Description
Chief Health Counsel
One of the nation’s top-ranked academic health systems, UC Davis Health is dedicated to improving lives and transforming health care through outstanding patient care, groundbreaking research, innovative education, and dynamic community partnerships. Based in Sacramento, California, UC Davis Health harnesses the power of a world-class public university to address some of the most pressing health care challenges facing society today. As a major economic engine for both the Sacramento region and the state of California, UC Davis Health generated more than $4 billion in regional economic impact in 2023 and employs more than 19,000 individuals across the region.
UC Davis Health includes UC Davis Medical Center, the UC Davis School of Medicine, the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, and the UC Davis Medical Group. As the region’s only academic health center, UC Davis Health serves a vast geographic area spanning 33 counties across Northern California. UC Davis Health is nationally recognized for excellence and innovation, featuring the region’s only Level I adult and pediatric trauma centers, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, the internationally recognized UC Davis MIND Institute, the UC Davis Rehabilitation Hospital, and the nationally ranked UC Davis Children’s Hospital. Through pioneering telehealth initiatives and partnerships across California, UC Davis Health drives care in urban settings while also extending its advanced specialty care to rural and underserved communities through in-person and remote staffing arrangements that advance research, educate providers, and improve clinical excellence across the region.
In this critical leadership role, the Chief Health Counsel will lead all health care–related legal services for UC Davis Health and provide strategic legal counsel to senior leadership across the health system.
Reporting to the Chief Campus Counsel and Vice Chancellor – Legal Affairs and the Deputy General Counsel – Health Affairs, Privacy & Data Protection, the Chief Health Counsel will oversee a team of health counsel attorneys and staff while also maintaining direct responsibility for the UC Davis Health Risk Management Office. This leader will collaborate closely with the University of California’s Office of the General Counsel on health-related legal matters and participate in systemwide UC Health initiatives, working with peer campuses to advance shared priorities.
The Chief Health Counsel will serve as a trusted advisor to UC Davis Health executive leadership, the deans of the School of Medicine and School of Nursing, department chairs, medical staff leadership, and operational leaders across the academic health system. The role provides strategic guidance on a wide range of complex legal and regulatory matters, including health care transactions, regulatory compliance, clinical operations, reimbursement, graduate medical education, accreditation, licensure, research activities, and general business matters. In addition, the Chief Health Counsel will provide executive oversight of the Risk Management Department, ensuring effective management of professional, employment, and general liability claims while supporting enterprise-wide risk mitigation and loss prevention initiatives.
The successful candidate will bring significant experience advising complex health care organizations, ideally within academic medical centers or large integrated health systems. With at least a decade of progressively responsible legal experience in health care law, this leader will demonstrate deep expertise
in regulatory compliance, clinical operations, and the legal framework governing academic health systems. The Chief Health Counsel will be a strategic thinker and collaborative partner, capable of navigating highly complex legal issues while balancing institutional priorities and risk management considerations.
J.D. from an accredited law school and a member, in good standing, of a state bar within the United States. Current Admission to the California State Bar is strongly preferred or admitted within one year of employment.
The ideal candidate will combine strong analytical and legal judgment with exceptional communication skills and the ability to build trusted relationships with diverse stakeholders across clinical, academic, and administrative environments. A demonstrated commitment to integrity, collaboration, and public service will be essential, as will the ability to lead and mentor a high-performing team while supporting UC Davis Health’s mission of advancing equitable, innovative, and high-quality care for communities across California.
Application Information:
Review of candidate materials will begin immediately and the ability to apply or nominate will continue until the position has been filled. The application information can be found at: caldwell.thriveapp.ly/job/1295. Applications should include a cover letter and resume.
The University has retained Caldwell Partners, a national executive search firm, to assist with this search. Please email confidential inquiries, nominations, or referrals to: UCDHCHC@Caldwell.com.
The University of California, Davis Health is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The full salary range is $400,700 to $440,000 annually.
Background Check Process: Successful completion of a background check is required for this critical position. Background check process at UC Davis Health
UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco free campus effective January 1, 2014. Smoking, the use of smokeless tobacco products, and the use of unregulated nicotine products (e-cigarettes) will be strictly prohibited on any UC Davis owned or leased property, indoors and outdoors, including parking lots and residential space.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.
Requirements
Required Qualifications (and Preferred where Indicated)
Minimum of 12 years of progressively responsible legal experience in healthcare law, preferably in the practice areas of complex health care regulatory compliance.
Prior management or supervisory experience strongly preferred.
Specific experience working with academic medical centers, hospital operations, large medical groups, and graduate medical education programs, particularly in California is preferred.
Superior academic qualifications, with strong analytic, writing, and client consultation skills.
Demonstrated ability to distill large quantities of often imperfect information and generate creative approaches to legal challenges facing academic health centers.
Demonstrated ability to clearly articulate the priorities of a complex and dynamic organization, as well as the ability to develop legal strategies which forward these priorities within acceptable limits of risk and exposure.
Demonstrated ability to work well under conditions of heavy workload, frequent overtime, rapidly changing priorities, a highly fluid authority structure, and deadlines requiring immediate action.
Demonstrated ability to make timely, accurate and complete reports of activities to multiple supervisors and clients.
Demonstrated ability and willingness to use standard computer software applications, including, Microsoft Word, email programs, Internet browsers, and on-line legal search.
Outstanding communication and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate clearly, logically, and persuasively during interactions and utilize active listening skills. Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including negotiation skills.
Judgment, tact, and diplomacy to partner with senior teams to help them achieve their strategic objectives.
Demonstrated understanding of highly complex legal issues in a University setting. Ability to think creatively to assist the UC Davis Health executive leaders in solving problems of the greatest complexity.
Exercise prudence and good judgment in financial management and approval of expenses.
Demonstrated ability to act as a team player in all circumstances, as defined by contributing to the successful outcome of initiatives, accountabilities, and operations of others. Ability to work collaboratively across administrative and academic units and to build consensus. Resilience, compassion, flexibility, open to change.
Previous management or supervisory experience and / or significant project management experience.
Demonstrated experience in operational management and people leadership with the capacity to lead and motivate a professional team to meet high client service expectations in an extremely visible organization.
Demonstrated ability to make and communicate hard decisions.
Outstanding interpersonal skills to interact effectively and develop and maintain productive working relationships with an array of diverse interests, individuals, and constituencies.
Outstanding written skills as defined by the ability to compose a variety of concise, informative written materials appropriate to a particular audience.
Proven ability to maintain confidentiality regarding sensitive issues and information and exercise discretion in dealing with sensitive or potentially sensitive topics.
Demonstrated commitment to the highest ethical standards.
J.D. from an accredited law school and a member, in good standing, of a state bar within the United States.
Current Admission to the California State Bar is strongly preferred or admitted within one year of employment
