Contract Operations Specialist Senior

aah; United States; Hybrid; USD 45,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job summary

Advocate Aurora Health's Graduate Medical Education Office seeks a Senior Contract Operations Specialist to provide system-wide leadership for medical education contracting, reimbursement, and affiliate billing across sites.

The role directs negotiations and compliance for affiliation agreements, manages FTE/CAP allocations, prepares IRIS reports with Medicare teams, and leads a team of five.

Responsibilities

• Lead system-wide medical education contracting and affiliation agreements oversight.
• Oversee GME financial operations, including Medicare reimbursement reporting.
• Supervise a team of five direct reports and coordinate with Legal, Compliance, and Risk.
• Monitor regulatory requirements and ensure alignment with accreditation standards.
• Develop templates and processes for PLAs, resident agreements, and related documents.

Job description

Department: 10802 Advocate Aurora Health Corporate - Medical Education Office

Status: Full time

Benefits Eligible: Yes

Hours Per Week: 40

Schedule Details/Additional Information: Remote position, with occasional on-site presence as needed at our academic medical centers.

Day schedule, Monday - Friday.

Pay Range: $33.05 - $49.60

Job Description

The Graduate Medical Education (GME) Contract Operations Specialist Senior provides system-wide leadership and oversight for medical education contracting, graduate medical education reimbursement, financial reporting, and affiliate billing activities. This role is responsible for the negotiation, development, execution, and compliance management of medical education affiliation agreements supporting residents and fellows across Advocate Health Care sites and external training partners.

In addition, this position directs GME financial operations, including Medicare reimbursement reporting, resident FTE and CAP allocation management, financial impact analyses, and affiliate billing. Serves as the subject matter expert for GME contracts and funding regulations and supervises a team of related support staff (five direct reports).

Major Responsibilities

Contract Administration and Affiliation Agreements

• Serve as the system-wide expert and primary resource for medical education contracting matters.
• Develop, implement, and maintain policies, procedures, and tracking systems for affiliation agreements, Program Letters of Agreement (PLAs), resident agreements, and related documentation.
• Educate residency programs, teaching sites, and departmental leaders regarding contract requirements, processes, and compliance expectations.
• Negotiate, draft, review, and execute: Medical Education Affiliation Agreements, Program Addenda and Subordinate Agreements, System-wide GME vendor agreements, Resident Agreements and amendments.
• Collaborate with Legal, Compliance, Risk Management, and operational stakeholders to ensure appropriate review and approval of agreements.
• Ensure all agreements comply with applicable regulatory, accreditation, and institutional requirements.
• Review and approve contract amendments, renewals, and modifications.
• Verify that affiliation agreements align with Advocate Health resident CAP allocation strategy and reimbursement requirements.
• Develop and maintain templates for: Program Letters of Agreement (PLAs)
• PLA amendments
• Resident Agreements
• Other standardized educational agreements
• Monitor contract status and completion, ensuring timely execution, renewal, and retention of required documentation.
• Implement and oversee the annual resident agreement process, including distribution, signature collection, tracking, and record maintenance.

Graduate Medical Education Finance and Reimbursement

• Lead preparation, validation, and submission of the annual Intern and Resident Information System (IRIS) report in collaboration with Medicare reimbursement teams.
• Maintain and oversee the resident Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) and CAP tracking database to ensure compliance with organizational policies related to funded and unfunded residency positions.
• Direct the annual aggregate agreement and CAP allocation process across teaching hospitals to maximize Medicare reimbursement opportunities.
• Partner with Finance and Medicare Reimbursement leadership to optimize GME reimbursement and preserve resident CAP positions.
• Conduct financial analyses related to proposed federal and state funding changes affecting graduate medical education programs.
• Monitor, analyze, and report financial performance and reimbursement trends impacting GME operations.
• Develop and implement standardized methodologies for evaluating program costs, funding sources, and return on investment for residency and fellowship programs.
• Provide education and consultation to site and departmental leadership regarding GME funding, reimbursement regulations, and financial implications.

Affiliate Billing and Revenue Management

• Oversee the generation, reconciliation, invoicing, collection and processing of affiliate billing related to visiting residents and educational training agreements.
• Monitor billing processes to ensure accuracy, compliance, and timely revenue collection.
• Identify opportunities to improve billing efficiency and enhance financial reporting.

Regulatory Compliance and Accreditation

• Ensure compliance with all applicable accreditation and regulatory requirements, including Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), American Osteopathic Association (AOA), Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME), and Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement regulations
• Monitor regulatory changes and update policies, agreements, and practices accordingly.
• Provide guidance to leadership regarding compliance risks and mitigation strategies.

Additional Responsibilities

• Participate in strategic planning and special projects related to graduate medical educ