Compliance Officer

Compliance Offer Location: Remote Why Ascend? Come work for a company that is transforming the industry! Ascend Clinical, LLC is one of the highest-volume clinical laboratories in the United States, processing millions of tests each month with advanced tools and technology. For over 30 years, we've set the standard for service and excellence in testing. What sets Ascend apart is our unique combination of clinical and healthcare water testing as we drive innovation across multiple areas of laboratory science. We're growing rapidly and looking for individuals who thrive in a fast-paced environment, embrace new challenges, and want to help shape what's next. The Compliance Officer is responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing the organizations’ compliance and ethics program across a network of clinical and diagnostic laboratories. This role ensures adherence to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, accreditation standards, and company policies governing laboratory operations, healthcare services, billing practices, privacy, and corporate conduct. The Compliance Officer serves as a strategic partner to laboratory leadership, Human Resources, Legal, Quality, Finance, and Operations to promote a culture of integrity, accountability, and regulatory compliance while mitigating organizational risk. Responsibilities: Develop, implement, maintain, and continually improve the corporate compliance program across all laboratory locations Establish policies, procedures, and controls designed to ensure compliance with applicable healthcare and laboratory regulations Monitor regulatory developments and assess organizational impact. Maintain compliance work plans and track corrective and preventive actions Develop and maintain annual compliance work plan, including compliance initiatives and corrective action plans Develop and report compliance metrics/KPIs and program effectiveness to Compliance Committee, executive leadership, and other governing bodies Compliance Committee Oversight: Responsible for chairing the Compliance Committee and conducting Compliance Committee meetings Ensure compliance with applicable regulations and standards, including: CLIA , CAP, HIPAA , Stark Law , Anti-Kickback Statute , False Claims Act , OIG Compliance Program Guidance , State laboratory licensing requirements , Medicare and Medicaid billing regulations , EKRA (Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act) Serve as a subject matter expert regarding compliance requirements affecting laboratory operations Conduct enterprise-wide compliance risk assessments Develop and execute annual compliance auditing and monitoring plans Evaluate findings, identify trends, and implement corrective action plans Coordinate internal investigations related to compliance concerns and alleged misconduct Develop and deliver compliance training programs for employees, managers, and leadership Promote awareness of ethical business practices and compliance expectations Ensure required compliance training is completed and documented Manage compliance reporting mechanisms, including hotline and anonymous reporting channels Investigate allegations of misconduct, fraud, waste, abuse, conflicts of interest, or policy violations Document investigative findings and recommend corrective actions Maintain confidentiality and objectivity throughout investigations Serve as the designated HIPAA Privacy Officer; oversee the HIPAA Privacy Program; providing guidance regarding the use, disclosure, access, and safeguarding of PHI/ePHI Partner with Information Technology and Human Resources to support HIPAA privacy and security compliance Provide compliance guidance to laboratory executives and operational leaders Prepare compliance reports and dashboards for executive leadership and governing bodies Collaborate with Quality, Legal, Finance, Revenue Cycle, and Human Resources teams on compliance-related initiatives Support regulatory inspections, accreditation surveys, and external audits Oversee privacy complaints and incidents Conduct breach risk assessments and coordinate breach response Support patient privacy rights and requests Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Life Sciences, Law, Public Health, or a related field required Master's degree, JD, or other advanced degree preferred Minimum 8-10 years of healthcare compliance experience Experience supporting clinical laboratories, diagnostic testing organizations, reference laboratories, or healthcare providers preferred Demonstrated experience conducting investigations, audits, and regulatory assessments Strong knowledge of healthcare compliance regulations and laboratory industry requirements Working knowledge of CLIA, CAP accreditation standards, HIPAA, Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial payer compliance requirements Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills Strong investigative and auditing capabilities Exceptional written and verbal communication skills Ability to influence and build relationships across multiple levels of the organization Ability to manage confidential and sensitive information with discretion Strong project management and organizational skills Proficiency with compliance management systems, audit tracking tools, and Microsoft Office applications Compensation: - $125,000-$130,000 Benefits: As an Ascend Clinical employee, you will become part of a company that has received national recognition as a great place to work. We offer excellent full-time benefits including comprehensive medical coverage, life and disability insurance, 401(k) with company match, paid holidays and vacation, personal days, and dental and vision options. Ascend is an Equal Opportunity Employer - M/F/Disabled/Veteran Ascend Clinical, LLC is committed to promoting an equal employment opportunity workplace environment and is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the company that all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, citizenship, pregnancy, genetic information (GINA), disability, military and/or veteran status, and/or any other status protected by applicable Federal, state, or local law. The company’s policy is to recruit, hire, train, promote and administer all employment-related matters on the basis of an individual's qualifications, abilities and efforts without regard to protected status.