Administrative Law and the U.S. Trauma System: Life on the Ledge
Wednesday, March 18th, 2026 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Event Description
The 2026 Mehlman Lecture
This presentation will outline the elements of Frame, a Trauma System, and a Trauma Center. It will also explain the legal and regulatory operational framework of a Trauma System and a Trauma Center. It will describe the unique patient conditions a Trauma System serves, and the challenges faced by its clinical and administrative staff. It will review the governmental and legal regulatory requirements to become and maintain Trauma Center status. We will also explore the barriers to regulatory requirement compliance and the interplay between governmental legal requirements and the requirements of voluntary Trauma Center credit on programs in managing the Trauma System. Lastly, we will discuss aspects of public health law, data registry law, and administrative law.
About the Speaker
As former in-house counsel at large academic medical centers, Michelle Williams draws on her industry experience to advise on regulatory and structuring aspects of hospital mergers, acquisitions, and integrations.
She has a reputation for smoothly obtaining attorney general and federal approvals for complex transactions, and she also advises on EMTALA, QIO hearings, medical staff issues, corporate governance, and hospital authorities and districts.
Ms. Williams focuses her practice on the regulatory and structuring aspects of hospital mergers, acquisitions, and integrations. Her experience includes obtaining attorney general and federal approvals for complex transactions and/or conversion from nonprofit to for-profit status, and issues of successor liability. She also advises on corporate governance and Medical Staff governance in connection with changes of control or ownership. She represents clients undergoing CMS, EMTALA, and state surveys, Medicare terminations, and regulatory review, and advises on hospital authority law, voluntary disclosures, corporate integrity agreements, and qui tam defense.
Since 2012, Michelle has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® in Health Care Law. Chambers USA has listed Michelle as a leading health care lawyer since 2008.
Prior to joining Baker Donelson, Michelle was a commissioner on the Advisory Committee on Childhood Vaccines, advising the U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services on the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund. She was a former in-house counsel at University Hospitals of Cleveland and the former Mount Sinai Hospital and has been on-loan in-house counsel to general academic medical centers.
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Event Location
ÃÛÌÒAPP School of Law
George Gund Hall
Room A59, Moot Courtroom
