negotiation, drafting and implementation of a wide variety of complex, multiparty agreements to ensure they are in accord with the various rules and regulations under which DUHS operates, are technically correct, and in furtherance of the interests of DUHS as well as the University.
Reviewing and assisting in the interpretation of the ever-changing laws and regulations for potential impact on and compliance by DUHS and assuring collaboration with DUHS leaders to enable effective communication of the same to all applicable constituents.
Coordinating with the General Counsel and other University counsel colleagues, as appropriately, with respect to matters involving the University including potential reputational risk.
In partnership with the General Counsel, overseeing the recruitment, retention, and development of a high performing team of in-house counsel.
Leading the healthcare legal team with a focus on mentorship, teamwork, communication and fostering a positive, collaborative and responsive environment.
Exercising primary responsibility for the selection, evaluation, retention, and use of outside healthcare legal counsel. Overseeing the assignment of work and the evaluation of the appropriateness of each firm's quality and cost effectiveness.
Required Qualifications at this Level
Education/Training
Work requires a J.D from an accredited law school and admission in good standing to the North Carolina Bar or eligibility for admission within one (1) year.
Experience
Work requires 15 years of progressively responsible legal experience in healthcare law gained at a law firm and/or public sector, and in an executive level in-house role.
Significant experience as a General Counsel or Deputy General Counsel for an academic medical center, a large health system, hospital, or healthcare organization is preferred.
Demonstrated expertise with healthcare legal and regulatory issues including, but not limited to, the following: the Stark Law, the Anti- Kickback Statute, the False Claims Act, Certificates of Need/Facility Licensure, Managed Care and Value-Based Arrangements, Hospital Authorities, Provider Based Arrangements, 340B Drug Pricing, 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Status, Corporate Structure and Governance, EMTALA, Clinical Network Affiliate Arrangements, Clinical Research, Provider Relationships including Compensation Arrangements, Medical Staff Issues and Non-Compete Agreements, Patient Care Related Issues, Risk Management, Litigation, and Insurance.
Experience contracting with a wide variety of healthcare providers and with provider credentialing.
Skills
The intent of this job description is to provide a representative and level of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.
Duke University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation, or military status.
Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas-an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.
Essential Physical Job Functions
Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.
