The Health Law and Policy Alumni Advisory Council is comprised of prominent WCL alumni in the health law and policy community.
Sonali Gunawardhana听is Assistant General Counsel-Regulatory Law at Cardinal Health. In this role, she provides regulatory and legal support to Cardinal Health鈥檚 businesses including both pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing and distribution.听She is also a听Health Law and Policy Program Adjunct Professor.听
Nicholas Alarif is Partner at McDermott, Will and Emery LLP, where he听focuses his practice on healthcare regulatory and fraud and abuse matters, including the physician self-referral law (Stark Law), False Claims Act (FCA), the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute and other healthcare compliance matters. He also advises clients on the complex legal and factual issues surrounding Medicare Parts A鈥揇 reimbursement and other Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) payment policies. He is also a听Health Law and Policy Program Adjunct Professor.听
Sarig Armenian is the Director of Compliance for Acuity Eye Group. She is听an experienced healthcare compliance attorney with a demonstrated history of working in health care, government, and the private sector. She is certified in healthcare compliance (CHC) with expertise in compliance program development and management in both long-term and acute (hospital) care settings.
Julie Barnes is Founder and Principal of Maverick Health Policy, a consulting firm that provides strategic advice about federal digital health policy. As a former litigator and regulatory attorney, Capitol Hill staffer, and think tank health care program leader, she offers expert analysis about interoperability, price transparency, data privacy, artificial intelligence, and related matters to help traditional health care entities and technology companies with their business decisions. She was the long-time chairperson of the American Health Lawyers Association Health Reform Educational Task Force and Editor-in-Chief of a legal textbook on managed care. 听
David Berger is a Senior Managing Director (Partner) at Ankura. He has over 20 years of strategic leadership experience and has served as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for several life sciences companies. David has regularly advised numerous boards of directors and C-suite executives on legal, compliance, ethics and regulatory matters, both prospectively and in response to governmental actions. He has also assisted in the development of strategy and action plans with respect to governmental actions, has advised on interactions with the U.S. Congress, DOJ, FTC, FDA, and DEA, and has appeared before each of these as well.
Vanessa Burrows is Counsel at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. 听She advises pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, healthcare and technology companies, hospitals and other providers in connection with regulatory and compliance needs, as well as in connection with M&A and capital-raising transactions. She has extensive experience counseling clients with respect to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance, health privacy, security and breach issues, fraud and abuse compliance, pharmacy law, cannabis and hemp laws, and public health matters, including medical countermeasures, emergency preparedness, and quarantine and isolation.
Leo serves as Vice President and Head of US Government Affairs at Novartis. He leads engagement with policymakers and other stakeholders at the federal, state and local levels.听He is a听Trustee for the Pharmaceutical Industry-Labor Management Association and is Chairman of the Healthcare Institute of New Jersey. Prior to Novartis, Leo was at PhRMA, a government relations firm and an international law firm where he represented clients in health care, transportation, and energy. Leo holds a JD from 小蓝视频 (小蓝视频) and is a member of the District听of Columbia and Maryland Bars. He听also earned a MA from 小蓝视频 and BA from George Washington University
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Maria Ghazal is President and CEO of the Healthcare Leadership Council, the leading healthcare industry association representing all segments of American healthcare. Ms. Ghazal previously was Senior Vice President and Counsel for Business Roundtable (BRT), an association representing the CEOs of America鈥檚 top companies. Prior to joining the Business Roundtable, Ms. Ghazal was Director of Health Policy at the American Benefits Council. Her career began as an aide to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY). Ms. Ghazal earned a law degree from 小蓝视频, a master鈥檚 degree in public policy from Georgetown University鈥檚 McCourt School of Public Policy and a bachelor鈥檚 degree from Bates College. 听She is a member of the Massachusetts and District of Columbia Bar Associations.
Jacob (Jake) Harper is听a Partner at Morgan Lewis听in Washington, DC. 听Jake is a national thought-leader in the growing field of digital health and advises a variety of clients on telehealth licensure, reimbursement, and compliance issues.听 In addition, he represents physicians, post-acute care providers, and other healthcare industry stakeholders on internal audits, fraud and abuse, and reimbursement matters, including False Claims Act investigations and administrative appeals.听 Jake also represents providers in connection with regulatory considerations in healthcare transaction matters.
Joel L. Michaels retired as a partner with the international law firm of McDermott, Will and Emery LLP where he was the partner in charge of the firm's Washington, D.C. Health Industry Advisory Group. In this role, he worked with health plans, health insurers, and health maintenance organizations on federal regulatory issues affecting health care coverage and health care delivery including the requirements under the Affordable Care Act. He has also served as an adjunct professor at 小蓝视频WCL and at Arizona State University Sandra Day O鈥機onnor College of Law.
Adanwimo (Ada)听Okafor assuming the dual roles of General Counsel and Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer (CDEIO) at the American Board of Surgery. In her role as general counsel, she听leads the legal department and oversees the organization's legal, compliance, ethics and enterprise risk management functions. In her role as CDEIO, she leverages data analytics, coaching, facilitated discussions, workshops, and educational training to promote diversity within the house of surgery, cultivate a culture of belonging, and foster employee well-being, innovation, productivity and retention.
Corrine Propas Parver retired as a partner with Dickstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky in 2004 and then launched 小蓝视频WCL鈥檚 Health Law and Policy Project, Health Law Summer Institute, and Health Law and Policy Specialization for the Law and Government LL.M. Program. She is a member of the Holy Cross Health and HCH Foundation Boards and Women Lawyers on Guard. She received 小蓝视频WCL鈥檚 Women and the Law Leadership Award in 2012.
Gia Sullivan is an experienced healthcare compliance professional, having led organizational change at pharmaceutical/biotechnology firms such as Pfizer, Genentech/Roche, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Gia鈥檚 most recent work experience was as Director of Compliance Operations at Pfizer where she was responsible for听building, leading, and optimizing in-house compliance operations and enterprise risk management.听Gia is a legal/compliance subject matter expert in FDA regulations related to healthcare fraud and abuse, compliance program development, healthcare Anti-Kickback and Anti-Corruption laws, Sunshine Act/Aggregate Spend, Medical Affairs activities, clinical studies and informed consent. Gia is proud to be one of the founding editors-in-chief of the WCL Health Law & Policy Brief.听
Megan Tinker is the Chief of Staff of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Inspector General (OIG). As the Chief of Staff, Ms. Tinker serves as the Deputy Inspector General for OIG鈥檚 Immediate Office, where she oversees OIG鈥檚 Office of Congressional Affairs, Office of Communications, and Office of Operations. Ms. Tinker joined OIG in 2004 as a Senior Associate Counsel in the Office of Counsel to the Inspector General. During her tenure with OIG, Ms. Tinker assumed increasingly important leadership responsibilities, including Senior Advisor for Legal Affairs and Assistant Inspector General for the Office of Audit Services. Prior to OIG, Ms. Tinker was in the private practice of law and worked for several years as a congressional oversight staffer. Ms. Tinker graduated cum laude from 小蓝视频, Washington College of Law and with honors from the University of Richmond.
Anna Watterson is the Sr. Director, Enterprise Risk Management in the Office of the General Counsel at听Sutter Health.听She is responsible for developing, implementing and maturing ERM for the entire Sutter Health system. She oversees various risk management activities to provide leaders with a holistic view of the most significant risks facing Sutter Health. She has experience at a law firm, in-house, and at HHS. She is also a听Health Law and Policy Program Adjunct Professor.听
For further information, please contact Professor Asha Scielzo at scielzo@wcl.american.edu.
