Hackettstown, New Jersey
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Charleston, South Carolina
Lakewood, New Jersey
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Posted: 03-Apr-26
Location: Gainesville, Georgia
Type: Full Time
Categories:
Sector:
Required Education:
Internal Number: R26328
Senior Counsel provides advanced legal services and strategic counsel to Northeast Georgia Health System (“NGHS”) with a primary focus on healthcare transactional matters involving physicians, clinical service arrangements, and provider compensation structures, under the direction and supervision of the Managing Counsel.
This role serves as a key legal partner to executive leadership, physician leadership, and operational stakeholders in connection with hospital-physician relationships, including physician employment transactions; clinical services agreements; professional services agreements; compensation plan design and implementation; and transactions with independent physician groups (e.g., anesthesia, hospital-based specialties, and other specialty groups).
The Senior Counsel will lead the drafting, negotiation, customization, and lifecycle management of complex clinical contracting templates, recognizing that each arrangement is highly negotiated and tailored based on specialty, scope of services, call coverage, quality metrics, productivity models, and fair market value (FMV) considerations.
Additional responsibilities include support of the health system, clinically integrated networks, accountable care organizations, and similar or related entities; physician recruitment and onboarding; physician practice acquisitions; joint ventures and strategic affiliations; business and non-physician contracting; corporate and commercial transactions; financing arrangements; regulatory compliance; and licensure, certification, and accreditation matters.
Job Specific and Unique Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Deep experience negotiating and drafting physician employment agreements, clinical services agreements, professional services agreements, coverage agreements, and contracts with specialty physician groups (e.g., anesthesia, radiology, emergency medicine).
- Demonstrated expertise in designing, reviewing, and supporting highly customized physician compensation plans, including:
- Productivity-based models
- Quality and value-based incentives
- Call pay arrangements
- Bonus structures and incentive methodologies
- Pay basis determinations (e.g., wRVUs, collections, stipends)
- Fair market value (FMV) and commercial reasonableness considerations
- Strong working knowledge of Stark Law, Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS), Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement, fraud and abuse laws, and physician self-referral regulations, as they apply to physician compensation and clinical arrangements.
- Outstanding analytical, negotiating, drafting, and writing skills, with the ability to translate complex legal issues into practical, operationally sound guidance.
- Pragmatic business judgment and an appreciation for the real-world operational and financial impacts of legal advice.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively with physicians, executives, operations leaders, and external counsel.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple high-priority matters simultaneously, operate independently, and thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced legal environment.
- High degree of integrity, sound judgment, discretion, and commitment to accountability.
- Strong understanding of the strategic, regulatory, and economic challenges facing hospitals, health systems, and integrated delivery systems.
Essential Tasks and Responsibilities
- Leads the negotiation, drafting, interpretation, and execution of complex healthcare transactions, with a core focus on hospital-physician relationships and clinical contracting.
- Drafts and customizes physician employment agreements, clinical services agreements, professional services agreements, and contracts with specialty physician groups, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements, operational goals, and fair market value standards.
- Advises on and supports the development, modification, and implementation of physician compensation plans, including bonus incentives, productivity models, and value-based arrangements.
- Provides strategic counsel on fair market value, commercial reasonableness, and risk mitigation related to physician arrangements.
- Supports physician recruitment, onboarding, employment transitions, and practice acquisitions.
- Represents NGHS in licensure applications, material modifications, regulatory compliance matters, network provider contracting, and network development initiatives.
- Assists in administrative and legal proceedings before federal and state agencies and courts.
- Negotiates and drafts settlements of claims and/or litigation, as needed.
- Researches, analyzes, and drafts memoranda, opinions, and correspondence on complex legal and regulatory issues.
- Oversees and collaborates with outside counsel, including directing, reviewing, and supervising legal work product.
- Ensures effective implementation and utilization of NGHS’s contract management systems related to physician and clinical agreements.
- Participates in corporate compliance investigations and advises on ongoing compliance initiatives.
- Serves on committees and contributes to the development and implementation of organizational policies and practices.
- Works collaboratively with paralegals, executive coordinators, and other legal staff in alignment with NGHS values.
- Performs additional duties as assigned by the Managing Counsel or designee.
Educational Requirements: Juris Doctor.
Minimum Experience: Juris Doctor (J.D.) and an active license to practice (Georgia license or ability to apply for and obtain Georgia license) and 5-8 years’ of relevant health law experience in a law firm practice and/or in-house is required. Consideration will be given to qualified candidates advising health care institutions with a combined total of eight or more years’ experience.