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Attorney
By
Attorney
Career Profiles of the Profession
Who?
What?
Primary Practice Area & Subspecialty Fields:
Managed Care and Healthcare Operations
When?
Years in Practice Area:
Since 1976
Years in the Legal Profession:
Since 1982
Where?
Employer:
Saint Luke’s Shawnee Mission Health System
http://www.saint-lukes.org
Size/Sector:
Multi-hospital system
City/State:
Kansas City, MO
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Law School:
Detroit College of Law, summa cum laude
Other Post Graduate Education:
MBA (Finance and Human Resources) and MSPH (Health Administration-University of Missouri - Columbia
Undergraduate School/Degree:
College of the Holy Cross/ AB (Mathematics)
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Why?
Pluses/Challenges of Practice Area:
Balancing the need to run the business of healthcare with the imperative to maintain high quality standards.
Core Skills/Key Knowledge Needed in Your Practice Area:
Healthcare law and financial management; analytical and communication skills.
Advice to Lawyers and Law Students Interested in Your Practice Area:
Your first position is key. Try to get a year-long fellowship within a large organization that will expose you to many different aspects of healthcare. As an alternative try consulting with a reputable firm to get the exposure that you need.
How?
Career Path to Current Position:
Advanced through several administrative positions at large hospitals/ health systems. The last system operations position included simultaneously being the COO of two large hospitals together with various system responsibilities within a large health system. Then moved to the Executive Director of a 170,000 member health plan. Finally to my current position as Vice President of Manage Care and Senior Vice President for Product Line Management which combines both operations and staff roles.
Influences and Mentors:
The CEO at the hospital I had my first healthcare position . . . he was willing to take a risk and give me significant responsibility even though I lacked experience . . . he was willing to let me make mistakes.
Suggested Reading About Your Practice Area:
Leadership for Health: Careers in Health Administration, Edited by Cynthia Carter Haddock et al, Health Administration Press, 2001.
Job Search Techniques Used in Finding Your Position(s):
The key is networking. Become a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, attend the meetings, get involved and network. The other is to become known to the key healthcare "headhunters".
Bar Affiliations and Activities:
Missouri and Michigan.
Recent Professional Publications:
Clinical Resource and Quality Management. Edited by Scott B. Ransom and William W. Pinsky, M.D. Tampa: American College of Physician Executives, 1999. (Co-Authored with Robert Smith the chapter titled Managed Care Contracting: Establishing Relationships Strategically).
Integrated Delivery Systems: Creation, Governance and Management. Chicago: Health Administration Press, 1997 (Co-Authored with Douglas Conrad, Michael Sachs and Robert Smith the chapter titled Developing A Strategy for Managed Care Contracting),
Conrad, Douglas A., Bonney, Robert S., Sachs, Michael A., and Smith, Robert J. Managed Care Contracting: Concepts and Applications for the Healthcare Executive. Chicago: Healthcare Administration Press, 1996 (Second Edition accepted for publication in 2001). Authored a four-module self-directed learning program based on book.
Recent Professional Presentations:
I am on the faculty of the American College of Healthcare Executives and teach the Managed Care Contracting course three or four times per year. ABA-ACHE 2001 Health Law Update.
Memorable Career Moment:
Working with a team of people on a very complicated project taking almost three years to complete, impacting
hundreds of people and completing it on time and on budget.
Intriguing Interests:
I am on the faculty of the University of Missouri and the University of Kansas. I am also a high school basketball official and an amateur radio operator.
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