Coppersmith Brockelman’s Karen Owens gave two talks at the Arizona Health Information Management Association’s (AzHIMA) annual meeting, covering the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Anti-Discrimination Provisions and documentation for transgender patients.

In the first talk, Karen discussed Section 1557 of the ACA, the first anti-discrimination law directly aimed at health care-related institutions and programs. Karen covered specific provisions affecting health information management professionals.

Her second talk covered transgender documentation. Karen explored the complex issues involved in communications and documentation of names, gender, coding, and related information for transgender patients.

Karen has extensive experience representing health care systems, hospitals, clinics, and other providers in clinical operations matters, including quality management, medical staff credentialing and peer review, confidentiality, and state and federal government regulation and reporting.  She also advises clients daily on patient-related legal issues.

AzHIMA is Arizona’s chapter of the American Health Information Management Association. With more than 800 members, AzHIMA provides continuing education for health information management professionals.