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, federal and state compliance, electronic health information systems, reimbursement arrangements, physician contracts, and medical research.

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 collaboration 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
• 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, contracting, physician arrangements, 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 and defense of governmental actions
• 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)
• 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
• Member, Flinn Foundation Translational Research Project Advisory Committee, 2005-06
• National Anti-Fraud Health Care Advisory Panel for the Foundation of Research and Education of the American Health Information Management Association, 2005
• 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
• Board Member, St. Luke’s Health Initiative, 2007 – present
• 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, 2002 – present
• “Conflict within the Academic Medical Center,” AHLA 2008 Academic Medical Centers Program
• “Top Legal Developments for Hospitals & Physicians,” AHLA Physicians and Physician Organizations Law Institute and Hospitals and Health Systems Law Institute, 2008
• “Compliance Issues in Clinical Research,” AHLA Fraud & Compliance Forum, 2007
• “Stark Reality – Phase III Final Rules and Beyond,” Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association Webinar, 2007
• “Stark Phase III Final Regulations: Stark in the Real World,” AHLA Teleconference, Moderator, 2007
• “Top Ten Health Care Developments,” AHLA Hospital and Health Systems Law Institute, 2007
• “Raising Arizona: Growing Doctors and Biomedical Research through the University of Arizona College of Medicine Expansion,” AHLA Conference on Legal Issues Affecting Medical Centers and Other Teaching Institutions, 2007
• “Medical Staff Relationships – Solving the Regulatory Issues for Old and New Physician Relationships,” AHLA Fraud and Compliance Forum, 2005