In this episode of "Counsel That Cares," Public Policy & Regulation attorney John Vaughan, Healthcare attorney Dan Silverboard and Public Affairs Advisor Sarah Starling Crossan discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) regulation in the healthcare industry. They explore the complex interplay between federal initiatives, such as executive orders and agency rules, and the surge of state-level legislation shaping AI use in clinical practice, insurance and patient care. The conversation highlights key compliance challenges, including the need for AI governance programs, bias audits, data quality assurance and transparency with patients. Listeners will gain valuable insights into navigating disparate regulations across jurisdictions and the importance of staying informed to responsibly implement AI technologies in the healthcare sector.

In this episode of "Counsel That Cares," Arjan Peters from Capstone moderates a conversation with his colleague Grace Totman, Holland & Knight healthcare attorney John Saran and Association for Responsible Healthcare Investment CEO Regan Parker about the evolving landscape of private equity investments in healthcare. They explore recent federal and state regulatory developments, including transaction reporting laws, antitrust scrutiny by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and notable battleground states pushing new legislation. The episode also highlights the impact of public perception shaped by high-profile healthcare closures, importance of transparent investment narratives and strategic approaches for investors to proactively engage with regulators and policymakers. Speakers emphasize that despite regulatory challenges, private equity plays a crucial role in sustaining and innovating the healthcare industry, encouraging stakeholders to document positive outcomes and advocate for balanced, informed policies that enable continued investment and growth.

In this episode of "Counsel That Cares," Daniel Patten, a partner in Holland & Knight's Healthcare Regulatory & Enforcement Practice, and Spencer Freeman, chief strategy officer at Gentiva, discuss the challenges and opportunities that come with delivering integrated palliative care services, highlighting the lack of a defined Medicare benefit for palliative care compared to more established models such as hospice. Mr. Freeman shares insights on building care models that serve high-risk patient populations through coordinated interdisciplinary teams and data-driven approaches, emphasizing the importance of collaboration with risk-based primary care providers. Mr. Patten adds a legal perspective on the evolving landscape of value-based care contracts, artificial intelligence (AI) integration and regulatory compliance. Together, they explore how innovative programs can improve patient outcomes, reduce acute care utilization and facilitate payer relationships, offering a comprehensive view of the future of palliative care within value-based healthcare delivery.

In this episode of "Counsel That Cares," Healthcare Transactions attorney Morgan Ivey and Skytale Group President and Head of Consulting Annie Robertson Hockey discuss the rapidly expanding medical spa (med spa) and aesthetics industry. The episode highlights the significant growth of the med spa market, estimated at $16.5 billion in 2023 and projected to reach $45 billion in 2025, driven by increasing consumer demand for non-invasive procedures such as injectables. Ms. Ivey and Ms. Robertson Hockey share insights into the factors contributing to this growth, including changing demographics, the attractiveness of the cash-pay model and advancements in technology. Additionally, they discuss the importance of regulatory considerations and the potential for consolidation in this fragmented market, while emphasizing the need for businesses to adapt their strategies in the face of evolving consumer behaviors and operational challenges.

This episode was previously recorded and released by Waller on November 7, 2022, and has been rebranded and relaunched now that Waller is a part of Holland & Knight. Originally released on May 4, 2023.

In our final installment of our "Hospitals at a Crossroads" mini-series, Holland & Knight finance and restructuring attorney Tyler Layne is joined by Clare Moylan and Jim Davis from Gibbins Advisors, a healthcare firm providing restructuring, turnaround and other financial advisory services, to discuss the increase of Chapter 11 bankruptcies in the healthcare industry.

This episode was previously recorded and released by Waller on February 12, 2023, and has been rebranded and relaunched now that Waller is a part of Holland & Knight. Originally released on May 4, 2023.

In our third episode of our "Hospitals at a Crossroads" mini-series, Holland & Knight healthcare attorney Jesse Neil is joined by special guests Martie Ross and David McMillan from PYA, a top 100 accounting firm and top 20 healthcare management consulting firm. Together, they discuss the rural healthcare sector as it relates to critical access to care and possible solutions to combat the issues facing small communities and their healthcare systems.

This episode was previously recorded and released by Waller on November 7, 2022, and has been rebranded and relaunched now that Waller is a part of Holland & Knight. Originally released on May 4, 2023.

In our second episode of our "Hospitals at a Crossroads" mini-series, Holland & Knight healthcare attorney Jesse Neil and finance and restructuring attorney Tyler Layne are joined by special guests Jake Aygun and Eb LeMaster from Ponder & Co., a healthcare finance and strategic advisory firm focused exclusively on providing leading capital advisory, mergers and acquisitions, strategic advisory and management consulting services to not-for-profit hospitals and healthcare systems. They discuss what hospitals should be considering from a financial perspective and how expanding outside of the realm of in-patient care could benefit a hospital system's profitability.

This episode was previously recorded and released by Waller on October 11, 2022, and has been rebranded and relaunched now that Waller is a part of Holland & Knight. Originally released on May 4, 2023.

In this episode of Counsel That Cares, we are launching a new mini-series called "Hospitals at a Crossroads" where our attorneys discuss the current status, challenges and opportunities in the hospital and health systems sector with various industry professionals.

In this episode, Holland & Knight healthcare attorneys Jesse Neil and Tyler Layne are joined by former physician and hospital executive Dr. Mike Schatzlein, who now advises on hospital operations. They discuss the current healthcare mergers and acquisitions (M&A) landscape and how it has changed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic while reviewing case studies about how hospitals and hospital systems have been navigating these shifts.

In this episode of "Counsel That Cares," Healthcare Transactions attorneys David Marks and Eric Scalzo, along with Chartis Strategic Transformation partners Sri Mani and Eric Mayeda, discuss the increasing scrutiny of investor-owned healthcare entities. They note state legislatures and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alike have expressed increasing concerns over consolidation's potential negative impacts. Mr. Mani and Mr. Mayeda share insights into how new regulations and rising public skepticism are shaping the healthcare investment environment, emphasizing the need for private equity firms to articulate their value proposition and focus on sustainable, long-term opportunities for growth.

The discussion also seeks to counter some of the negative publicity by highlighting the critical role of private equity in addressing healthcare industry challenges, such as access to care in underserved areas. The speakers argue that a nuanced approach to private capital that recognizes its potential to drive innovation is essential, along with a data-driven narrative that can effectively respond to negative perceptions. As they look toward 2025, the group expresses optimism about the future, suggesting that investment in healthcare is poised to increase, fueled by a commitment to improving patient outcomes and satisfaction.

In this episode of "Counsel That Cares," healthcare attorney John Arnold and Erika Haanpaa, a managing director at Cain Brothers, discuss mergers and acquisitions (M&A) trends in the behavioral health industry. Mr. Arnold and Ms. Haanpaa highlight increased investor interest in the sector, particularly in autism-related services and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, along with labor challenges and wage inflation that have affected areas including applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) services. The speakers also examine the challenges that value-based care models face because of difficulties in measuring outcomes and aligning incentives across physical and mental health services. Looking ahead to 2025, Mr. Arnold and Ms. Haanpaa predict a moderate increase in deal activity, though not as robust as some are forecasting, with continued interest in behavioral health investments driven by ongoing market needs and maturation of existing private equity portfolios.