Health law related associations provide those interested in the topic a means of staying current on the latest health law news and provide students and practitioners alike with opportunities to get involved with causes that interest them. The Associations also provide a valuable way for students to meet and get to know practitioners involved with health law.
This Section of the Guide provides a sample of Associations that welcome legal professionals nationally and specifically in Colorado.
American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants - "Founded in 1989, the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC) is a not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to the professional enhancement and growth of registered nurses practicing in the specialty of legal nurse consulting and to advance the nursing specialty. AALNC is the preeminent resource for professionals with an interest in the legal nurse consulting arena including novice and veteran legal nurse consultants. AALNC provides networking opportunities, educational advancement, professional development and supports certification through the American Legal Nurse Consultant Certification Board."
The American Association of Nurse Attorneys - "The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA) is a non-profit organization made up of attorneys, students, and others interested in legal issues as they relate to the health care industry. TAANA provides resources, education, and leadership to its members and the health care and legal communities regarding health law and policy. TAANA takes positions on health care legal issues in the form of position papers and amicus briefs. The organization does not offer opinions on religious or political issues, nor does it endorse specific candidates for elected office"
American College of Legal Medicine - The American College of Legal Medicine's Mission is to "promote the continued professional advancement of its members, as well as non-member physicians and other interested professionals, through education, research, publications, and interdisciplinary and collaborative exchanges of information. The educational meetings are designed to improve the participants' professional performance and focus primarily on research, methodologies, techniques, and issues and advances in the field of legal medicine. The education activities encourage interdisciplinary exchanges of ideas and information and thereby facilitate enhanced service to society in the healing arts and legal professions."
American Health Care Association - "As the nation’s largest association of long term and post-acute care providers, [the American Health Care Association (AHCA)] advocates for quality care and services for frail, elderly, and disabled Americans. [Their] members provide essential care to approximately one million individuals in over 13,500 not-for-profit and proprietary member facilities. AHCA represents the long term care community to the nation at large – to government, business leaders, and the general public." AHCA also deals with legislative, regulatory, and public affairs, working to develop "necessary and reasonable public policies which balance economic and regulatory principles to support quality care and quality of life."
American Health Lawyers Association – "Leading health law to excellence through education, information, and dialogue, the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA) is the nation’s largest, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) educational organization devoted to legal issues in the health care field with nearly 14,000 members."
American Public Health Association - The American Public Health Association (APHA) "champions the health of all people and all communities. [They aim to] strengthen the public health profession. They speak out for public health issues and policies backed by science" and influence federal policy and "brings together members from all fields of public health." Their mission is to "[i]mprove the health of the public and achieve equity in health status."
"APHA publishes the American Journal of Public Health [(available on Westlaw here)] and The Nation's Health newspaper [(available on Westlaw here)]."
American Society for Healthcare Risk Management - "Established in 1980, the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM) is a professional membership group of the American Hospital Association with nearly 6,000 members representing risk management, patient safety, insurance, law, finance and other related professions. ASHRM promotes effective and innovative risk management strategies and professional leadership through education, recognition, advocacy, publications, networking and interactions with leading healthcare organizations and government agencies. ASHRM initiatives focus on developing and implementing safe and effective patient care practices, the preservation of financial resources and the maintenance of safe working environments."
American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics - "With roots extending back to 1911, ASLME is a nonprofit educational organization. Their mission is to provide high-quality scholarship, debate, and critical thought for professionals at the intersection of law, medicine, and ethics. Their members examine big health questions with far-reaching social ramifications, like genetic testing and research, medical record privacy, end-of-life decisions, and the dynamics of informed consent. Their multidisciplinary focus is intended to create a dynamic forum to exchange ideas from a wide range of perspectives."
They publish two peer reviewed journals: the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics and the American Journal of Law & Medicine. "They sponsor conferences and webinars...and connect teaching professionals across North America for the exchange of ideas, classroom materials, and curricula."
Association of Academic Health Centers - The Associations of Academic Health Centers (AAHC) and Associations of Academic Health Centers International (AAHCI) lead their members "in anticipating how healthcare will be transformed in the 21st century and provide[] guidance on how to be successful in the highly challenging healthcare environment. AAHC brings a strategic, integrative, multi-professional and multi-disciplinary perspective to consideration of the many health-related issues facing the U.S. and health systems globally."
Federal Bar Association - Health Law Section – The Health Law Section of the Federal Bar Association furthers the purposes of the Association by promoting "the interests of health lawyers and by planning, participating in, conducting, and/or publishing, as appropriate, services programs, publications, and activities of interest to persons in the legal profession with respect to health law." The Section also works "to promote the integration of health lawyers as active members and participants in the variety of Association entities; to advance health law jurisprudence; to promote and monitor the development of health law; promote high standards of professional competence and ethical conduct; and to adopt public positions on matters concerning health law, and dispute resolution, in both the public and private sectors."
