Alumni Spotlight

What is your history with Husch Blackwell?

I clerked as a summer associate at Husch & Eppenberger's Springfield office while in law school and was then hired on as an associate upon graduation. I worked under Bryan Wade and Ginger Gooch in the general litigation department. At the end of 2005, I accepted an in-house position with CoxHealth. (Coincidentally, CoxHealth's General Counsel who hired me for the position–Charity Elmer–is a Blackwell Sander's alum). Although no longer employed by Husch & Eppenberger, my relationship with the firm continued in that CoxHealth utilized Husch & Eppenberger as outside counsel on a myriad of matters. CoxHealth's relationship with Husch Blackwell has only grown over the years in that CoxHealth increasingly relies on the firm for its expertise. I still consider Ginger Gooch and Bryan Wade as mentors. I feel fortunate that I was able to work with them so early in my career, and that I have continued to work with them, in a sense.

Describe your current role/practice outside of Husch Blackwell.

I currently serve as Senior Counsel at CoxHealth in Springfield, Missouri. I have been in-house with CoxHealth since I left Husch & Eppenberger 15 years ago. With approximately 15,000 employees and five hospitals, CoxHealth is like a small city. The legal department at CoxHealth employs five in-house attorneys. My practice focuses on labor & employment, medical staff issues, general health law, contract law and higher education (Cox College). CoxHealth's legal department is accessible to everyone in the health system. We field questions from front-line workers, administrators and everyone in between. My days at work never look the same, which keeps things interesting.

Describe any interesting and emerging trends you’re seeing in your industry.

Although not really a "trend," COVID-19 has consumed healthcare institutions for the past year or so. CoxHealth has always placed safety (for patients and employees) as a top priority, but the pandemic has taken this to a new level. Figuring out how to best protect patients and healthcare workers while fighting this virus has been the priority.

What is one of the most interesting projects on which you’ve worked?

There have been so many. I have really enjoyed the employment-related policies/procedures I have drafted/helped implement over the years (e.g., tobacco-free workforce; mandatory influenza vaccination program; mandatory nursing breaks). These are the projects that "keep on giving" because I get to see them play out operationally, and help analyze their applicability to a variety of situations. As for interesting cases, CoxHealth was once sued for not allowing a student/patient to bring her monkey into its facilities as a service animal. Ginger Gooch and Bryan Wade represented CoxHealth in that matter, and I will never forget the look on Bryan's face when the monkey hissed at him during the plaintiff's deposition.

What hobbies/activities do you enjoy outside the office?

My husband and I have three elementary school-aged children. Chasing them around is my hobby, if that counts.