Karen C. Owens
Karen regularly represents health care systems, hospitals, clinics, and other institutions in matters of quality management, medical staff credentialing, and peer review, hospital and medical staff structures, bylaws and confidentiality, as well as National Practitioner Data Bank, state professional board, and other government reporting. She counsels health care institutions and practitioners about Medicare certification, state licensure, EMTALA compliance, and many other regulatory matters touching clinical operations. Karen advises health care clients in antitrust, contracting and other disputes related to hospital and medical staff relationships. She has substantial experience handling contested matters before administrative bodies including hospital, surgery center and managed care peer review panels, Medicare QIOs, Joint Commission, and many state professional boards. She works actively on patient-related legal issues including refusal of treatment, restraints and advance directives. In all these areas, Karen has worked with urban, academic, community, and rural institutions and providers.
Representative Matters
- Counseling medical staff leaders on peer review procedures and options with respect to individual medical staff members.
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Handling medical staff hearings, appeals, litigation, settlement and state and federal reporting; Karen has represented medical staff leadership in in more than thirty peer review hearings.
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Developing, drafting, and revising medical staff bylaws and associated policies and manuals .
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Helping health care institutions respond to surveys and deficiency statements from state, federal, and private agencies; assisting in plans of correction and dispute resolution statements; representing clients in penalty negotiations
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Helping health care institutions obtain state licenses and interpret licensure regulations.
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Advocacy work on regulatory and legislative developments.
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Representing individual physicians, nurses and other providers in professional board matters.
Publications & Speeches
- Co-author, CONSENT AND HEALTH INFORMATION RESOURCE MANUAL, Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association 2009 and 2014 edition
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Co-editor, HIPAA TOOLKIT, Coppersmith Schermer & Brockelman PLC, 2013 edition
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“Peer Review in the Courtroom: How a Jury and Judge View the Work of the Medical Staff and Your Medical Staff Services Office,” National Association of Medical Staff Services presentation (October, 2015)
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“Medical Staff Law: Two Important Developments,” Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association presentation (July 2015)
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Topics for Graduating Nurse Practitioners, University of Phoenix School of Nursing presentation (February 2015)
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“Credentialing and Ongoing Peer Review: Roles and Responsibilities:” Presentation for Board/Medical Staff Leaders Workshop (December 2014)
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“2013 Arizona Department of Health Services Hospital Rules: Compliance Highlights,” Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association presentation (September 2013)
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”Hospital-Employed Physicians: How Medical Staffs are Coping with the New Reality,” American Health Lawyers Association Annual Meeting presentation (July 2013)
- Chambers U.S.A. Guide to America's Leading Lawyers, Health Care (2015)
- Best Lawyers Phoenix Health Care Law "Lawyer of the Year" (2012)
- Best Lawyers in America for Health Care and Antitrust (1998 to present)
- Super Lawyers (Southwest) for Health Care (2010 to present)
- Martindale Hubbell - AV Preeminent Peer Rated
Phoenix, Arizona 85004-1241
