Beth Schermer

Beth’s legal practice concentrates in health care transactions, regulation, and operations. Over the past 30 years, she has represented systems, hospitals, and provider groups on a wide range of issues, including healthcare business arrangements and joint ventures and affiliations; federal and state compliance; electronic health information systems; governance structures; and biomedical research arrangements and complliance.

In 2005-06, Beth took a leave of absence from her law practice to serve as the Vice Dean, Administration—Phoenix for the University of Arizona College of Medicine, in partnership with Arizona State University. Beth was responsible for coordinating the University of Arizona’s expansion of its College of Medicine into a four-year program on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus, in partnership with Arizona State University and area health care providers, research organizations, governmental bodies, industry, and foundations.

EDUCATION AND BAR ADMISSIONS

• J.D., Harvard Law School, 1980
• B.A., Yale University, 1977, summa cum laude
• Admitted in Arizona, 1980

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

• Representing Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association as general counsel, developing health care legislation and initiatives on access to care, Medicaid/AHCCCS reimbursement, tobacco tax and settlement funds, quality and health information initiatives
• Advising organizations on the formation, governances, and operations of multi-party health care legislation and initiatives on access to care, Medicaid/AHCCCS reimbursement, tobacco tax and settlement funds, quality and health infomation
• Assisting the Arizona Health-e Connection, Arizona’s health information exchange initiative, with corporate organization, stakeholder outreach and the development of statewide HIE policies and participation agreements
• Advising health care organizations on transactions, physician affiliation and integration, and joint ventures, including ambulatory surgery center, imaging services, and treatment facility development, and the application of the Stark Law, Anti-Kickback law, and related federal and state laws
• Representing health care systems in the development and implementation of electronic health information systems and exchanges
• Developing health care corporate and research compliance programs, assisting health care organizations on compliance investigations, defense of governmental actions, and self disclosures
• Representing health care organizations in federal and state licensure and certification and survey related administrative proceedings

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND RECOGNITIONS

• President, American Health Lawyers Association, 2000-01; AHLA Board and executive committee members, 1997-2002; Fellow, AHLA, 2005 - present (inaugural class)
• 2990 Recipient, ALHA David J. Greenburg Service Award
• Co-chair, Arizona Health-E Connection Roadmap Steering Committee, a statewide organization charged with developing a plan for the creation of electronic health information exchanges in Arizona, 2006
• Board Member, St. Luke’s Health Initiative, 2007 – present
• Member, Flinn Foundation Translational Research Project Advisory Committee, 2005-06
• Adjunct Professor, Health Care Law, 2006-08, Arizona State University College of Law; 2000-02, W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University
• Visiting Law Practitioner, 2002, St. Louis University School of Law Center for Health Law Studies
• Listed in Best Lawyers in America for health care, 1997 – present
• Listed in SuperLawyers (Southwest) for health care, 2007 - present

REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS AND SPEECHES

• “Year in Review,” AHLA Annual Meeting Plenary Session, 2002 – present

• “Health Care Reform,” 2009 AHLA Academic Medical Center Conference

• “Conflicts of Interest in Clinical Research,” 2010 AzTransNet Policy Development Educational Series

• “Health Care Reform:  What Now?” Panel Presentation, 19^th Annual King & Spalding Health Law and Policy Forum (2010)

• “Stark and Fraud and Abuse Update for AMCs”, 2009 AHLA Academic Medical Center Conference

• “Healthcare Reform:  Stark and Anti-Kickback Laws in a New Key?” 2009 AHLA/HCCA Fraud and Compliance Program

• “Top Legal Developments for Hospitals and Physicians”, 2009 AHLA Hospitals/Physicians Conference

•  “Quality Incentives and Shared Savings”, 2009 AHLA Conference: Operationalizing Stark: From Complexity to Reality

•  “Setting the Legal GPS System: Stark and Fraud and Abuse Developments”, 2009 University of Texas School of Law, 21^st Annual Health Law Conference

•  Moderator, AHLA Public Policy Convener Session of Stark Law, Washington, DC (2009)“Fundamentals of Health Law”, ABA 19^th National Institute of Health Care Fraud (2009)