ASU College of Health Solutions Lauds Mel Soliz’s Contributions to MDC Advisory Board

Mel Soliz Breaks Down Compliance with Complex Interoperability Requirements at the AHLA Physicians and Hospitals Law Institute

Looking to educate members about how to comply with the Information Blocking Rule (IBR) and other interoperability mandates, the American Health Law Association turned to Mel Soliz as a presenter at its Physicians and Hospitals Law Institute. Mel joined Gerard Nussbaum, principal at Zarach Associates, and Marti Arvin, chief compliance officer at Erlanger Health, in explaining IBR and interoperability requirements. Mel works closely with community health information exchanges, health care providers and health plans to understand and implement compliance programs for the IBR and the CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Final Rule. She regularly speaks at local and national forums on these topics and has been active in state and federal policy making on data privacy and health information exchange issues. Learn more about the Physicians and...

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Scott Bennett Helps In Business Readers Prepare for Pending Consumer Privacy Laws

Sam Coppersmith and Malvika Sinha Outline Components of a Successful DEI Program for In Business

As more companies prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), many wonder what such programs should include. In an In Business cover story highlighting companies with strong DEI initiatives, Sam Coppersmith and Malvika Sinha share how Coppersmith Brockelman attracts diverse attorneys and helps them thrive. Sam discusses how the firm welcomed diversity of viewpoints and experiences long before DEI emerged, highlighting how hiring outstanding lawyers who looked, acted and thought differently led to a majority-female partnership with flexibility for personal and family choices that attracts new talent. He believes becoming more diverse and inclusive has helped the firm improve and expects diversity will increase as junior lawyers recruit their peers. Malvika provides perspective of how some DEI programs can negatively impact female associates and associates of color by...

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Karen Owens Advises Hospitals on Attracting Physician Leaders to Peer Review Committees

Karen Owens Blogs About Affordable Care Act Anti-Sex Discrimination for AzSHA

Following up to a recent presentation to the Arizona Society for Healthcare Attorneys (AzSHA),  Karen Owens provided a more in-depth examination of the anti-discrimination provisions in Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, including based on sex, limited English proficiency and disability. With major changes in the current regulations on sex discrimination expected and questions about the status of other parts of Section 1557, Karen’s blog helps readers understand the history and current status of Section 1557, major court decisions, practical realities for providers, and what may be next on the horizon. Karen, who serves on the AzSHA Board of Directors, represents health care systems, hospitals, clinics, and other providers in a variety of matters including quality management, medical staff credentialing and peer review, medical staff structures,...

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Coppersmith Brockelman Promotes Telemedicine Specialist Marki Stewart to Partner

8 Ways Healthcare Attorneys Can Reduce Racial Disparities in Maternal Mortality

Maternal mortality in the United States has more than doubled in the last 30 years—women living in the United States today are 50% more likely to die in childbirth than their mothers were a generation ago. Researchers estimate more than half of these deaths are preventable. Alarmingly, the path to motherhood is significantly deadlier for women of color than it is for their white counterparts. Nationally, black women are three to four times as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, a disparity that has only widened in recent years.((See Khiara M. Bridges, Racial Disparities in Maternal Mortality, 95 N.Y.U. L. Rev. 1229 (2020).)) Surprisingly, these disparities increase with age and education; data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention demonstrates that pregnancy-related...

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Jill Chasson Educates Business Journal Readers on Employee Communications Strategies Surrounding Federal Vaccine Mandates

Faulty employee communications approaches ― even when well intentioned ― can lead to negativity and turnover in the workplace. To help employers navigate potentially turbulent waters surrounding COVID vaccine mandates, Jill Chasson teamed up with Aker Ink PR & Marketing CEO Andrea Aker to co-author an article for the Phoenix Business Journal about how to effectively talk with employees about federal vaccine mandates. To promote acceptance and mitigate fallout, contentious issues like the vaccine mandates need to be communicated to employees with additional care. No matter which side of the aisle one personally falls on, the reality is that mandates are here, and businesses face stiff penalties for noncompliance. Combining their legal and communications expertise, Jill and Andrea detail an approach rooted in education, empathy, and...

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ASU College of Health Solutions Lauds Mel Soliz’s Contributions to MDC Advisory Board

Mel Soliz Educates Clinical Researchers About Data Privacy Compliance for Substance Use Disorder Studies

Knowing federal health information privacy laws can open doors to different types of data, the Phoenix Association of Clinician Researcher Professionals (ACRP) Chapter tapped attorney Melissa Soliz to educate substance abuse disorder (SUD) researchers about privacy laws at the Embracing Change Conference for Clinical Research. In “Got SUDs?: Using Substance Use Disorder Data for Research,” Mel explained how to comply with HIPAA and 42 C.F.R. Part 2 for SUD data research and how to structure a clinical data repositories to support SUD quality improvement projects and research studies. Mel’s regulatory health law practice focuses on compliance with data privacy and patient access laws. She assists organizations and health plans in structuring real-world policies, programs and agreements that are compliant with these laws. An active thought leader in...

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