Join Our Mission to Elevate Ambulatory Health Care

At AAAHC, we are more than just a team; we are at the forefront of improving health care quality through accreditation. Our employees are the heartbeat of our mission-based culture, dedicated to applying their diverse skill sets—technical, research, clinical, analytical, and data-driven—to improve health care quality through accreditation. As we celebrate over four decades of excellence, we invite you to become part of our story. Here, your work is not just a job; it’s a journey filled with opportunities to learn, grow, and contribute to a higher purpose. Embrace the chance to be part of a community that values quality every day and strives for excellence in ambulatory health care.

What do we offer?

We prioritize our employees’ wellbeing by providing a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Compensation: Receive annual merit increase consideration and an annual discretionary bonus
• Work-Life Balance: Enjoy generous paid holidays, increasing paid time off with tenure, and potential hybrid schedule eligibility
• Health & Wellness: Take advantage of our medical, dental, and vision plans including company contributions to HSA as well as our wellness reimbursement benefit
• Retirement Plan: Invest in your future with our robust 401(k) plan that includes a company contribution and match
• Professional Development: Advance your career with ongoing training and educational opportunities along with a tuition reimbursement program
• Life & Disability Insurance: Experience peace of mind with company-paid short/long-term disability, life, & AD&D insurance
• Employee Assistance Program: Access support services for personal needs

Position Description

Under the direction of Senior Counsel, this position supports AAAHC legal services related primarily to the AAAHC position in the health care space. The Staff Attorney monitors legislative and regulatory health care proposals, initiates and leads the development of comment letters, providing a methodical and thorough review. The Staff Attorney works closely with the Clinical team to provide research and briefs into current and emerging health policy issues. This position also acts as the AAAHC lead representative in connecting with state agencies and facilitates AAAHC outreach to federal agencies and government affairs departments of industry health care associations. In addition to the health policy role, the Staff Attorney provides general legal support to the Senior Counsel and assists with contract review and general legal research related to the AAAHC operations.

Conduct legal research and gather, prepare, and summarize relevant materials to support legal recommendations and assist with drafting, analysis, review, and negotiation of legal documents associated with AAAHC’s business.

• Proactively track and provide timely reporting and analysis of proposed federal, state and local health care legislation and regulations, including identifying opportunities or risks that align with AAAHC business.
  • Prepare and distribute adopted/enacted Legislative/Regulatory report; schedule and lead meetings with internal Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to review, assign accountabilities, document planned actions, and follow up on status.
  • Summarize and analyze government proposals to identify issues of concern or opportunity to AAAHC and draft responses. Facilitate meetings with internal SMEs to review findings and determine action plan and collaborate with the Compliance Project Lead to ensure compliance with state and federal lobbying requirements.
  • Coordinate educational meetings between internal SMEs and external government agencies; gain intelligence on projects with agencies and opportunities for providing SME input to government agencies.
• Conduct complex legal research and identify proactive solutions that eliminate or mitigate risks, in support of Public Comment requirements and as assigned.
  • Identify trends in health/health safety policy and other standards-related topics. Collaborate with Standards Development and Education departments to develop education initiatives.
  • Track AAAHC recognitions and maintain recognitions chart. Draft Legislative/Regulatory updates for periodic inclusion in the AAAHC Board agenda materials. Escalate to Senior Counsel on issues that may jeopardize AAAHC recognitions.
  • Conduct legal research and develop briefs for Standards Development Committees (SDC and Expert Content Committees), as directed.
• Facilitate the Public Comment process and AAAHC response development.
  • Monitor project timeline and coordinate meetings with SMEs to ensure timely response completion, approval and submission.
  • Draft initial response incorporating appropriate legal research and AAAHC messaging database. Manage response approval process and submission in the appropriate format (e.g., online submission requirements).
  • Maintain and update AAAHC messaging database.
• Staff AAAHC exhibit at National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) annual Legislative Summit and/or other health policy forums and conferences as assigned.
• Liaise with government affairs teams from other medical professional organizations relevant to AAAHC.
• Support Senior Counsel with governance-related corporate filings and other governance activities including assistance with drafting governance documents and preparing reports for Board and other governance unit meetings. Coordinate insurance applications and corporate filings.
• Support Senior Counsel with staff liaison duties for the Bylaws Committee and provide backup liaison support to the Governance Committee.
  • Consult with and guide the work of the committee(s) in development and approval of related policies.
  • Schedule and facilitate conference calls, webinars, and both virtual and in-person committee meetings; draft meeting agendas, supporting materials and minutes, as specified by the organization.
• Support Contract review including redlining, issue spotting, reviewing final drafts for accuracy and clarity, ensuring proper contract execution; collaborate with the LCA team to ensure contract management system repository is properly updated.
• Collaborate with the LCA team in the implementation of LCA department efficiencies and effectiveness in working with internal business partners.
• Collaborate with the leadership team on organization-wide strategy development and key initiatives as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications and Job-specific Competencies Required

• Juris Doctor Degree from an accredited law school and a member in good standing of the Illinois bar
• 2-3 yearsí direct legal experience • Demonstrates understanding of the legislative and regulatory processe
• Experience drafting and reviewing contracts such as government contracts, master services agreements, subcontracts, independent contractor agreements, and confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements
• Strong problem-solving skills to address legal challenges creatively and find practical business solutions; adept at analyzing complex issues and proposing viable options
• Strong writen and verbal communication skills and demonstrated experience conveying complex legal concepts in a clear and understandable manner
• Strong interpersonal skills for building relationships with internal stakeholders (e.g., management team, employees, and governance members)
• Highly organized; demonstrated effective time management skills including multi tasking in a fast-paced environmen
• Microsoft Office proficient (i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint); experienced using legal applications for case searches an

Preferred Qualifications

• Education or experience in health care law, specifically facility licensure, anesthesia, administration, or accreditation
• Education or experience in legal services, especially legal research
• Experience with non-profit organizations
• One year general business experience Government outreach experience

Working Conditions & Travel Expectations

• Occasional evening conference calls and weekend meetings (e.g., committee and board meetings); average not to exceed 3 calls per month and 2 live meetings/quarter
• Travel to health policy conferences once or twice per year
• Estimated travel: <10% includes weekends

Physical Requirements

• Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 lbs of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Salary varies based on experience, location, and qualifications