Senior Operations Counsel

Ardent Health is a leading provider of healthcare in communities across the country. With a focus on consumer-friendly processes and investments in innovative services and technologies, Ardent is passionate about making healthcare better and easier to access. We are driven by our purpose of caring for people: our patients, our communities and one another.

Located in Brentwood, Tennessee, Ardent has earned a reputation as one of the industry’s strongest and most innovative healthcare systems. Our facilities and clinics are consistently recognized among healthcare’s best employers. We recognize each hospital and clinic is as unique as the community it serves. We strive to maintain strong community ties through advisory boards, contributions, charitable care, education and outreach.

Ardent includes:

• 30 hospitals
• 280 sites of care
• 4,281 beds
• 24,000 team members
• 8,200 nurses
• 1,800 aligned providers
• 5.8M annual provider encounters
• 421 medical residents

Ardent makes considerable investments in people, technology, facilities, and communities, producing high quality care and extraordinary results. From newly constructed facilities and expanded services, to lifesaving technology and outstanding opportunities for employees, Ardent is committed to providing its hospitals and clinics the tools needed to succeed.

We believe it is this mix of corporate support and local autonomy that equips our teams for success.

Job Overview:

We have an exciting opportunity to join our Hospital Operations team at Ardent Health as a Senior Operations Counsel.

The Senior Counsel, Hospital Operations prepares and reviews a variety of complex contracts and provides legal counsel, guidance and representation to the Company and its affiliated healthcare operations as requested on complex legal and operational issues. 

• Works with senior counsel to advise hospital administrators on a wide range of matters relating to healthcare operations, general corporate transactions, regulatory and compliance issues, employment, medical staff issues, and patient concerns.
• Participates in the development of system policies and procedures and assists senior legal counsel in legal research. 
• Drafts, reviews and negotiates contracts to ensure compliance with applicable statutes, case law, governmental regulations and Company policy guidelines.  Analyze and advise business owners of contractual terms and their implications and finalize the agreement consistent with the risk tolerance of the Company, producing clean and accurate legal documents.  
• Assists with compliance investigations as needed.  Coordinates with Compliance Department.
• Participates in activities that increase legal knowledge, professional expertise, and the delivery of quality legal services.  
• Requests and utilizes interdepartmental services as they pertain to the provision of legal services; establishes and maintains working relationships with all department personnel relative to the legal service function.
• Assists in development of methods for achieving Company goals, such as competitive bids, form agreements, reviews legal resources, and system policies within legal limits.
• Uses skill, knowledge and experience to assist Company in amicably resolving disputes with third parties.  
• Performs other legal tasks as assigned.

Job Requirements: 

• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school. 
• Current license to practice law.
• 4 years of experience in healthcare law, including but not limited to, EMTALA, HIPAA, Stark, ACA, fraud and abuse, healthcare regulatory compliance, and hospital governance and operations, including editing/drafting/negotiating contracts with some experience with hospital and physician contracting and a fundamental understanding of health care regulations including the Stark and Anti-Kickback Statutes.  
• Previous law firm experience.
• Ability to travel as needed, up to 25%

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