10th Physician-Legal Issues Conference

Program Agenda

8:00 – 8:15 am
Opening Remarks

• William E. Hopkins, Brown McCarroll, LLP, Austin, TX
  Co-Chair, 2009 Physician-Legal Issues Conference

8:15 – 9:15 am
Physician: Whither Thou Goest?
There have been dramatic alterations in the physician's environment for the last several years—reimbursement is down, ancillary revenue options have been reduced, and quality measures have been introduced. Additional changes are on the way: bundling of payments, EHR, expanded quality payments and, of course, healthcare reform! What options will remain for physicians and what will their world look like? This session will address the ramifications of past changes and examine what the future will bring.

• Speakers:
  David W. Hilgers, Brown McCarroll, LLP, Austin, TX
  Robert M. Portman, Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville PC, Washington, DC

9:15 – 9:30 am Break

9:30 – 11:00 am
Employment and Other Alternatives for Physicians
This panel discussion will explore the growing trend toward physician employment by hospitals and related organizations, common models, legal and business considerations, and some of the differences from prior employment trends. The panelists will also examine alternative models to employment, legal and business limitations associated with these alternatives, and practical considerations related to these models.

• Speakers:
  Peter A. Pavarini, Schottenstein Zox & Dunn, LPA, Columbus, OH
  Cynthia Y. Reisz, Bass, Berry & Sims PLC, Nashville, TN
  Robert A. Wade, Baker & Daniels LLP, South Bend, IN

11:00 – 11:15 am Break

11:15 – 12:15 pm
An Update on the Public Advocacy Activities of the American Medical Association
This session will feature an update on the public advocacy initiatives emanating from the American Medical Association.

• Speaker: Catherine Hanson, American Medical Association, Chicago, IL

12:15 – 12:30 pm Break

12:30 – 2:00 pm Luncheon Address: OIG Fraud Enforcement and Physicians: Out of the Frying Pan and into the Fire?

• Speaker:
  Lewis Morris, Chief Counsel to the Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC

2:00 – 2:15 pm Break

2:15 – 3:15 pm Navigating the Slippery Slope of Physician & Hospital/Vendor Relationships

Traditional financial relationships between physicians and hospitals and their vendors are moving towards elimination of traditional gift-giving or, at a minimum, transparency in these financial relationships. These changes are reflected in institution of policies and procedures at academic medical centers, legislation on the state and federal level, adoption of changes to trade associations’ codes of ethics and interactions with healthcare professionals, and an increase in criminal prosecutions and corporate integrity agreements through the Office of Inspector General. This session will describe these changes and focus on practical strategies for compliance from the perspective of physicians, hospitals, and pharmaceutical/medical device vendors.

• Speakers:
  Diane E. Bieri, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Washington, DC
  William T. Mathias, Ober Kaler Grimes & Shriver, PC, Baltimore, MD
  Michael Mendoza, MD, MPH, Department of Family Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

3:15 – 3:30 pm Break

3:30 – 4:30 pm The Medical Staff, the Hospital, and Joint Commission: Negotiating a Medical Staff Standard

This session will explore the legal issues surrounding The Joint Commission MS 1.20 and the process of negotiating this standard from the vantage point of two members of the Joint Commission’s Task Force—an advocate for the Medical Staff and a hospital board member. The speakers will describe their experiences on the Task Force, the difficulties of dealing with medical staff and hospital relations, and the art of compromise and negotiation.

• Speakers:
  Gene A. Blumenreich, Laredo & Smith, LLP, Boston, MA
  Elizabeth A. Snelson, Legal Counsel for the Medical Staff, PLLC, St. Paul, Minnesota

4:30 pm Adjourn