General Counsel at Petaluma Health Center in Petaluma, CA

Petaluma Health Center's mission is to provide high quality health care with access for all in Southern Sonoma County & West Marin. We pride ourselves on our Patient-Centered care while maintaining an engaging environment for our staff. The Center accomplishes this mission through collaborative, innovative programs, services and referral resources that meet the economic needs of the entire community.

FULL TIME EMPLOYEE BENEFITS:

• 21 Days of Paid Time Off
• 10 Observed Holidays
• Medical Insurance (Entire deductible paid by us!)
• 30 Chiropractor and Acupuncture visits per year included with enrollment in our health insurance plans (Kaiser and WHA)
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Gym Membership Discounts at Active Wellness Center and 24-Hour Fitness!
• 401K Matching after 1 year of employment
• Flexible Spending Account, Dependent Care FSA
• Life Insurance (included at no cost to the employee)
• Long Term Disability (included at no cost to the employee)
• Employee Assistance Program (included at no cost to the employee)

Summary

Under the direction of the Chief Executive Officer, the General Counsel serves as the organization’s chief legal advisor and strategic leader for legal affairs, regulatory compliance, governance, enterprise risk management, and corporate integrity. This executive-level position partners closely with the Board of Directors, executive leadership, clinical leaders, and operational teams to support the mission of delivering high-quality, equitable, community-based healthcare to underserved and vulnerable populations.

The General Counsel provides pragmatic, solutions-oriented legal counsel across a broad range of healthcare, operational, employment, governance, transactional, reimbursement, and regulatory matters affecting a complex Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). The role also oversees and advances a robust enterprise compliance and ethics program aligned with Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) requirements, Office of Inspector General (OIG) guidance, and applicable federal and California healthcare laws.

The ideal candidate is a collaborative and mission-driven healthcare attorney with strong judgment, exceptional interpersonal skills, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to navigate complex operational environments with credibility, diplomacy, and strategic insight. Candidates with a demonstrated commitment to health equity, public service, and safety-net healthcare are strongly encouraged to apply.

Key Responsibilities:

Legal Strategy & Executive Counsel

• Serves as principal legal advisor to the CEO, Executive Leadership Team, and Board of Directors on strategic, operational, regulatory, governance, employment, transactional, and clinical matters.
• Provides practical, risk-balanced legal guidance that advances organizational priorities while protecting the health center’s mission, assets, reputation, and regulatory standing.
• Advises leadership on emerging healthcare laws, regulatory developments, litigation risks, reimbursement changes, and operational implications affecting FQHCs and safety-net providers.
• Partners with operational and clinical leaders to proactively identify legal and compliance risks and develop effective, mission-aligned solutions.
• Oversees management of outside counsel and legal expenditures.

Contracts, Transactions & Business Operations

• In collaboration with Senior Leadership team members, drafts, reviews, negotiates, and oversees a wide range of contracts and legal agreements, including:
  • Provider and professional services agreements
  • Managed care and payer agreements
  • Technology, software, and information services contracts
  • Real estate and lease transactions
  • Vendor and procurement agreements
  • Affiliation, partnership, and clinical integration agreements
• Supports complex strategic initiatives, affiliations, acquisitions, partnerships, and business transactions.
• Develops efficient systems and workflows for contract review, approval, renewal, and tracking.

Healthcare Regulatory & Clinical Legal Support

• Advises on healthcare regulatory compliance matters, including:
  • Section 330 FQHC program requirements
  • HRSA scope of project rules
  • FTCA deeming and risk management
  • Medicare, Medi-Cal, and payer compliance
  • Provider credentialing and privileging
  • HIPAA and patient privacy
  • Clinical quality and risk management issues
  • Fraud and abuse laws, including Stark Law, Anti-Kickback Statute, and False Claims Act
• Provides counsel regarding professional liability, medical-legal issues, clinical operations, peer review, and medical staff matters.
• Supports organizational readiness for audits, investigations, accreditation reviews, and regulatory surveys.

Corporate Governance & Board Relations

• Serves as a trusted advisor to the Board of Directors and Board Committees regarding governance, fiduciary obligations, healthcare regulatory requirements, and corporate best practices.
• Supports Board development, governance education, and compliance oversight activities.
• Assists with preparation and review of Board resolutions, bylaws, policies, governance documents, and committee structures.
• Reports regularly to the Board and relevant committees regarding legal, compliance, enterprise risk, and regulatory matters.

Corporate Compliance & Ethics

• Provides executive oversight of the organization’s enterprise compliance and ethics program.
• Designs, implements, and continuously strengthens a comprehensive compliance infrastructure consistent with OIG guidance and healthcare industry best practices.
• Leads organizational compliance risk assessments and develops annual compliance work plans and monitoring activities.
• Oversees compliance investigations, reporting mechanisms, hotline processes, corrective action plans, and response protocols.
• Develops and maintains policies, procedures, and internal controls to prevent, detect, and address regulatory or ethical concerns.
• Collaborates with operational leaders to integrate compliance into clinical and business workflows.
• Oversees organization-wide compliance education and training programs for staff, leadership, and the Board.

Policy Development & Organizational Leadership

• Oversees legal review and development of organizational policies, procedures, and governance documents.
• Participates in executive and management committees and contributes to organizational strategic planning and operational decision-making.
• Promotes a culture of integrity, accountability, transparency, equity, and mission-centered service.

Required Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school.
• Active and unrestricted license to practice law in California.
• Minimum of 7–10 years of progressively responsible legal experience, including substantial experience in healthcare law.
• Demonstrated expertise in healthcare regulatory compliance, healthcare transactions, governance, and operational counseling.
• Strong knowledge of federal and California healthcare laws and regulations affecting healthcare providers.
• Exceptional written, verbal, analytical, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across complex organizations and build trusted relationships with executives, clinicians, and governing boards.

Preferred Qualifications

• Significant experience advising Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), community health centers, public health systems, academic medical centers, or other safety-net healthcare organizations.
• Experience leading or overseeing corporate compliance programs in healthcare settings.
• Knowledge of HRSA requirements, FTCA deeming, Medi-Cal/FQHC reimbursement, and public payer compliance.
• Experience in employment law, labor relations, and workforce-related investigations.
• Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Public Health, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
• Demonstrated commitment to health equity, community health, and serving medically underserved populations.

Desired Leadership Attributes

The successful candidate will be:

• A strategic and pragmatic problem-solver who can balance legal risk with operational realities.
• Mission-driven and committed to advancing equitable access to care.
• An excellent communicator capable of translating complex legal concepts into actionable guidance.
• Calm, collaborative, and effective in high-stakes or rapidly evolving situations.
• A trusted advisor who operates with integrity, sound judgment, discretion, and emotional intelligence.

Other Desired Skills:

• Ability to work independently and with little direction
• Ability to manage competing priorities
• Ability to understand health center needs for funding
• Knowledge of federal, state, local and private standards and regulations
• Strong time management and prioritization skills
• Ability to track and manage programmatic and regulatory reporting requirements
• Ability to communicate well with internal and external partners
• Ability to exercise sound judgement and discretion
• Strong ethical character capable of handling confidential and financial information
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail

Language Skills: College-graduate level English skills required; Spanish language skills highly preferred.