DAVIE, Fla.

(October 30, 2017) – Now in its seventh year, Broad and Cassel’s South Florida Health Forum brought together local and national experts in health care to discuss key issues facing the industry. One of the highlights from the event was an alarming tale from a former CEO who faced false federal criminal charges. Presentations also focused on compliance and risk, and medical transactions with private equity.

Headlining this year’s event was The Advisory Board Company’s Ethan Brosowsky and retired CEO Howard Root, who after a five-year ordeal with the U.S. Department of Justice, authored Cardiac Arrest: Five Heart-Stopping Years as a CEO On the Feds’ Hit-List. A corporate lawyer by trade, he founded Vascular Solutions in 1997, and during his tenure, invented and launched more than 100 cardiovascular devices.

The Advisory Board Company’s Brosowsky spoke on health system strategy in the post-Affordable Care Act era. His presentation highlighted the state of public exchanges, their future depending on action or inaction by the GOP, and the enrollment impact under the new administration. Ultimately, he predicted that “regardless of what happens with Repeal and Replace, we are probably going to see an increase in the uninsured.”

Closing out the first half of the forum was retired CEO Howard Root’s presentation, which highlighted Root’s legal nightmare of how he spent years fighting the injustice of false federal criminal charges. He offered several key takeaways, including:

  • Every company holds substantial risk.
  • Document retention implementation is the No. 1 compliance task.
  • Every company must have pre-qualified government lawyers.

The discussion around compliance and risk continued with a panel moderated by Gabriel Imperato, one of the first lawyers in the U.S. certified in health care compliance by the Health Care Compliance Association. Panelists included Anne Branan, of counsel with Broad and Cassel; Benton Curtis, senior counsel with Broad and Cassel; and Tim Flanigan with Cancer Treatment Centers of America. The panel focused on corporate integrity agreements, effective compliance programs, promoting an ethical culture and more topics of importance to today’s professionals.

The forum concluded with a panel led by Broad and Cassel’s Mike Segal on medical transactions with private equity. The panel featured Jeanette Emons of WithumSmith+Brown; Jim Lloyd of PYA; Dr. Reuven Porges; and Ernie Varvoutis of TeamHealth.

The Health Forum was sponsored by Broward County Medical Association, Dade County Medical Association, Palm Beach County Medical Society, ProAssurance Companies, PYA, South Florida Medical Group Management Association, South Florida Hospital and Healthcare Association, South Florida Hospital News, SunTrust and Withum.

Broad and Cassel has built one of the most experienced and diversified Health Law Groups in the Southeastern United States. The firm has more lawyers certified in Health Law by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization & Education than any other firm. Many of the firm’s health lawyers are certified by the Health Care Compliance Association in Health Care Compliance and are Certified Dispute Resolvers with the American Health Lawyers Association.

Information on the firm’s health law events and industry and attorney news can be found on Broad and Cassel’s Health Law Blog at or on Twitter at .