Overview
Craig is extremely knowledgeable in the healthcare industry and always has a proposed solution for our issues." – Health Care Client, Chambers USA
Craig advises clients on all aspects of health care law, with considerable experience in structuring business arrangements, transactions, and joint ventures to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations. He guides clients through the complexities of the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute, the False Claims Act, the physician self-referral statute (Stark law), Medicare and Medicaid billing, HIPAA privacy and security rules, and medical device regulations. Craig also routinely advises clients on operational matters, including risk management, governmental/third-party billing and reimbursement, licensure and certification, survey and enforcement, physician employment and recruitment, as well as medical provider-vendor and managed care contracting.
Craig serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Health Care, Employee Benefits, Bankruptcy, and Transaction Practice Group.
Representative Experience
- Serves as outside counsel for a large regional non-profit hospice care organization, including serving as lead counsel in the recent acquisition of two hospice care programs by the hospice care organization.
- Serves as outside counsel for a physician management services organization doing business in multiple states.
- Served as counsel in the merger of three rural hospitals that formed a new rural health system, including in the development of all merger documents and in obtaining regulatory assent from the Michigan Department of Attorney General to complete the transaction.
- Counsels telemedicine providers on federal and state regulations and compliance matters.
- Represented clients in health care data privacy and security incidents and investigations.
- Served as Ohio counsel for a national med spa trade association, assisting medical spa businesses in regulatory matters and business formation.
- Forming medical businesses, including physician practices, ancillary service providers, clinical laboratories, oncology centers, independent diagnostic testing facilities, and ambulatory surgery centers.
- Assisting in the development of joint venture health care entities, including pain management clinics, vascular services, cardiac catheterization laboratories, sleep laboratories, ambulatory surgery centers, and radiation oncology centers.
- Served as local counsel in the acquisition of a hospital system by a national hospital services operator doing business in multiple states, including assistance with providing notice to the Ohio Attorney General of the transaction.
- Assisting hospitals and their wholly owned physician practice entities in the recruitment of employed and contracted physicians, including the development of employment agreements, compensation methodologies, recruitment agreements, and arrangements with limited branch practitioners.
- Assisted a hospital system to design a physician employee retention program, including the design of a mechanism to recruit physicians to the hospital and to employ the physicians on an incentivized basis; and to pay physicians on the Medical Staff compensation for providing call services to the hospital.
- Assisting institutional provider clients, including hospitals, to form joint venture entities with community stake holders to operate ancillary health care services, including radiology services, pain management services, dialysis services and sleep center services.
- Assisting hospital systems in securing financing from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Program for the construction of a new hospitals and facilities and the refinancing of existing facilities.
- Assisted a hospital system in securing financing from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Section 242 rural hospital investment program for the renovation of its facilities.
- Assisting hospitals with credentialing and medical staff matters, including the fair hearings and appeals, and reporting obligations.
- Assisting in the acquisition and consolidation of various medical practice groups into a single legal entity on behalf of an academic medical center.
- Assisting not for profit health care providers apply for designation as tax exempt entities under Internal Revenue Code Chapter 501(c)(3) as Public Charities from the IRS.
- Advising not for profit health care providers with respect to the organization’s duties and responsibilities as Public Charities, including representation regarding the IRS Intermediate Sanctions laws, conflicts of interest, and general corporate compliance.
- Assisting a comprehensive cancer treatment center enter into a long-term management agreement to outsource its pharmaceutical services and oncology drug purchasing to a third-party vendor.
- Counseling private equity investors in the acquisition of a healthcare practices in multiple states.
- Assisting health care providers in the creation of Health Care Corporate Compliance Programs, including the completion of baseline compliance audits and review of current operations, the imposition of compliance protocols, and compliance training for employees.
- Assisting a managed care provider evaluate the legal and regulatory risks of implementing an electronic health records systems for the use of its subscribers and beneficiaries.
- Representation of both providers and managed care organizations in the negotiation of managed care participation and provider services agreements.
- Assisting health care providers in the creation of Health Care Corporate Compliance Programs, including the completion of baseline compliance audits and review of current operations, the imposition of compliance protocols, and compliance training for employees.
