This Healthcare Facility Operations Interest Group focuses on the laws, regulations, and policies governing the operations of hospitals and other healthcare facilities. The IG deals with areas of the law and regulations included within Medicare, Medicaid, EMTALA, state and local licensure laws and regulations, and standards of national organizations such as the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and the National Committee on Quality Assurance. Examples of issues dealt with by this IG include: legal duties of the governing body, medical staff bylaws and credentialing, improving quality of care, medical errors reporting/liability, medical ethics, conflicts of interest, licensure, compliance, internal audits and investigations. The IG also undertakes the following activities with regard to these areas of law, regulation and policy: monitors enforcement activity; follows and, where appropriate and applicable, comments on legislative and regulatory developments; and serves as a forum for the exchange of information and debate on these activities.

2008 - 2009 Healthcare Facility Operations Interest Group Action Plan

Access this link to join the Healthcare Facility Operations Interest Group and List Serve.

Current Interest Group Roster (459 members)
(Accessible to ABA Members)

Chair:
Cyndi M. Baily
Baylor College of Medicine
1 Baylor Plaza
Suite 106A
Houston, TX 77030-3498
T: 713/798-6392 F: 713/798-6368
cbaily@bcm.tmc.edu

Vice Chairs:
Paul D. Gilbert
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
LifePoint Hospitals, Inc.
103 Powell Ct., Ste. 200
Brentwood, TN 37027
T: 615/372-8533 F: 615/372-8572
paul.gilbert@lpnt.net

Jacqueline C. Kingsolver
Catholic Health Initiatives
3900 Olympic Blvd., Suite 400
Erlanger, KY 41018-3509
T: 859/594-3015 F: 859/594-3204
jackiekingsolver@catholichealth.net

Kathy L Poppitt
Cox Smith
111 Congress Ave.
Suite 2800
Austin, TX 78701
T: 512/703-6317
kpoppitt@coxsmith.com

Tracy Powell
Sherrard & Roe, PLLC
424 Church St., Ste. 2000
Nashville, TN 37219
T: 615/742-4200 F: 615/742-4200
tpowell@sherrardroe.com

Liaisons

Government Submissions & Policy
Elaine C. Zacharakis
847 W Monroe St
Chicago, IL 60607-2635
elainezl@aol.com

Membership
Kathy L Poppitt
Cox Smith
111 Congress Ave.
Suite 2800
Austin, TX 78701
T: 512/703-6317
kpoppitt@coxsmith.com

Technology
Tracy Powell
Sherrard & Roe, PLLC
424 Church St., Ste. 2000
Nashville, TN 37219
T: 615/742-4200 F: 615/742-4200
tpowell@sherrardroe.com

Upcoming IG Program

ABA Healthcare Facility Operations Interest Group
April 8, 2008
All IG Conference Call

• Changes to the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems and Fiscal Year 2009 Rates [08/19/2008]
• New EMTALA Rules [08/18/2008]
• Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Issues Opinion In The Appeal Of The Poliner Judgment
• JCHAHO Suspends MS 1.20
• HHS: Hospital's Proposal To Provide Free Dialysis Services To Chronic Dialysis Patients Unable To Obtain Dialysis In Their Community - OIG Advisory Opinion No. 07-01
• OIG Advisory Opinion No. 06-16 - Proposed Arrangement For A Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Manufacturer To Provide Advertising Assistance And Reimbursement Consulting Services To Some Of Its Customers
• OIG Executes Tenet Corporate Integrity Agreement Unprecedented Provisions Include Board of Directors Review
• Corporate Integrity Agreement Between The OIG and Tenet Healthcare Corporation
• State Medicaid Fraud Control Units Annual Report Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005
• Advisory Opinion document 06-14
• Fiscal 2007 Work Plan
• Safe Harbors for Certain Electronic Prescribing and Electronic Health Records Arrangements Under the Anti-Kickback Statute
• Medicare Program; Physicians' Referrals to Health Care Entities With Which They Have Financial Relationships; Exceptions for Certain Electronic Prescribing and Electronic Health Records Arrangements
• An Open Letter to Health Care Providers
• OIG Advisory Opinion No. 06-03: Advisory opinion regarding a pharmaceutical company patient assistance program that provides free outpatient prescription drugs to financially-needy Medicare Part D enrollees entirely outside of the Part D benefit.
• Testimony of Lewis Morris, Chief Counsel to the Inspector General U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• HHS:OIG Advisory Opinion, 06-02, Concerning Two Proposed Programs To Manage The Delivery Of Durable Medical Equipment And Orthotics To Be Offered To Physicians By A DME And Orthotics Manufacturer And Supplier.
• OIG Excludes Miami Hospital from Participation in Federal Health Care Programs
• HIPAA Administrative Simplification Enforcement Final Rule

• 2008 - 2009 Healthcare Facility Operations Interest Group Action Plan
• HIPAA Privacy Rule: Disclosures for Emergency Preparedness - A Decision Tool
• GOA: Government Accountability Office Reports & Testimonies
• HHS: Office for Civil Rights: HIPAA