The County Attorney’s Office of the County of San Mateo is seeking well-qualified candidates for the position of Deputy County Attorney II, III, or IV assigned to the San Mateo Medical Center.

THE COUNTY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
The County Attorney’s Office serves as the general counsel for the County of San Mateo and all its departments, as well as for many school districts and special districts. As a large company might utilize its in-house counsel, our clients rely on our office for the full range of legal services, covering a broad spectrum of practice areas. The County Attorney’s Office is recruiting for a Deputy County Attorney who will specifically provide legal services to the San Mateo Medical Center (SMMC). SMMC is a public acute care (448 bed) hospital and clinic system serving a diverse population on the Bay Area’s mid-peninsula. On SMMC’s main campus in San Mateo, there is an ICU, medical/surgical unit, inpatient psychiatric unit, skilled nursing facility, and the nationally recognized Keller Center for Family Violence Intervention, which offers comprehensive services to victims of violence. SMMC also operates five clinics throughout the County of San Mateo which offer a wide range of outpatient services.

THE POSITION
The position will be filled at the Deputy County Attorney II, III or IV level, depending on the selected candidate’s experience and qualifications. This position’s essential job responsibilities include the following:

• Partner with SMMC’s Chief Medical Officer and Medical Director of Specialty Services to ensure adequate coverage of specialty services through tracking, renewal, preparation, review and revision of physician agreements (developing/using templates as appropriate).
• Provide legal support to the Medical Staff Office (MSO) and Privacy/Compliance Officer.
• Conduct legal research and provide advice regarding health care operational issues, including patient consent, risk management, medical staff, licensing and certification, policies, contractual arrangements (rights and responsibilities), regulatory requirements, Stark and Anti-Kickback compliance, and other areas of health care operations subject to state and federal laws and regulations.
• Prepare, review, and revise corporate documents (e.g., bylaws).
• Review and advise on health information technology agreements and other hospital contracts as appropriate.

SALARY
The starting salary ranges from $144,560.00 to $254,342.40, depending upon the level at which the position is filled, but the job description and duties remain the same.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• A minimum of three (3) years of experience as a practicing attorney with a health care practice.
• Familiarity with healthcare regulatory legal issues.
• Contracting experience and strong negotiation skills.
• Must be a member in good standing of the California Bar.
• A demonstrated history of hard work, dedication, and academic excellence.
• Ability to prioritize and manage several projects simultaneously and under deadlines.
• As some of the work done in the County Attorney’s office will undoubtedly be new to any candidate, the ideal candidate will be flexible and show an eagerness to learn.
• Must be a self-motivated person willing to work independently and take ownership of any matter.
• Must work well with others. Our office is a collegial and supportive environment in which employees willingly pitch in to help one another.
• Must have exceptional legal research and writing skills.
• Must have strong communication skills. Our attorneys must be able to explain complex legal issues to judges, arbitrators, a diverse range of clients, and, occasionally, members of the public.
• The ability to establish and maintain excellent working relationships with clients.
• Our attorneys are expected to practice the highest level of ethics and professional responsibility.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Familiarity with or willingness to learn HIPAA, Stark, Anti-Kickback, CA Health & Safety Code (including Section 805, as it relates to peer review requirements), TJC/CoP standards, and the HITECH Act.
• Experience in vendor/procurement contracting, provider contracting, health operations.
• Ability to work independently to flag and resolve potential issues.

Deputy County Attorney positions are unclassified and “at will” (i.e., not subject to San Mateo County Civil Service Rules and serving at the pleasure of the County Attorney). All applications containing the required materials are reviewed and, typically, multiple rounds of oral interviews are conducted with selected applicants. Selection of candidates for the positions will be made following oral interviews and reference checks.

Combine application materials into one PDF file and submit to:
SMC-CountyAttorney@smcgov.org


Required application materials include:

• Resume that includes educational and employment history, bar admission(s), listing bar number and dates of admission, scholastic and professional honors, and publications.
• List of references with contact information and whether we may contact them, including at least one supervisor and peer attorney or client who has worked extensively with you.
• Cover Letter and/or attachment addressing the following:
  • Why are you seeking this position?
  • What are your short-term and long-range goals regarding the practice of law?
  • Summarize any experience you may have practicing on behalf of public entities.
  • Summarize your experience healthcare law setting and, in particular, with respect to healthcare contracting and healthcare regulatory issues
  • Have you ever been fired or resigned after being requested to do so? If so, please explain.
  • Please tell us how you learned of this opening.

FINAL DATE FOR FILING: May 22, 2022
Late or incomplete entries will not be considered. A resume alone will not be accepted as a substitute for the application responses.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
General Information: Benefits include health, vision, and dental plans, as well as vacation, sick leave, and administrative/management leave time.

Other Benefits Include:

• Employee Health and Wellness Program
• Employee Assistance Program
• Dependent Care Assistance Plan
• Voluntary Time Off
• Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Continuation of Coverage Program
• Basic and Additional Life Insurance
• Deferred Comp Plan
• Payment of State Bar Dues
• Payment of San Mateo County Bar Dues

Additional information concerning all of the available employee benefits may be obtained in the 2022 Active Employee Benefits Guide and the 2022 Retiree Benefits Overview.