A major academic health system expanded quickly after acquiring multiple hospitals within a single year. While the organization’s footprint grew, its in-house legal team did not scale at the same pace, creating a gap in its ability to manage complex reimbursement, regulatory, and revenue cycle matters.
While the company had historically relied on outside counsel for this work, growing volume and the integration of the newly acquired facilities prompted the Office of the General Counsel to pursue flexible, in-house support while evaluating long-term staffing needs.
SOLUTION
The health system engaged a Latitude attorney to serve as part-time Healthcare Reimbursement Counsel. With prior experience in senior in-house and law firm roles, this attorney had previously advised hospitals, health systems, payers, and academic medical centers on healthcare reimbursement and related regulatory matters.
During the engagement, Latitude’s attorney worked closely with the client’s legal, compliance, and operational teams to address Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement issues in the context of integrating newly acquired hospitals. The role also included advising on related payment and revenue cycle matters, supporting efforts to align practices across the system.
The engagement provided immediate, flexible support during a period of growth and transition. It concluded after the health system hired a full-time attorney to assume these responsibilities, completing the shift to a permanent in-house solution.
