Compliance Counsel

Join us as we work to create a thriving ecosystem that delivers accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare for all.

Role Summary:
athenahealth is an exciting, dynamic, and culture-driven healthcare technology company dedicated to creating a thriving ecosystem that delivers accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare for all.

We are currently looking for an attorney to join our organization and become a key member of athenahealth’s Legal team. The successful candidate will oversee a wide range of regulatory and compliance work, including but not limited to the governance and exchange of health information, guidance related to the development and provision of athenahealth’s services, and oversight of the Company’s internal business practices and operations. In partnership with others across the Legal team, the Compliance Counsel will work most closely with our Product, Operations, Customer Success, Sales, Marketing, and Business Development teams to support the Company’s strategic growth, but they will also collaborate with almost every function at athenahealth as we strive to improve the quality of care, reduce clinician burnout, and build a modern, connected healthcare ecosystem. 

Team Summary:
The Legal team at athenahealth is dedicated to ensuring compliance with healthcare regulations and supporting the organization across all facets of the business. We do this by navigating complexity to empower innovative and principled decision-making grounded in our Company values. 

Essential Job Responsibilities:

• Counsel the business on laws and regulations impacting our customers’ delivery of clinical services, including privacy and security considerations, fostering interoperable exchange of health information, payment rules, preventing fraud, waste, and abuse, and ensuring accurate quality program reporting.   

• Monitor, analyze, and advise on existing and proposed AI-related legislation, regulations, and guidance at the federal, state, and international levels, including the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, and sector-specific rules.

• Serve as a key member of Athena’s AI governance team providing strategic counsel to product, engineering, and business teams on compliance obligations and risk mitigation.

• Develop and maintain internal AI governance frameworks, policies, and procedures aligned with applicable legal requirements and industry best practices.

• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders including data science, engineering, product, and public policy teams to embed legal and ethical requirements into the AI development lifecycle.

• Educate internal stakeholders on relevant risk-management principles and advise on the implementation of effective organizational compliance programming.    

• Consult with the business and key stakeholders on matters relevant to foundational healthcare compliance laws and regulations, including but not limited to: HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, participation in federally funded value-based care programs, regulations related to the certification of electronic health record technologies, clinical specialties, and related/applicable state laws.   

• Review and interpret federal rulemaking and other guidance from government agencies (e.g., CMS, ONC, and OIG) and design and implement compliance programs based on regulatory guidance.   

• Perform research into emerging regulatory changes and case law relevant to athenahealth’s business and our industry.  

• Independently investigate and act on compliance issues to successful resolution, including internal investigations and any resulting corrective actions.    

• Proactively monitor policy developments relevant to health care technology products and services.  

Expected Education & Experience:

• 3+ years of regulatory legal experience at a healthcare or technology company, a mid to large-sized law firm, and/or in government.  

• J.D. from a well-recognized law school and excellent academic credentials  

• Admitted to a U.S. state bar in good standing.  

• Project management experience and coordinating work across a cross functional group of attorneys and business stakeholders representing various functions throughout an enterprise.

• Experience drafting organizational policies and procedures related to healthcare regulations.  

• Experience and familiarity in the following areas is also highly desirable:

• Providing legal and strategic guidance to clients, including organizational leadership on risk assessment and mitigation in support of strategic initiatives.   

• FDA and similar electronic prescribing guidelines and requirements.

• Medicare reimbursement, audit, and billing requirements.

• Broad-based healthcare compliance programming, including HCCA or similar certification.  

Expected Compensation

The base salary range shown reflects the full range for this role from minimum to maximum. At athenahealth, base pay depends on multiple factors, including job-related experience, relevant knowledge and skills, how your qualifications compare to others in similar roles, and geographical market rates.  Base pay is only one part of our competitive Total Rewards package - depending on role eligibility, we offer both short and long-term incentives by way of an annual discretionary bonus plan, variable compensation plan, and equity plans.