Defending Cases in the COVID-19 Era & Beyond

Covid-19 has impacted all aspects of healthcare, including the defense of health-related claims. This presentation will explore the overall impact of Covid-19 on the healthcare industry and the defense of healthcare providers. It will address the effect of Covid-19 on risk management and the need for provider protocols and procedures to address the ever-changing landscape relating to Covid-19. Additionally, the presentation will speak to the defense of direct liability claims, as well as the impact of state and federal protections and immunity for healthcare providers. It will also review the tangential effects of Covid-19 on medical claims and cases. In addition, the speakers will comment on the perception shift in attitudes of potential jurors toward healthcare defendants. Finally, the presentation will address how courthouse closures have affected the ability to get cases to trial and what this means going forward.

Featured Speakers

	Jennifer Kope is a Director of Claims, Professional Liability with BETA Healthcare Group. She is responsible for management and oversight of liability claims for BETA’s risk-sharing pool and risk retention group. Since 1999, she has been defending and handling medical professional liability, employment practices liability and general liability claims, both as a defense lawyer and as a claims professional. Before joining BETA in 2015, she was a partner with a large national insurance defense law firm, specializing in medical professional liability and employment practices liability litigation. In 2013 and 2014 she was named a San Diego Super Lawyer in Defense Medical Malpractice. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, San Diego, a Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law, and a LL.M. from the University of Miami, School of law. In addition to being a lawyer, she is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management (CPHRM). She is a member of SCARHM, CSHRM and WCHRMS.
	Nick Rauch is an attorney at Larson King, LLP in St. Paul, Minnesota. Nick focuses his practice in professional liability defense for healthcare and youth services professionals. Specifically, Nick represents a wide variety of professionals in defense of healthcare malpractice claims, licensing and ethical board disputes, and claims against foster care and youth home providers. Nick is licensed in Minnesota, Iowa, and North Dakota.
	Thomas M. Rockwell is a practicing attorney and member of Rockwell & Kaufman, L.L.C. For more than twenty years he has specialized in complex litigation with an emphasis on medical malpractice, products liability, medical device and insurance defense. Thomas has represented numerous public entities and private corporations during his career. For much of his practice he has handled complex matters throughout the nation, particularly in the southeast region where he had served as national litigation counsel for healthcare insurers and providers.

Continuing Legal Education

Continuing Legal Education credit is not offered for this program. Should you need credit, we will be happy to supply you with course materials and a record of attendance to allow you to self-report your credit.

Mission Level Sponsor

Our sincere thanks to our mission level sponsor, Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company. We are very thankful for their continued support of and involvement in the association.