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Overview

Wendy helps hospitals and other healthcare clients navigate complex issues and day-to-day operational and compliance matters.

These matters most often relate to fraud and abuse considerations, physician referrals, licensing and certification requirements, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement, contracted services, physician peer review, and hospital governance. She also assists clients with the negotiation and drafting of supply chain and vendor contracts and professional services agreements between physician groups and hospitals.

Wendy has focused her practice on healthcare law from the very beginning and has more than 20 years of experience in the industry. She began her legal career as a Regulatory Affairs Fellow for a public interest organization, where she advised and consulted with congressional staff on proposed regulations, guidelines, and draft reports affecting public health and safety.

Today, Wendy devotes a significant portion of her practice to secondments, often moving in-house with major health systems for months at a time while they work to build out their legal teams. Prior to joining Husch Blackwell, Wendy served as Vice-President, Legal Counsel for the California Hospital Association and in-house counsel for Community Health Systems, supporting Quorum Health Resources, a hospital management and consulting company.

Thanks to her in-house experience, Wendy appreciates the need for practical advice that goes beyond straight case law. She knows clients need an actionable plan that fits their business needs, and she provides insightful support and solutions that will work in the real world.

Industry

Services

Education

  • J.D., University of California College of the Law, San Francisco
    • Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly, Editor-in-Chief
    • Moot Court, Best Oral Advocate, Honorable Mention
  • B.A., Florida State University

Admissions

  • Texas
  • Tennessee
  • California

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • American Health Law Association, Hospital and Health Systems Practice Group, Leadership Development Program, 2011-2013
  • Sacramento County Bar Association, Health Law Section, Co-chair, 2007-2010
  • State Bar of California
  • State Bar of Texas
  • State Bar of Tennessee

Clerkships

Honorable William B. Bryant, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

Experience
  • Prepared and negotiated contracts with revenue cycle, supply chain and software vendors for a large hospital system, and advised in-house personnel regarding best contracting practices.
  • Negotiated professional services agreements between physician groups and hospitals.
  • Drafted and negotiated contracts for hospital management and consulting services.
  • Negotiated agreements for participation in group purchasing organizations.
  • Led compliance education programs for hospital CEOs, CFOs, administrators and consultants.
  • Counseled state hospital association's executive management and hospital executives regarding strategic planning, federal and state legislative issues, and operational matters.
  • Provided and managed outside legal representation for state hospital association lawsuits.
  • Prepared and coordinated amicus letters and briefs on behalf of state hospital association and association partners.
  • Educated hospital association members regarding significant federal and state legal and health care reform developments.
  • Managed hospital association’s response to proposed reforms to medical staff peer review processes, physician employment and privacy protections.
  • Commented on proposed federal and state regulations.
  • Provided legal and technical expertise as part of a multidisciplinary team that achieved passage of SB 891 (Chapter 295, Statutes of 2008) establishing California’s Elective PCI Pilot Program.
  • Represented and advised hospital medical staff teams regarding physician disciplinary actions and peer review hearings.
  • Developed physician recruitment, call coverage and general contracting protocols for hospital clients.
  • Represented psychiatric hospital clients in mental competency hearings.
  • Served as counsel to a consortium of orthopedic practices—The Orthopedic Institute of Wisconsin—in the roll up and sale of 14 Wisconsin-based groups and two ambulatory surgery centers to Surgery Partners.
Community Leadership
  • Nashville Adult Literacy Council, Board of Directors
In-House Counsel Experience
  • Counsel, Community Health Systems, 2010-2012
  • Vice President, Legal Counsel, California Hospital Association, 2009-2010