jonathan keller

Researched anti-trust regulations relating to Accountable Care Organizations (“ACOs”) and drafted memoranda in support of formulating ACOs to improve quality of care through enhanced coordination of benefits while maintaining costs.

My practice focuses on representing health care providers, including public and private hospital systems, academic medical centers, and physician practices in a variety of regulatory and transactional matters. Specific aspects of my practice include healthcare M&A transactions, contract negotiation, and fraud and abuse counseling.

* Sole legal officer for a 211 bed acute care hospital. Report directly to CEO and counsel executives on day-to-day operations, decision-making, and daily legal issues. * Involved in general hospital representation, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement issues, certificate of need, licensure and regulatory areas, medical staff bylaws and privileging, physician contracts, guardianships, patient treatment and consent issues, fraud and abuse issues, and labor and employment matters of hospital employees. * Oversee and work closely with Compliance Officer to maintain a robust corporate compliance program, risk management process, and joint commission accreditation. * Coordinate work with outside counsel and proactively mitigate exposure of hospital to minimize risk and liability.

* Daily activities included counseling patients, contacting physicians, filling prescription orders, maintaining and ordering prescription inventory, and provided recommendations on over-the-counter medications. * Managed a staff of 1-2 pharmacy technicians on a daily basis. * Floated to additional stores in Central and Southern Jersey.

* Daily activities included drafting the Judge’s opinions regarding dispositive motions and writing bench memoranda on complex legal issues in preparation for trial. * Extensive experience with medical malpractice, products liability, and health care matters as the Judge exclusively handled these issues for Monmouth County. * Certified as a New Jersey mediator and conducted mediation conferences between litigants to facilitate a settlement agreement.

* Researched relevant legal authority to draft memoranda regarding complex health care regulatory issues, sample topics include: change of ownership licensing requirements for health care entities, Stark law analysis in response to OIG inquiry, Anti-Kickback coupon exemptions for physician practices, and anti-trust issues arising in the context of hospital mergers and affiliations. * Drafted response letters to CMS regarding survey inspections of nursing homes and home health care agencies. * Conducted due diligence and scheduling of contracts in preparation for hospital merger. * Maintained privilege log for document production in response to a criminal investigation of physician practice group regarding Stark violations.

* Drafted response letters to CMS regarding Medicare/Medicaid audits of pharmacies. * Participated in client interviews and attended depositions and Board of Pharmacy hearings. * Research pharmacy wholesaler liability regarding drug diversion to draft memoranda in preparation for litigation. * Assisted attorneys in drafting pleadings and motions for class action law suits pertaining to Accutane, Heparin, and Levaquin on failure to warn claims.

* Received, prepared, and entered prescription orders for the pharmacist. * Processed insurance claims and medical prior authorizations. * Assisted the pharmacist in managing prescription inventory.

Activities and Societies: Varsity Lacrosse, National Honors Society

Graduated with High Honors (magna cum laude), Best Appellate Brief in Appellate Advocacy Course Activities and Societies: Seton Hall Law Review, Order of the Coif, The Health Law Outlook Journal

Graduated with Highest Honors (summa cum laude), Dean’s List, Ronald I. Cohen Pharmacy Scholarship Activities and Societies: Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity, Inter-Fraternal Council Peer Review Board, Rho Chi Pharmaceutical Honor Society, Gamma Sigma Alpha Honor Society, New Jersey Pharmacists Association, American Pharmacists Association