Education & Admissions
Education
- Case Western Reserve University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2000
- John Carroll University, B.A., 1997
Bar and Court Admissions
- State of Ohio
- State of Colorado
- State of Michigan
Involvement
Professional Affiliations
- Colorado Bar Association (2016-Present)
- Colorado Hospital Association (2016-Present)
- American Health Lawyers Association, Member
- Society of Ohio Healthcare Attorneys, Member
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Health Care Law Section, Member
- Chair (2012-2013)
Firm Involvement
- Co-Chair, Business Law Specialty Practices Group
Awards & Honors
- Named to the Ohio Super Lawyers list (2022 – Present)
- Named Best Lawyers’ “Lawyer of the Year” in Health Care Law in Cleveland (2022) and (2024)
- Recognized by The Best Lawyers in AmericaTM in Health Care Law (2016 – Present) and Litigation-Health Care (2021 – Present)
- Named to the Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars list (2005; 2009; 2011; 2013)
Publications
- “Changing of the Guard, Part 2 – Health Care Outlook Under the Biden Administration,” Podcast Guest, Shoveling Smoke – A Frantz Ward Lawcast (March 2021)
- “Rewind, Rewind, Rewind”: The Biden Administration Reverses Numerous Trump Health Care Initiatives,” Frantz Ward Client Alert (February 2021)
- “UPDATE: The Fed Commits to Launching the Main Street Lending Program by June 1, with Significant Changes,” Frantz Ward Client Alert (May 2020)
- “Critical Care Resource Allocation Planning During COVID-19 Pandemic,” Frantz Ward Client Alert (April 2020)
- “The Main Street Lending Program. The Next Life Line for Small and Mid-Sized Businesses,” Frantz Ward Client Alert (April 2020)
- “Federal Government Expands Opportunities to Utilize Telehealth During The COVID-19 Emergency,” Frantz Ward Client Alert (March 2020)
- “Ohio Adopts a Standard Authorization Form for the Release of Patient Health Records,” Frantz Ward Client Alert (January 2019)
- “New Year, Same Old Ransomware Attacks Against Health Care Providers,” Frantz Ward Client Alert (January 2018)
- “President Trump Circumvents Congress, Seeks to Unwind Affordable Care Act,” Frantz Ward Client Alert (October 2017)
Presentations & Lectures
- “Limitations on Liability for COVID-19 Infections—Federal and State Action,” Association of Corporate Counsel, Webinar (November 2020)
- “Overview of Ohio Laws Affecting the Medical Spa Industry,” 2020 Medspa Business Academy, Columbus, OH (February 2020)
- “Health Care Issues in the Corporate World,” Association of Corporate Counsel, Cleveland, OH (August 2019)
- “HIPAA Myths,” Northeast Ohio Association of Corporate Counsel, Cleveland, OH (June 2018)
- Society of Ohio Healthcare Attorneys
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
- Northeast Ohio Health Care Association
- Ohio Health Care Association
- Ohio Academy of Nursing Homes
Media Coverage
- Quoted in, “Marijuana Program Needs Physician Buy-In,” Crain’s Cleveland Business (March 2018)
Representative Experience
- Serves as outside counsel for a large regional non-profit hospice care organization, including serving as lead counsel in the recent acquisition of two hospice care programs by the hospice care organization.
- Serves as outside counsel for a physician management services organization doing business in multiple states.
- Served as counsel in the merger of three rural hospitals that formed a new rural health system, including in the development of all merger documents and in obtaining regulatory assent from the Michigan Department of Attorney General to complete the transaction.
- Counsels telemedicine providers on federal and state regulations and compliance matters.
- Represented clients in health care data privacy and security incidents and investigations.
- Served as Ohio counsel for a national med spa trade association, assisting medical spa businesses in regulatory matters and business formation.
- Forming medical businesses, including physician practices, ancillary service providers, clinical laboratories, oncology centers, independent diagnostic testing facilities, and ambulatory surgery centers.
- Assisting in the development of joint venture health care entities, including pain management clinics, vascular services, cardiac catheterization laboratories, sleep laboratories, ambulatory surgery centers, and radiation oncology centers.
- Served as local counsel in the acquisition of a hospital system by a national hospital services operator doing business in multiple states, including assistance with providing notice to the Ohio Attorney General of the transaction.
- Assisting hospitals and their wholly owned physician practice entities in the recruitment of employed and contracted physicians, including the development of employment agreements, compensation methodologies, recruitment agreements, and arrangements with limited branch practitioners.
- Assisted a hospital system to design a physician employee retention program, including the design of a mechanism to recruit physicians to the hospital and to employ the physicians on an incentivized basis; and to pay physicians on the Medical Staff compensation for providing call services to the hospital.
- Assisting institutional provider clients, including hospitals, to form joint venture entities with community stake holders to operate ancillary health care services, including radiology services, pain management services, dialysis services and sleep center services.
- Assisting hospital systems in securing financing from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Program for the construction of a new hospitals and facilities and the refinancing of existing facilities.
