Concentrating exclusively in health care law, Carolyn advises physicians, hospitals, long-term facilities and other health care entities on federal and state regulatory issues, fraud and abuse statutes, physician self-referral laws (Stark), structuring business ventures in compliance with government regulations, Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement, and compliance program management. She represents health care providers before professional licensing boards and medical staff and peer review matters, reimbursement appeals, and business disputes. She advises providers in transactional and operational matters, such as the establishment of physician practices, the development of employment and shareholder agreements, and the structuring of compensation arrangements.

Practice Highlights

• Carolyn unwound two major medical practices and successfully negotiated terms without litigation or alternative dispute resolution and no interruption of practice business.
• She represented a physician practice in a reimbursement issue with Medicare in which the practice was allowed to retain $100,000 in contested fees.
• She successfully structured business ventures between hospitals and physicians in compliance with fraud and abuse, physician self-referral and tax-exempt laws.
• Carolyn successfully defended a local hospital in U.S. District Court in a multi-million dollar claim commenced by a surgeon as a result of his medical privileges being summarily suspended at the recommendation of the hospital’s medical staff. The action asserted claims for deprivation of due process, freedom of speech, breach of contract, slander and contract interference.
• Sample presentations include “The Business of Healthcare” (University of North Carolina Festival of Legal Learning, 2006, 2007), “Confidentiality of Medical Records in North Carolina” (Lorman Educational Services, 2002 - 2007), “Patient Care Issues” (Mountain Area Health Education Center, 2002 – 2007), and “Legal Overview of Healthcare Issues” (Buncombe County Medical Society’s Annual Practice Managers Seminar, 2002 – 2007)

Professional Affiliations

• 28th Judicial District Bar, 1999-present
• American Health Lawyers Association, 2000-present
• North Carolina Bar Association, 1999-present
  • Member, Health Law Section, 2004-present
• North Carolina State Bar, 1999-present
• North Carolina Hospital Association, 2000-present