Health Law Section - American Bar Association - The Health Law Section of the American Bar Association provides access to information about the services, publications, CLE, and other benefits available through the Section. There are also resources for ABA Lawyers, Young Lawyers, Law Students, and Non-Lawyers.
Welcome Law Students - the Law Student Section is "committed to helping law students and paving the way to a successful health law career. [They] want to help support students' professional journey, whether that is to become a successful litigator or dedicate [a] life to public service." The site also has webinars, which feature the latest topics in health care law and are free to law students. There are also a Health Law Student Writing Competition and scholarship opportunities.
Healthcare Leadership Council - "The Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC), a coalition of chief executives from all disciplines within American healthcare, is the exclusive forum for the nation’s healthcare leaders to jointly develop policies, plans, and programs to achieve their vision of a 21st century system that makes affordable, high-quality care accessible to all Americans."
The National Association of County & City Health Officials strives "to be a leader, partner, catalyst, and voice for local health departments around the nation. [Their] efforts focus on promoting health and equity, combating disease, and improving the quality and length of all lives." Membership is open to those who have professional ties to the public health field.
National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association - "Founded in 1985 by several private health insurers and federal and state government officials, the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association is the leading national organization focused exclusively on the fight against health care fraud. [They] are a private-public partnership," including "private health insurers and those public-sector law enforcement and regulatory agencies having jurisdiction over health care fraud committed against both private payers and public programs." Their mission is "[t]o protect and serve the public interest by increasing awareness and improving the detection, investigation, civil and criminal prosecution and prevention of health care fraud and abuse."
National Health Law Program - The National Health Law Program (NHeLP) was founded in 1969 with the goal of "protect[ing] and advanc[ing] the health rights of low-income and underserved individuals and families. NHeLP advocates, educates, and litigates at the federal and state levels." Their lawyers and policy analysts work within the legal system "to ensure that low-income people and underserved communities can obtain the quality care to which they are legally entitled and holding state and federal Medicaid agencies accountable for their programs." They also provide "critical input and expertise on health care and legal issues to federal and state policymakers, advocates and the media."
Special Committee on Bioethics and the Law – The American Bar Association’s Special Committee on Bioethics and the Law, created in 1991, works in partnership with interested ABA entities, as the focal point for activities related to bioethics and the law.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services - "It is the mission of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans. [They] fulfill that mission by providing for effective health and human services and fostering advances in medicine, public health, and social services." HHS also has a Regional Office located in Denver, CO.
Center for Health Progress - They "believe the health care system should work for all Coloradans. So, [they] bring people together to ensure factors like race, income, and ZIP code don’t determine a person’s access to care and opportunity to live a healthy life. [They work to] uncover commonsense solutions to these complex challenges [in order to] get closer to ensuring our health care system works for everyone."
Colorado Consumer Health Initiative - "The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative (CCHI) is a statewide, non-partisan, non-profit membership organization working so all Coloradans can get affordable, high-quality and equitable health care. CCHI represents 50 nonprofit organizations—mobilizing well over 500,000 consumers—to shape effective health care policy. [...] CCHI advances the consumer perspective to improve health care for all Coloradans."
The Colorado Health Foundation - As the largest health foundation in Colorado, the Colorado Health Foundation "helps Coloradans live their healthiest lives by advancing opportunities to pursue good health and achieve health equity." The Foundation supports impactful "work in and across six focus areas that are critical to improving health in Colorado: Access to Care; Behavioral Health; Healthy Behaviors; Healthy Children and Adolescents; Healthy Communities; and Social Determinants of Health." The Foundation also works closely with partners across the state to advance policy and advocacy goals which align with the Foundation's focus areas. The Foundation also provides information on a variety of topics to aid in these public policy and advocacy efforts across the state. These educational efforts may take the form of briefs, regulatory comment letters, webinars and in-person convenings.
Colorado Health Institute - They "believe that sound evidence and solid analysis leads to better health policy, and that better health policy leads to healthier Coloradans. That is [their] work as Colorado’s leading nonprofit and nonpartisan health policy research group." Created in 2002 to fill a need for nonpartisan, independent data and evidence-based analysis to support decision-makers, the Colorado Health Institute (CHI) works to provide independent data and analysis to policymakers across the political spectrum and at all levels, from local to state to federal.
Disability Law Colorado - "Disability Law Colorado protects and promotes the rights of people with disabilities and older people in Colorado through direct legal representation, advocacy, education and legislative analysis. [They] are committed to increasing opportunities for adults and children with disabilities to live, work and attend school in the community, enjoying independent and productive lives. [They] also protect the right of people in institutions to be treated with dignity and respect."
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