Texas Health Services Authority Selects Waller for Legal Services

AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwire - Aug 29, 2012) - Waller has been selected by the Texas Health Services Authority (THSA) to provide legal services in connection with the THSA's mission to promote and coordinate the development of an electronic health information infrastructure to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of the Texas healthcare sector while protecting patient privacy. Waller will assist THSA in creating the legal framework to establish and operate statewide Health Information Exchange (HIE) capacity in the State of Texas. 

Waller, which opened its Austin, Texas office in July 2012, is recognized as one of the largest healthcare law firms in the United States. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Waller also has an office in Birmingham, Alabama.

"Electronic health information will be increasingly critical to the delivery of high-quality and efficient healthcare services, and we are honored to be chosen to assist the THSA," said Waller partner Elizabeth N. Rogers, who will lead the engagement for the firm. "As a new firm in Texas, being entrusted by THSA with this important work underscores the national reputation of Waller's healthcare practice, our deep roster of experienced attorneys and our commitment to client service. We are very excited to have this opportunity."

Waller will assist the THSA by developing privacy and security policies for use by local HIEs to ensure compliance with federal patient privacy laws, such as HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), HITECH (the Health Information Technology for Economic Clinical Health Act), as well as Texas laws and regulations. Waller will also assist in developing authorization forms to safeguard how electronic health information can be shared among healthcare providers utilizing Texas HIEs. Additionally, Waller will assist in the development and negotiation of state-level shared service agreements between THSA and the vendors selected to develop, implement and operate the connectivity and interoperability services needed to facilitate HIEs in Texas.

About the Texas Health Services Authority
The Texas Health Services Authority, under contract with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, is responsible for coordinating the implementation of health information exchange (HIE) strategic and operational plans for the State of Texas. The THSA was created by the Texas Legislature in 2007 as a public private partnership, legally structured as a nonprofit corporation, to support the improvement of the Texas healthcare system by promoting and coordinating HIE and health information technology (HIT) throughout the state to ensure that the right information is available to the right healthcare providers at the right times. For more information, visit http://hietexas.org/about-thsa/overview

About Waller
In the evolving healthcare reform environment, Waller helps its clients focus on their primary mission: providing high-quality patient care. Providers rely on Waller's experienced attorneys for advice and counsel on physician/hospital alignment; M&A and joint ventures; financings and securities offerings; Medicare payment issues; Stark and anti-kickback compliance; electronic health records and privacy rules; and legislative and regulatory developments. Waller assists hospitals; surgery centers; imaging centers; physician practice management companies; home health and hospice providers; skilled nursing and senior living facilities; behavioral healthcare providers; urgent care centers; dialysis providers and rehabilitation facilities throughout the country. The firm is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee with offices in Birmingham, Alabama and Austin, Texas. For more information please visit www.wallerlaw.com.