A Brief Overview

Under the direction of the Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, this position interfaces with all levels of System personnel, a diverse group of health care providers, patients and others, including but not limited to, senior UH leaders, physicians, practice plan administrators, allied health professionals, hospital and physician office administrators, hospital and office practice risk managers, and external parties to assist in handling a wide range of legal and risk management issues. Must be able to exercise sound, independent judgment and decision making. Collaborates with and responds to internal and external customers/clients on pending/threatened medical malpractice, employment; business matters and internal and government investigations; and risk management matters. Provides education and training to internal clients on wide range of matters to promote patient safety and quality of care, ensure compliance with legal requirements, and reduce risk to the organization.

What You Will Do

• Negotiate with patients/visitors and/or attorneys to settle medical malpractice and general liability claims; has independent settlement authority up to $5,000.00.
• Work independently and/or with assistance of in-house and outside counsel on employment, compliance, and government investigations; use discretion in identifying and interviewing witnesses; prepare investigative summaries; formulate recommendations; prepare legal holds; collect, review, and organize relevant documents.
• Compile and analyze medical malpractice and employment claim data for benchmarking, trending, and physician/employee PIP/Corrective Action purposes.
• Train and educate employees, office and physician staff; draft and present educational materials, including Risk Briefs on various topics, and make oral presentations to promote patient safety and quality of care, ensure compliance with legal requirements and reduce risk to UH.
• Interface with all levels of System personnel, including senior UH leadership, on a wide range of legal and risk management issues.
• Record, collect, document, maintain and communicate information, as necessary, to support litigation defense strategies.
• Facilitate and expedite response to discovery requests. Draft responses to discovery and draft motions and briefs in response to subpoenas for in-house attorney review.
• Direct and coordinate release of records, e.g., medical, employment, financial and business, in response to subpoenas, Court Orders, attorney requests, internal and external investigations and other inquiries.
• Respond to questions and provide assistance and advice to physicians, office and management personnel on questions relating to subpoenas, claims, suits, investigations, UH policies & procedures, etc.
• Manage large, complex, electronic and paper intensive document requests.
• Weigh multiple, complex factors and arrive at conclusions and make recommendations in line with UH mission, vision, values and goals.
• Draft policies and procedures based upon government and clinical guidelines.

Additional Responsibilities

• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Complies with all policies and standards.
• For specific duties and responsibilities, refer to documentation provided by the department during orientation.
• Must abide by all requirements to safely and securely maintain Protected Health Information (PHI) for our patients. Annual training, the UH Code of Conduct and UH policies and procedures are in place to address appropriate use of PHI in the workplace.

Education

• Bachelor's Degree (Preferred)

Work Experience

• 10+ years Of litigation paralegal, claims and/or risk management experience in a law firm or corporate legal environment. (Required) and
• Large firm or corporation litigation paralegal experience strongly (Preferred) and
• Experience with data analysis (Preferred)

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Ability to work independently with sound judgment and excellent organizational skills. (Required proficiency)
• Effective negotiation skills and strategies. (Required proficiency)
• Well-developed verbal/written communication, analytical and interpersonal skills (Required proficiency)
• Knowledge of e-discovery also a plus. (Preferred proficiency)
• Legal & medical terminology, trial proceedings and applicable federal, state & local laws, and investigative skills. (Required proficiency)
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and Internet-based research. (Required proficiency)

Licenses and Certifications

• Paralegal certificate with substantial legal support experience (Preferred)

Physical Demands

• Standing Occasionally
• Walking Occasionally
• Sitting Constantly
• Lifting Rarely 20 lbs
• Carrying Rarely 20 lbs
• Pushing Rarely 20 lbs
• Pulling Rarely 20 lbs
• Climbing Rarely 20 lbs
• Balancing Rarely
• Stooping Rarely
• Kneeling Rarely
• Crouching Rarely
• Crawling Rarely
• Reaching Rarely
• Handling Occasionally
• Grasping Occasionally
• Feeling Rarely
• Talking Constantly
• Hearing Constantly
• Repetitive Motions Frequently
• Eye/Hand/Foot Coordination Frequently

Travel Requirements

• 10%