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Tara Foto is a partner in the New Orleans office with a full time practice in corporate healthcare law. She has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) from the Louisiana State University School of Medicine. Her areas of focus include the following:
- Medicare and Medicaid Administration; legal issues repayments and disclosures
- Regulatory compliance including, Stark and Federal and Louisiana State Anti-Kickback Statutes; Privacy and Security of healthcare information under Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; False Claims Act; Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (“EMTALA”)
- Start-up healthcare ventures, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures
- Contractual issues including formation of provider groups and delivery systems, medical and graduate medical education affiliations; billing and collection, administration, outsourcing, employment, leased employment, professional services, management services, cooperative endeavors, managed care, buying and selling real estate, and leasing space and equipment; physician recruitment and contracting
- Quality of care, performance improvement, transparency, pay-for performance, and utilization review issues
- Non-profit corporate governance; tax-exempt issues for healthcare organizations
- Qui tam defense
- Laws and regulations applicable to hospital based and free standing home health agencies (“HHA”), ambulatory surgical centers (“ASC”), durable medical equipment (“DME”) companies, long term care (“LTC”) facilities, long term acute care hospitals (“LTACH”), rehabilitation facilities, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy centers, diagnostic imaging facilities, federally qualified health centers (“FQHC”), infusion centers, hospices, community mental health centers, ambulance providers, nurses, respiratory therapists, paramedics
- Medical Staff and Allied Health Professional Bylaws
- Medical and hospital staff education
- Corporate Compliance Plans; Mission Statements and Codes of Conduct; risk assessments for healthcare providers
- Health Care Quality Improvement Act (“HCQIA”); credentialing, peer review and medical staff rights and responsibilities
- Surveys, certifications, and accreditation
- Medical Records Laws
- Healthcare decision-making, patient autonomy, end-of life, patient rights, and freedom of choice; and professional responsibility
- Operational policies and procedures
- Legal issues in treating mentally ill and substance abuse
- Emergency medical system transportation and personnel
- Compliance with State laws applicable to Louisiana State agencies and public bodies, such as hospital service districts, including but not limited to the Louisiana State Constitution, Code of Governmental Ethics, Public Meetings Laws, Public Records Act, Public Bid/Leasing Laws, as well as the Enhanced Ability to Compete Statutes
Education
Admitted to Practice: Louisiana (1996); Supreme Court, State of Louisiana (1996); U.S. District Court – Eastern of Louisiana (1996)
Louisiana University School of Law, New Orleans, LA, December 1995, Juris Doctor, Civil Law Curriculum
Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans, LA, May 1981, Bachelor of Science, Nursing
Professional Associations
Louisiana State Bar Association
American Bar Association
Louisiana Society of Hospital Attorneys of the Louisiana Hospital Association
American Health Lawyers Association
Affiliate American College of Healthcare Executive
Health Care Compliance Association
Presentations
September 15, 2009 - Louisiana Hospital Association's, seminar: Advanced Compliance Updates, "EMTALA: The 250 Yard Rule, Satellite Facilities, and Recent Changes to the Conditions of Participation."
Ms. Foto is a frequent speaker at seminars on topics relating to health care law and a member of the Louisiana and American Bar Association, the American Health Lawyers Association, the Louisiana Society of Hospital Attorneys, and The American Association of Nurse Attorneys. |
