Guiding, Advising, and Navigating Through Ongoing Change, Uncertainty, and Opportunity
Centrally located in a serene residential neighborhood, The Langham Huntington in Pasadena, California, was the ideal location for this Fall’s gathering of Chief Legal Officers and General Counsel from a range of healthcare providers at the 2023 Healthcare Law & Compliance Institute. It was a reunion of old friends, as well as an opportunity to make new connections, amidst a collegial environment conducive to learning, information exchange, and networking.
Players and Pressures
We kicked off on Sunday with a fantastic opening panel that provided Critical Insights, Updates, and Considerations in the Healthcare Law Landscape. The discussion amongst the panelists highlighted the challenges and opportunities for the players in the US healthcare industry: patients, hospitals and health systems, physicians, health insurers, and pharmaceutical companies, dealing with the pressures of: consolidation, private equity and venture capital, technology, and regulatory scrutiny and enforcement, which set the stage for the next two and a half days of panel sessions, co-presentations, interactive roundtable discussions, and business meetings.
Opportunities and Options
Attending CLOs and GCs gained insights into creative partnerships: Henry Ford Health and the Detroit Pistons co-presented on the transformation of Detroit’s New Center neighborhood into a vibrant, walkable community with state-of-the-art residential, commercial, retail, recreational, and health care components; a high profile, and transformative transaction: 2022’s largest health system strategic Atrium/Advocate Aurora combination; strategies for improving the financial performance of tax-exempt healthcare organizations for sustainable growth; and managing and guiding cost savings and quality improvement initiatives.
Risks and Regulations
Healthcare providers seemingly face a relentless barrage of all types of risk and must comply with countless regulations. Sessions on Managing Actual Risk to the Enterprise, Practical Considerations for Evaluating Compliance Programs Under DOJ’s Updated Guidance, how new FTC and DOJ Merger Guidelines change the way federal antitrust agencies conduct merger investigations and view potential effects from transactions, and Legal, Practical, and Operational Considerations related to the Federal No Surprises Act, provided wide-ranging and comprehensive information and tips to help legal leaders navigate the increasingly complex terrain.
Evolving and Expanding the Role of the GC
In addition to keeping abreast of widescale industry change including rapid consolidation, new care models, reduced reimbursement, physician employment and compensation challenges, and privacy and security concerns brought on by new technologies and population health management initiatives, the COVID-19 pandemic put an unexpected spotlight on the digital workplace and remote work, on crisis management, and on adapting to the uncertain legal landscape. Within this context, hospital and health system General Counsel have found themselves thrust into bigger roles, those of strategic advisor or partner to their senior executive administrators and boards of directors, demanding different skill sets to be successful. Some of the most popular sessions of the Institute included a panel of dynamic executive legal leaders discussing the Evolving Role of the Healthcare CLO, interactive breakout sessions on Optimizing Legal Department Operations, and a highly interactive and atypical session on Ethical Decision-Making in Healthcare Leadership, which explored a framework for engaging with the ethical dimensions of difficult decisions in healthcare.
Conversations and Connection
Taking a break from the main session rooms, attending General Counsel and Chief Legal Officers engaged in a series of interactive Think Tank discussions on a wide range of topics, including the “Navigating the Intersection of Technology and Healthcare”, “Compliance Considerations in Provider-Payor Alignment”, “Case Studies on the Highly Compensated ‘Rockstar’ Physician”, the “Current State of Physician Practice Management”, “An Executive Blueprint to Protecting Data and Reducing Risk”, and “Legal, Regulatory, Legislative, and Political Developments in Psychedelics”.
Over the course of the two-and-a-half-day event, the networking and connection was incredible. The quality of the speaker faculty and the high levels of discussion amongst the attendees created fertile ground for learning and information exchange. Lastly, fantastic networking, delicious meals, and impeccable service under the California sun made for an incredibly valuable and memorable experience and attendees left the Institute feeling refreshed and renewed.
On To the Next One…
To contribute to the next iteration of the Healthcare Law & Compliance Institute, whether sharing some insights and experiences as a member of the Speaker Faculty, suggesting topic areas for the agenda or joining the waiting list for attendance, please contact Nas Panwar at npanwar@ipmievents.com
“Loved this event, exceeded my expectations!”
“The support staff was incredible! Highly organized, they never missed a beat! Well done everyone!”
“It was wonderful. Very well-run event and we were treated like gold. Felt very valued throughout the process and enjoyed the caliber of the speakers and their content.”
“The most valuable and productive conferences I have attended. The right level of thought leaders for me to interact with and relevant topics.”
“The staff at IPMI do a fabulous job organizing these conferences. You make it look simple. The content of the conference was filled with strategic information with a nice blend of actionable takeaways. Establishing connections in other organizations and industries is invaluable.”
