Q & A
What type of clients do you spend the most time advising?
I work primarily with health care payers—from insurers to managed care plans offering commercial and governmental products—handling all their unique challenges. However, I also have experience representing health care providers such as hospitals, laboratories, physicians and other health care providers.
What are some of the ways you counsel health care payers?
I counsel health care payers in key areas, including licensure acquisition, expansion and maintenance, product offerings and discontinuance, and contract negotiations and disputes. I also assist with a variety of compliance efforts, including obligations imposed under the Affordable Care Act, HIPAA, the No Surprises Act and state insurance and privacy laws.
What sparked your interest in health care law?
Before law school, I dedicated more than a decade to working in the managed care industry. My role involved negotiating contracts across the nation with preferred provider organizations, physician organizations and groups, hospitals, and ancillaries. I also provided cost containment consultation and network development for one of the country's largest hospital chains in addition to numerous other self-funded employers.
During this time, I collaborated closely with internal attorneys and attorneys representing health care payers and providers. I became inspired by their work and decided I wanted to delve deeper into the field of health care law. Now, I find myself operating alongside these legal professionals as a peer, assisting a range of clients in navigating the complex legal frameworks governing those in the health care industry.
How does your background in managed care inform your current legal practice?
In my previous positions in the managed care industry, I oversaw provider relations and credentialing departments. This allowed me to develop a strong knowledge of various reimbursement methodologies and legal and accreditation requirements, bolstering my capacity to advocate effectively and efficiently for my clients as an attorney. Over the course of 20 years, I have also built an extensive network of professional contacts within the health care industry, which helps me stay informed on current issues and developments affecting both payers and providers.
You are a member of numerous committees at Lewis Rice. Why is that important to you?
I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to contribute to our firm by serving on three committees.
I have served on the firm’s recruiting committee since 2014 and have been its co-chair since 2021. Our summer program is our principal recruiting tool and is therefore vital to the future of our firm. Recruiting the best and brightest candidates is essential to Lewis Rice’s ability to continue providing our clients with the best services possible. I am very proud of the summer associates who have been selected and become outstanding attorneys during my time on this committee.
Being a member of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee dovetails with my role on the recruiting committee. Both involve proactively working to hire and retain a diverse work force that is reflective of our client base and the St. Louis community. My involvement with this committee allows me to contribute ideas and priorities gleaned from interacting so closely with our newly recruited attorneys and help bring those efforts to fruition.
The Lewis Rice Women to Women Forum is one that is near and dear to my heart. The leadership and mentorship of women at Lewis Rice has inspired me since I started at the firm in 2010. This formalized initiative supports and connects our female attorneys with one another, our clients, and the community. Our annual curriculum includes some of my favorite firm events, and the relationships formed through these efforts are ones that are invaluable both professionally and personally.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I live in the City of St. Louis in the historic Central West End neighborhood. Because of that the spare time that I have away from the firm is often spent on house projects and enjoying Forest Park with my pup.