- Assisted a hospital system in securing financing from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Section 242 rural hospital investment program for the renovation of its facilities.
- Assisting hospitals with credentialing and medical staff matters, including the fair hearings and appeals, and reporting obligations.
- Assisting in the acquisition and consolidation of various medical practice groups into a single legal entity on behalf of an academic medical center.
- Assisting not for profit health care providers apply for designation as tax exempt entities under Internal Revenue Code Chapter 501(c)(3) as Public Charities from the IRS.
- Advising not for profit health care providers with respect to the organization’s duties and responsibilities as Public Charities, including representation regarding the IRS Intermediate Sanctions laws, conflicts of interest, and general corporate compliance.
- Assisting a comprehensive cancer treatment center enter into a long-term management agreement to outsource its pharmaceutical services and oncology drug purchasing to a third-party vendor.
- Counseling private equity investors in the acquisition of a healthcare practices in multiple states.
- Assisting health care providers in the creation of Health Care Corporate Compliance Programs, including the completion of baseline compliance audits and review of current operations, the imposition of compliance protocols, and compliance training for employees.
- Assisting a managed care provider evaluate the legal and regulatory risks of implementing an electronic health records systems for the use of its subscribers and beneficiaries.
- Representation of both providers and managed care organizations in the negotiation of managed care participation and provider services agreements.
- Assisting health care providers in the creation of Health Care Corporate Compliance Programs, including the completion of baseline compliance audits and review of current operations, the imposition of compliance protocols, and compliance training for employees.
Education & Admissions
Education
- Case Western Reserve University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2000
- John Carroll University, B.A., 1997
Bar and Court Admissions
- State of Ohio
- State of Colorado
- State of Michigan
Involvement
Professional Affiliations
- Colorado Bar Association (2016-Present)
- Colorado Hospital Association (2016-Present)
- American Health Lawyers Association, Member
- Society of Ohio Healthcare Attorneys, Member
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Health Care Law Section, Member
- Chair (2012-2013)
Firm Involvement
- Co-Chair, Business Law Specialty Practices Group
Awards & Honors
- Named to the Ohio Super Lawyers list (2022 – Present)
- Named Best Lawyers’ “Lawyer of the Year” in Health Care Law in Cleveland (2022) and (2024)
- Recognized by The Best Lawyers in AmericaTM in Health Care Law (2016 – Present) and Litigation-Health Care (2021 – Present)
- Named to the Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars list (2005; 2009; 2011; 2013)
Publications
- “Changing of the Guard, Part 2 – Health Care Outlook Under the Biden Administration,” Podcast Guest, Shoveling Smoke – A Frantz Ward Lawcast (March 2021)
- “Rewind, Rewind, Rewind”: The Biden Administration Reverses Numerous Trump Health Care Initiatives,” Frantz Ward Client Alert (February 2021)
- “UPDATE: The Fed Commits to Launching the Main Street Lending Program by June 1, with Significant Changes,” Frantz Ward Client Alert (May 2020)
- “Critical Care Resource Allocation Planning During COVID-19 Pandemic,” Frantz Ward Client Alert (April 2020)
- “The Main Street Lending Program. The Next Life Line for Small and Mid-Sized Businesses,” Frantz Ward Client Alert (April 2020)
- “Federal Government Expands Opportunities to Utilize Telehealth During The COVID-19 Emergency,” Frantz Ward Client Alert (March 2020)
- “Ohio Adopts a Standard Authorization Form for the Release of Patient Health Records,” Frantz Ward Client Alert (January 2019)
- “New Year, Same Old Ransomware Attacks Against Health Care Providers,” Frantz Ward Client Alert (January 2018)
- “President Trump Circumvents Congress, Seeks to Unwind Affordable Care Act,” Frantz Ward Client Alert (October 2017)
Presentations & Lectures
- “Limitations on Liability for COVID-19 Infections—Federal and State Action,” Association of Corporate Counsel, Webinar (November 2020)
- “Overview of Ohio Laws Affecting the Medical Spa Industry,” 2020 Medspa Business Academy, Columbus, OH (February 2020)
- “Health Care Issues in the Corporate World,” Association of Corporate Counsel, Cleveland, OH (August 2019)
- “HIPAA Myths,” Northeast Ohio Association of Corporate Counsel, Cleveland, OH (June 2018)
- Society of Ohio Healthcare Attorneys
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
- Northeast Ohio Health Care Association
- Ohio Health Care Association
- Ohio Academy of Nursing Homes
Media Coverage
- Quoted in, “Marijuana Program Needs Physician Buy-In,” Crain’s Cleveland Business (March 2018)
