Regulation of Health Care Professionals

Written by law professor David Pate and edited by practitioner Robert Corrigan, Regulation of Health Care Professionals combines public policy, case law and statutory law to offer readers an in-depth understanding of the regulatory framework applicable to health care. As a practicing physician, attorney, health care system executive and adjunct faculty member at Baylor College of Medicine and University of Houston, Pate observed that students today are not satisfactorily prepared for careers in health law. Most students only complete an introductory course in general law before beginning their law careers. Pate's Regulation of Health Care Professionals gives law schools the opportunity to offer an advanced course that addresses the state and federal regulation of health care professionals. A course utilizing this text will help prepare a student seeking a career in health care, whether that student decides to represent physicians, hospitals, payers, or patients in a variety of capacities.

Pate's book has four other very important uses. It serves as an excellent reference for current health care law professionals (including non-attorneys such as health care executives and corporate compliance officers), especially since many states are now considering a board certification in the field of health law. The book is also useful to health care attorneys seeking such certification, as the regulation of health care professionals would most certainly be an important component of such an exam. Third, Health Law: Regulation of Health Care Professionals will assist attorneys practicing in other areas of law who wish to familiarize themselves with the issues pertinent to health care law. Finally, portions of this book may be used to teach health law in health care administration master's degree programs.

"Pate's book will have multiple audiences and serve as a useful desk reference for lawyers as well as health care professionals. It will be an excellent reference for current health care law professionals, especially since many states are now considering a board certification in the field of health law." — Bimonthly Review of Law Books, January/February 2003