I work with hospitals, health systems, and other ?healthcare organizations to find practical and patient-focused solutions to complex challenges. I truly enjoy my job and the opportunity to work with so many smart, dedicated, and thoughtful healthcare professionals.Before coming to Schwabe, I spent 10 years at St. Charles Health ?System (SCHS), where I served as Vice President and General ?Counsel. In that role, I provided legal advice and counsel to the board of ?directors, executive leadership, and medical staff while overseeing ?the health system's legal and risk management departments. I served as a staff attorney for six years at Mission Health, ?Inc. in Asheville, North Carolina, prior to my time at SCHS. These experiences have ?given me an in-depth understanding of the inner workings of ?healthcare companies and the particular legal challenges they face.?

I've taught health law classes for Willamette Law School, the University of Oregon's ?Executive MBA Program, as well as Central Oregon Community ?College's nursing program. In 2006, I was awarded Mission ?Health, Inc.'s Spirit of Martin Luther King Award for outstanding ?achievement in the fields of diversity and cultural awareness.?

Bar Admissions

• Oregon State Courts
• Washington State Courts

Education

• University of Oregon, Master of Business Administration degree (2016)
• Oregon State University, Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude (1995)
• Washington and Lee School of Law, Juris Doctor degree (2000)

Significant Accomplishments

• Provided legal advice and counsel to board of directors, executive leadership, medical staff, and frontline caregivers.
• Oversaw legal and risk management departments and provided counsel on legal and risk matters.
• Worked independently and with outside counsel to defend SCHS against legal claims.
• Helped negotiate and manage relationships with outside insurers and claims administrators.
• Worked to set up accountable care and coordinated care organizations and networks.
• Helped develop policies and systems to enforce appropriate use of electronic medical records systems by outside entities.
• Helped negotiate and oversee acquisitions of hospitals and healthcare practices.
• Helped address and manage violations of medical staff bylaws, rules and regulations, and policies by physicians and other providers.
• Provided legal support to medical executive, bylaws, and credentialing committees.
• Reviewed, negotiated, and drafted hospital contracts.
• Researched and drafted policies to ensure compliance with applicable laws and standards.
• Served as resource on legal questions regarding the appropriate use and disclosure of patient information and handled claims processing.

• Telemedicine in the Age of COVID-19

  By Gary Bruce |December 2020

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