Brianna Powell provides healthcare regulatory counsel to a wide range of clients, including physician groups, hospices, hospital systems, long-term care providers, and private equity firms. Brianna advises clients on an array of complex regulatory issues, including:
- Government Enforcement & Compliance – Developing and implementing compliance programs based on the elements considered necessary for a comprehensive compliance program by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines and Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) Compliance Program Guidance, including:
- Drafting and revising compliance program documents, including Codes of Conduct, policies and procedures, and forms.
- Providing advice on the reporting and repayment of overpayments, as appropriate.
- Representing clients in responding to and, if necessary, appealing the results of payor claims audits and payment suspensions arising from audits, including those performed by Recovery Auditors f/k/a Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs), Program Safeguard Contractors (PSCs) n/k/a Zone Program Integrity Contractors (ZPICs), Unified Program Integrity Contractors (UPICs), and audits conducted by the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS)-OIG Office of Audit Services (OIG-OAS).
- Healthcare Fraud & Abuse – Advising on compliance with state and federal healthcare statutes and regulations such as the Stark Law, Anti-Kickback Statute, Civil Monetary Penalties Law, and False Claims Act.
- EMTALA Matters – Representing hospitals in various matters related to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), including:
- Assisting in responding to Statements of Deficiencies, including immediate jeopardy findings, and preparing Plans of Correction to address the cited deficiencies.
- Representing hospitals in EMTALA reviews conducted by Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) and HHS-OIG, including preparation of written submissions and meeting presentations.
- Advising on day-to-day regulatory and operational matters that implicate EMTALA, including policy development, contracting, and risk management.
- Contracting, Regulatory & Operational Matters – Counseling on healthcare operations and compliance, such as fraud and abuse, reimbursement, patient care, quality, and risk management issues.
- Transactions – Providing advice on regulatory and compliance issues arising in healthcare mergers and acquisitions.
In addition to her work for healthcare clients, Brianna is actively involved in a number of the firm’s pro bono initiatives, including representing families in adoption proceedings and working with children relocated to Tennessee to establish Special Immigration Juvenile Status (SIJS).
Prior to joining Bass, Berry & Sims, Brianna served as a law clerk to the Honorable Julia Smith Gibbons of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (2015–2016) and to the Honorable Bernice Bouie Donald for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (2016–2017). During law school, Brianna served as an intern for the Honorable Judge Susan K. Lee with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Brianna earned her law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law and a B.S. in psychology and Spanish from Loyola University in New Orleans.
