Northern Nevada MGMA Monthly Meeting: June 20, 2017
Topic/Title: Legislative Update
Summary: If you attended our March NVMGMA meeting you heard the issues that were under consideration during the 2017 legislative session. Please join us to hear Catherine O’Mara and Bill Welch explain the outcomes of those issues and learn about recent legislative and regulatory developments affecting medical groups and other healthcare providers. Attendees will learn about recent legislative and regulatory developments affecting medical groups and other healthcare providers and their impact on the day-to-day activities of medical group practices.
Speakers: Catherine O’Mara-Executive Director of Nevada State Medical Association and Bill M. Welch-President/CEO of Nevada Hospital Association.
Catherine O’Mara has been named Executive Director of the Nevada State Medical Association as of October 2015. Catherine brings with her a strong legal background and nearly ten years of experience in public policy and government relations.
Prior to joining NSMA, Catherine spent four years as an associate attorney at Snell & Wilmer law firm specializing in government relations and business litigation. In that capacity, Catherine represented business, and non-profit clients in front of administrative and regulatory bodies, at the legislature, and in various judicial tribunals.
Catherine attended Loyola Marymount University (B.A.) and George Washington University (M.A.). While in Washington D.C., Catherine worked in the Congressional offices of Representative Jim Gibbons and Senator John Ensign handling a variety of legislation affecting Nevadans. In 2007, Catherine lobbied the Nevada legislature on behalf of the Ferraro Group, and in 2008, Catherine was a legal extern for the Honorable Brian Sandoval in the United States District Court of Nevada.
Catherine earned her law degree from University of California, Hastings college of the law, where she distinguished herself as a member of the trial team. In 2010, Catherine was selected by her classmates to give the commencement address.
Catherine is a proud native Nevadan and active member of her community. She was a graduate of the 2014 Leadership Reno Sparks program with the Chamber of Commerce and serves on the boards for the Community Health Alliance, Girls on the Run- Sierras, and Bishop Manogue Catholic High School Alumni Association. Catherine enjoys traveling, attending live music and other performances, and spending time with her parents, 8 siblings, and 16 nieces and nephews.
Bill M. Welch has been the President/CEO of the Nevada Hospital Association (NHA), a not-for-profit, statewide professional association representing the vast majority of Nevada's hospitals throughout the state since January 1999. Prior to that, he was the President of the Nevada Rural Hospital Project (now Nevada Rural Hospital Partners), a voluntary consortium of Nevada’s rural hospitals. Mr. Welch has been an active advocate for health care since he served as CEO/Administrator of Elko General Hospital (now Northeastern Nevada General Hospital) from 1977 through 1989. He serves on many local, state and national boards and committees including the Nevada Homeland Security Commission, HealthInsight Nevada Board of Trustees, the Nevada Health Care Sector Council Board, and the American Hospital Association Regional Policy Board 9.
Formally established in 1960 and incorporated in 1971, NHA was created by hospital administrators to provide a unified forum for all types of hospitals to address such issues as patient safety, reimbursement, medical malpractice liability, workforce shortages, workers’ compensation, and continuing education, among others. As President, Mr. Welch’s duty is to provide NHA members with legislative advocacy, educational information and other resources to provide high-quality, affordable and appropriate health care services in Nevada.
Domain for the Body of Knowledge: Government Affairs
Location:
Saint Mary's Foundation Building
520 West 6th Street
Reno, NV 89503
No RSVP Required - Please join us at this meeting!
