Practice Areas
Industries
Admissions
- Missouri
- Illinois
Education
J.D., Saint Louis University School of Law, 1987
B.S., Fontbonne College, 1983
Profile
A longtime passion for the health care industry drives Kathy Butler to exclusively focus her practice on advising hospitals, health systems, physician practices and other health care providers across the health care spectrum.
Kathy helps providers interpret and comply with regulations including federal and state fraud and abuse laws, federal Stark Law and legal requirements for tax-exempt entities. She counsels on compliance plans, internal regulatory reviews and external regulatory investigations and works with institutional and individual clients on physician practice acquisitions and other physician integration strategies.
In addition, Kathy provides advice on the development of hospital and hospital-system policies and professional service contracts. She is experienced in medical staff credentialing, governance and disciplinary matters, impaired health professional issues, risk management issues, patient rights issues and bio-ethical issues.
Kathy collaborates with the firm’s business services attorneys on general corporate matters related to health care, and with litigators on health care-related litigation matters including medical staff litigation and health care-related litigation brought by the government and/or qui tam whistleblowers.
As a leader of the firm's health care practice and industry groups, Kathy is a leader at the firm — throughout her long career, she has served in various leadership roles both within the firm and as its representative with professional organizations. Kathy has a long-standing interest in the health care industry, and developed a niche that pairs her interest in health care with her legal knowledge. She previously served as in-house counsel for a large health care system, an experience that enhances her understanding of the business and management challenges hospitals face.
In 2022, Kathy was elected to a three-year term on the Board of Directors for the Meritas global alliance of law firms. As a member of the board, she plays a key leadership role in ensuring Meritas firms including Greensfelder are well-positioned to serve clients' cross-regional needs.
Professional Affiliations
- Meritas Board of Directors
- American Health Lawyers Association
- Illinois Association of Healthcare Attorneys, Membership Committee, 2010
- The Missouri Bar, Health & Hospital Law Committee, vice chair, 2001-2003, 2006-present; chair 2003-2006
- Missouri Society of Healthcare Attorneys, board member, 2005-2008; vice president, 2009; president, 2010
- St. Louis Area Health Lawyers Association
- The Healthcare Roundtable for General Counsel
Community/Civic Activities
- Kirkwood-Webster YMCA, Board of Advisors, 2006-present
- Saint Louis University School of Law, Dean’s Council, 2015
Honors & Awards
Honors & Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America, Health Care Law, 2014-2024
- Health Care Law Power List, Missouri Lawyers Media, 2021-23
- Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, 2005, 2007-2009
- Women's Justice Award, Missouri Lawyers Weekly, 2013
News & Insights
News
- August 17, 2023
- Missouri Lawyers Media, March 2023
- Meritas, January 26, 2023
- Medscape, November 4, 2022
- August 18, 2022
- April 15, 2022
- Missouri Lawyers Media, March 2022
- August 19, 2021
- Interview with Kathy Butler, "NPDB Reporting Protected by Law in Some Cases, Gray Areas Problematic"Relias Media, July 1, 2021
- Missouri Lawyers Media, March 2021
- March 25, 2021
- August 20, 2020
- Interview with Kathy Butler, “Triage complications resulting from COVID-19”Physicians Practice, April 10, 2020
- Hospital Peer Review, February 2020
- Part B News, January 20, 2020
- August 15, 2019
- Healthcare Risk Management, July 2019
- Part B News, October 1, 2018
- August 2018
- Part B News, April 2, 2018
- August 16, 2017
- January 30, 2017
- June 2016
- March 10, 2016
- March 18, 2013
Seminars & Speaking Engagements
- Decatur Regional Chamber of Commerce, October 13, 2021
- "Disruptive Physicians: Navigating the Employment and Medical Staff Issues"Missouri Hospital Association Center for Education, February 2014
- "EMTALA Update: A Look at the Old and New"Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network, Springfield, Illinois, March 24, 2010
- “Stark Law Update – Hot Topics and Trends”Medical Group Management Association, St. Louis, MO, June 11, 2008
Publications
Articles & Books
- Journal of Health Care Compliance, November-December 2016
- Smart Business St. Louis, December 2008
- “Newly Issued Proposed Patient Safety Regulations”American Health Lawyers Association Healthcare Liability & Litigation Newsletter, August 2008
- “Access to and Disclosure of Confidential Patient Information"Missouri Hospital Law Handbook, 2007
Blog Posts
- Health Care Today | Health Law Blog, January 3, 2022
- Health Care Today | Health Law Blog, March 1, 2021
- Health Care Today | Health Law Blog, November 20, 2020
- Health Care Today | Health Law Blog, April 1, 2020
- Health Care Today | Health Law Blog, March 24, 2020
- HHS issues limited waiver of HIPAA sanctions and penalties during nationwide public health emergencyHealth Care Today | Health Law Blog, March 17, 2020
- Health Care Today | Health Law Blog, April 23, 2019