Whiteford’s Health Care Law Group attorneys have significant experience in representing hospitals and other free-standing health care facilities such as ambulatory surgery centers, radiology centers, and home health care and hospice agencies. Our representation of such clients includes providing legal advice along the entire continuum of health care related legal matters.
Whiteford has provided assistance to its health care clients in response to the changes occurring in the health care industry. Our health care attorneys represented a multi-hospital health care system with respect to an important strategic affiliation with another local hospital, and provided legal advice regarding investments in several continuing care, assisted living and nursing home facilities.
In addition, we have assisted clients regarding such matters as tax-exempt bond financing and the creation, funding and opening of affiliated freestanding ambulatory surgery centers. We have advised clients regarding the merger of two independent home health care agencies and the merger of two independent hospice agencies. We also provide on-going advice to such clients regarding employment and human resources-related matters, and general corporate matters.
Whiteford provides legal advice concerning compliance issues related to the hospital/free-standing facility environment, including state and federal regulatory compliance, quality assurance, professional and other compliance-related issues. We recently assisted a client in the assessment and update of the medical bylaws adopted by several of its affiliated entities. Our health care attorneys also stand ready to assist hospital and free-standing health care facility clients regarding compliance with the new rules to become effective under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”).
Whiteford’s attorneys have extensive experience with choice-of-entity issues, and issues relating to taxation, in particular, tax-exempt organizations. Our attorneys have advised health care clients regarding appropriate choice of entity relating to mergers, acquisitions and joint venture transactions, and the many issues concerning tax-exempt organizations on an on-going basis and in a transactional environment.