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Kate F. Stewart

Of Counsel

[email protected]

+1.617.348.4868

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As former in-house counsel at an academic and community hospital system, Kate provides solutions on a broad range of legal issues affecting health care clients including digital health and privacy regulations, clinical trial compliance, and transactions for for-profit and non-profit clients.

Kate draws on her in-house experience to provide holistic counsel to hospitals, physician groups, clinical laboratories, retail health clinics, pharmacies, and payors, as well as new market entrants and start-ups in the digital health space.

Kate has a depth of experience with regard to clinical and bench research, including contractual matters, FDA regulations and NIH rules, as well as the complex issues at the intersection of transformative models for conducting clinical trials.   

Related to privacy compliance, Kate advises clients on implementing and updating HIPAA policies, crafting compliant solutions to data sharing, and responding to potential breaches under HIPAA and state data breach rules.

Kate additionally has extensive experience with physician contracting and licensing and scope of practice issues. Her practice also encompasses representing providers, payors, and investors in mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures. She additionally counsels nonprofit health organizations on entity formation, governance, and tax-exemption issues.

Prior to rejoining Mintz, Kate served as associate general counsel of Beth Israel Lahey Health, where she focused on clinical, bench, and translational research at a major academic medical center, as well as advising community hospitals on regulatory compliance, physician matters, and transactions. She began her career in private practice at Mintz, first as Summer Associate, and then as an Associate in the Health Law Practice. Directly after graduating from law school, Kate was a law fellow at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University, where she focused on international health governance, pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV/AIDS, and food and drug safety issues.

Experience

  • Provided state and federal health care regulatory advice to telehealth pioneer Amwell.
  • Served a secondment to a behavioral health administrator, providing guidance on HIPAA compliance and other matters.
  • Counseled providers and telehealth companies regarding multi-state telemedicine practice, including prescribing through telemedicine, corporate practice of medicine, reimbursement and licensing issues. 
  • Drafted and negotiated clinical trial agreements for a pre-clinical pharmaceutical company.
  • Counseled private equity sponsors on health care acquisitions, including fraud and abuse issues, licensure, change of ownership, and privacy matters. 
  • Provided state and federal health care regulatory advice to American Well, a pioneer in telehealth technology.
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viewpoints

2021 was a busy year for Mintz ’s Health Law team, as they helped clients navigate complex health care transactions.
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On January 12, 2022, the co-owner of a clinical research site in Miami, Florida pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice after she knowingly lied to a United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigator during a 2017 regulatory inspection. Olga Torres co-owned the clinical research site, Unlimited Medical Research (UMR). During its years of operation, UMR was engaged as a clinical trial site by a number of pharmaceutical companies. The conduct that led to the obstruction of justice charge stemmed from a clinical trial conducted at UMR to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a pediatric asthma drug.
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In this episode of the Health Law Diagnosed podcast, members of the Mintz Health Law team discuss their health law–focused 2022 New Year’s resolutions and how they’re helping clients and colleagues navigate the continued challenges and opportunities of the current era.
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Over the past year, the demand for health care via telehealth has continued to skyrocket as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the public’s increased comfort with obtaining health care goods and services virtually. Join Ellen Janos, Karen Lovitch, Kate Stewart and Alex Hecht as they demystify the current status of laws and regulations, untangle the web of legislation before Congress related to the expansion of telehealth services, discuss recent enforcement activity, and look ahead to trends we see on the horizon.  
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Last week, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) hosted a webinar on the HIPAA Security Risk Assessment Tool (SRA Tool).  The webinar provided a guided tour of the SRA Tool, answered frequently asked questions, and gave updates on upcoming enhancements to the SRA Tool.  Most importantly, the webinar serves as yet another reminder for entities subject to HIPAA of their obligation to perform a security risk assessment and to update that assessment on a periodic basis and in response to new business processes, operations, and threats.
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Drug and device manufacturers will need to update their reporting systems and provide new training to their sales staff in the coming years based on changes to the Physician Payment Sunshine Act included in the final opioid package passed last week. Beginning with data reported in 2022, the Sunshine Act will cover payments made to advanced practice nurses and physician assistants. The change will also impact state laws requiring the reporting of payments made to these provider types, which will be preempted by federal law.
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Employers with workers in Massachusetts will have a lot to do between now and October 1, 2018, when reforms to Massachusetts non-compete laws go into effect.
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Clinical laboratories and hospitals should note the potential changes to the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (“PAMA”) reporting requirements tucked into the 1,400 page Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule (the “Proposed Rule”) released by CMS earlier this month.
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Privacy and security compliance obligations for health care companies remain hot topics this spring. Health care companies must now contend with data breach laws in all 50 states as well as keeping on top of federal HIPAA developments.
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News & Press

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Mintz is pleased to announce that 120 firm attorneys have been recognized as leaders by Best Lawyers® in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.
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The deal will take public ProKidney, a leading clinical-stage cellular therapeutics company focused on chronic kidney disease, and is expected to provide up to $825 million in gross cash proceeds.
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Mintz Of Counsel Kate Stewart was quoted in an edition of HCPro’s “Briefings on HIPAA” regarding policy and procedure considerations for HIPAA compliance officers with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC)’s 21st Century Cures Act: Interoperability, Information Blocking, and the ONC Health IT Certification Program in effect.
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Mintz Of Counsel Kate Stewart was quoted in an article published by SC Magazine on an increase in private party litigation after outages, ransomware, and data breaches in health care. Ms. Stewart commented on the emerging trend and shared policy and procedure considerations for providers to help defend against these potential lawsuits.
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Mintz is advising a consortium of investors led by TPG Capital and Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe in their acquisition of Curo Health Services, one of the nation’s leading hospice providers. The definitive agreement was announced on April 23, 2018. The deal is valued at approximately $1.4 billion.
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Events & Speaking

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Apr
4
2023

Tracking Technologies in Health Care

Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation

Online Event

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Jan
30
2023

Is Your Organization Prepared for Today’s Clinical Research?

Academic Medical Centers and Teaching Hospitals Law Institute 2023

Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld

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May
25
2022

The Evolving Health Care Privacy Landscape

Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation (WBL) Event

Online Event

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Recognition & Awards

  • Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch - Health Care Law (2024)

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Involvement

  • Co-Editor, Chapter Newsletter/Blog, Massachusetts-Rhode Island Chapter, Healthcare Financial Managers Association (2014–present)
  • Former Board Member, Massachusetts-Rhode Island Chapter, Healthcare Financial Managers Association (2016–2020)
  • Member, American Health Lawyer Associate
  • Member, American Bar Association
  • Member, American Telehealth Association
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