Professionals

Ms. Butler is an Officer in and the Manager of the Health Care Practice Group. Ms. Butler’s legal career exclusively focuses on advising a variety of institutional and non-institutional clients across the spectrum of the health care industry. Ms. Butler has practiced in both private practice and as in-house counsel for a large health care system.

Ms. Butler advises hospital systems, individual hospitals, nursing homes, physician groups and other health care providers in areas of health care policy, including interpretation and implementation of federal and state regulations which affect health care facilities and providers, regulatory compliance (including federal and state Fraud and Abuse laws, federal Stark Law and legal requirements for tax-exempt entities). Ms. Butler counsels clients regarding compliance plan development and implementation, internal regulatory reviews and external regulatory investigations. Ms. Butler works with both institutional and individual clients on physician practice acquisitions and other physician integration strategies.

Ms. Butler provides advice concerning development of hospital and hospital-system policies, professional service contracts, and handles general corporate matters in the health care area. Ms. Butler is also experienced in medical staff credentialing, governance and disciplinary matters, impaired health professional issues, risk management issues, patient rights issues and bio-ethical issues.

Publications

• "Changing landscape." Smart Business. (December 2008)
• “The 2009 Final Anti-Markup Rule for Diagnostic Tests,” GHG Health Care Practice Group Client Communication. (December 2008)
• “Newly Issued Proposed Patient Safety Regulations” by Kathy Butler and Lucie Huger, a publication of the American Health Lawyers Association, Healthcare Liability and Litigation Practice Group. (August 2008)
• “Access to and Disclosure of Confidential Patient Information,” GHG Health Care Practice Group, Missouri Hospital Law Handbook. (2007)
• Source for articles in St. Louis Business Journal (included in St. Louis Health Care Partners issue, Summer 2007); Missouri Lawyers’ Weekly (interviews re: emergency preparedness and Catalona v. Washington University).
• "Health Care Entities Have New Responsibilities - EMTALA and IDTF Performance Standards." Health Care Practice Group Newsletter. (Fall 2006)
• "Nuclear Medicine Services/Pet Scans are Included in the List of Designated Health Services Under the Stark Law." Health Law Practice Group Newsletter. (Fall 2005).
• "Designated Health Services Change." Health Care Practice Group. (March 2005)  

Seminars

Industry / Community Presentations:

• "EMTALA Update: A Look at the Old and New" for Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network, Springfield, Illinois (March 24, 2010)
• “Stark Law Update – Hot Topics and Trends” for Medical Group Management Association, St. Louis, Missouri (June 11, 2008)
• “Hospitals/Medical Staff Organization” for Saint Louis University Health Law Students, St. Louis, Missouri (October 25, 2006)
• Planning Committee for Heart of America Health Law Conference (March 31, 2006)
• Presentation to Saint Louis University Health Law Students, St. Louis, Missouri (November 17, 2005)
• “Physician Recruitment” for Missouri Hospital Association, 2005 Leadership Forum, Branson, Missouri (June 9, 2005)
• EMTALA Update, Emergency Medical Screening Examinations Date of Presentation, The Healthcare Roundtable for Corporate Counsel, March 2002
• EMTALA: Current Obligations and Issues for Hospitals and Physicians: March 14, 2002; Presented to: Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
• Hospital Liability for Acts of Independent Contractor Physician, Missouri Bar Health and Hospital Law Committee, May 2002
  

Representative Client Presentations:

• “Legal and Contracting Considerations: Independent Contractor Services Arrangements with Physicians” (Presented with Christina Randolph and Suzanne Strothkamp) (November 5, 2008)
• “The New Stark Regulations: How They Affect Your Operations” (Presented with Gregg Lepper and Christina Randolph) (September 24, 2008)
• “2008 Medicare Physician Fee Schedules: Purchased Diagnostic Tests, Rule, The Anti-Markup Provisions” (Presented with John Dillane and Christina Randolph) (December 5, 2007)
• “Legal Update – Hot Topics and Trends” (Presented with Gregg Lepper) (September 19, 2007)
• “Legal and Regulatory Issues Affecting Hospital/Physician Joint Ventures” (June 19, 2007)

Awards

• 2005/2007/2008/2009 Missouri/Kansas Super Lawyers

Community Involvement

• Kirkwood-Webster YMCA, Board of Advisors 2006-present