Thought Leadership Archives - Coppersmith Brockelman PLC

Aug 27 2026

Mel Soliz Examines EHR Competition & Data Access Implications of FTC’s Epic Investigation in Healthcare Innovation

Healthcare Innovation recently tapped Partner Mel Soliz for insight on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's new antitrust investigation of Epic Systems and the broader questions now surfacing around market concentration and data access in the health technology space. Mel discussed the factors that can generally trigger an investigation and what this could mean for today’s providers, EHR vendors, and health tech companies. Notably, she emphasized that while information blocking rules and antitrust laws operate under distinct legal standards, they can scrutinize the same conduct when restrictions on health data exchange also disadvantage competitors. Mel’s practice focuses on health data interoperability, privacy, complex data-sharing arrangements, health information networks and exchanges, technology contracting, and related regulatory and litigation risk. Read the full interview....

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Aug 10 2026

Mel Soliz Discusses Privacy & Legal Questions Raised by CPSC’s Request for Patient Data in Healthcare Innovation

Naomi Jorgensen

Partner Mel Soliz recently spoke with Healthcare Innovation about the legal and privacy issues raised by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s request for expanded access to identifiable emergency department patient records. In the interview, “CPSC’s Push for Patient Data Raises Privacy and Legal Questions,” Mel discussed the different pathways available under HIPAA and state law for sharing information with public health authorities. She emphasized that health care organizations should carefully evaluate the legal authority supporting a request, whether the information sought is the minimum necessary, and whether more restrictive state privacy laws or technical limitations affect the organization’s ability to disclose the data. Mel’s practice focuses on health data interoperability, privacy, complex data-sharing arrangements, health information networks and exchanges, technology contracting, and related regulatory and litigation risk. Read the full interview....

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Jul 21 2026

Mel Soliz Examines Whether New TEFCA Oversight Will Deliver Meaningful Network Accountability in Healthcare Innovation

Naomi Jorgensen

Partner Mel Soliz recently spoke with Healthcare Innovation about new federal oversight measures for the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), including the appointment of a third-party contractor to provide audit, review, and compliance support. In the interview, Mel discussed whether the new oversight structure will provide the independent verification needed to strengthen trust in nationwide health information exchange, protect health care providers that supply data to the networks, and identify potential fraud, information blocking, or other noncompliance. Information emerging since the interview suggests that ONC is pursuing a two-phased approach with this contractor. The first phase will involve retrospective audits and compliance reviews, and the second phase will involve more ongoing monitoring, with the contractor involved in the onboarding process for new entrants. Mel’s practice focuses...

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Jul 20 2026

Mel Soliz Presents on Health Data Compliance & Law Enforcement Record Requests at AzHIMA Annual Meeting

Naomi Jorgensen

Partner Mel Soliz recently presented two sessions at the 2026 AzHIMA Annual Meeting, addressing practical compliance challenges for health information management professionals. In the first session, “From Regulation to Workflow: Operationalizing Compliance for Sensitive Health Data,” Mel discussed how organizations can translate HIPAA, Arizona-sensitive health data laws, 42 CFR Part 2, and other federal and state privacy requirements into workable operational processes. The presentation focused on practical issues such as data classification, consent management, role-based access, disclosure review, audit controls, breach response, and vendor contracting. Mel also presented “When the Government Knocks: Responding to Law Enforcement Record Requests,” which addressed how health care organizations should evaluate law enforcement requests for patient records. The session covered HIPAA’s law enforcement disclosure framework, Arizona-specific subpoena and mandatory reporting requirements, identity...

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Jul 20 2026

Mel Soliz Discusses Latest Developments in Interoperability Litigation on AHLA Podcast

Naomi Jorgensen

Partner Mel Soliz recently joined the American Health Law Association’s Speaking of Health Law podcast for an episode examining the latest developments in interoperability litigation and what emerging disputes may mean for the health care industry. In this episode, Mel spoke with Brendan Keeler, Interoperability Practice Lead at HTD Health, and Amy Bagge-Smith, General Counsel and Head of Regulatory Affairs at Arcadia, about cases currently shaping interoperability law, including how courts and industry stakeholders are responding to disputes involving health data access, privacy, national exchange frameworks, and CMS’ Aligned Networks initiative. The discussion builds on Mel’s work advising health care organizations, networks/exchanges, technology companies, and data platforms on privacy, interoperability, governance, contracting, and litigation risk across the evolving health data exchange ecosystem. Mel and her team lead a...

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Jul 01 2026

Mel Soliz Presents on Information Blocking Enforcement for The Sequoia Project

Naomi Jorgensen

Partner Mel Soliz recently participated in The Sequoia Project’s webinar, “Information Blocking in the Age of Enforcement,” hosted through its Interoperability Matters Information Sharing Workgroup. The webinar focused on the evolving information blocking enforcement landscape, including industry readiness, federal enforcement resources, state-level information sharing developments, and emerging litigation trends. Mel presented on recent litigation involving information blocking concepts, including disputes over access restrictions, competition and market-power issues, network trust and downstream use of health data, and the technical functionality of health data integrations. Mel’s presentation highlighted how information blocking is moving beyond regulatory compliance and into business disputes, state enforcement actions, and anti-competition claims. She also discussed the practical importance of documenting decisions to restrict, condition, or suspend access based on privacy, security, technical, contractual, patient-safety, or...

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Mel Soliz Examines EHR Competition & Data Access Implications of FTC’s Epic Investigation in Healthcare Innovation

Mel Soliz Discusses Privacy & Legal Questions Raised by CPSC’s Request for Patient Data in Healthcare Innovation

Mel Soliz Examines Whether New TEFCA Oversight Will Deliver Meaningful Network Accountability in Healthcare Innovation

Mel Soliz Presents on Health Data Compliance & Law Enforcement Record Requests at AzHIMA Annual Meeting

Mel Soliz Discusses Latest Developments in Interoperability Litigation on AHLA Podcast

Mel Soliz Presents on Information Blocking Enforcement for The Sequoia Project

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