• Long Term Care, Retirement and Assisted Living Facilities
• Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded (ICF-MRs)
• Home Health Care
• Hospice
• Physicians / Health Care Professionals
• Health Clinics
• General Counsel Program

* The firm's attorneys are not certified in health law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization

Garlo Ward represents a broad spectrum of long term care clients, from small family owned and operated businesses to some of the largest long term care providers in the country. We have represented facilities in Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Oklahoma and South Carolina.

We assist providers in the often-confusing activities of obtaining governmental permits, licenses and reimbursement contracts (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, managed care contracts, and other governmental reimbursement sources). We defend allegations of noncompliance with state and federal regulations made during facilities’ surveys and help our clients develop and implement procedures to achieve consistently favorable survey results. See Garlo Ward Survey Survival Guide.

Health care is becoming increasingly regulated, with stronger and stronger penalties for alleged violations. We help our clients implement state and federal regulations, including HIPAA.

We help health care providers to determine the best legal structure for their businesses and to implement that structuring. We assist with the sale or purchase of facilities and ancillary businesses, properties or equipment. We handle contracting matters between health care professionals and facilities, their vendors or payors; and prepare, review or revise operational policy and practice manuals.

Our litigation practice ranges from handling legal disputes in federal and state courts to assisting providers with filing, managing or defending disputes before federal and state administrative agencies. We are also equipped to deal with the criminal or quasi-criminal aspects that sometimes arise in governmental litigation.

As private disputes may arise between our clients and the individuals or businesses with whom they transact business, we also assist in defending or pursuing legal action, where necessary, to resolve such disputes. Our general litigation practice includes matters involving premises liability, Deceptive Trade Practices Act violations, suits to collect on bonds, contract claims and similar commercial litigation matters.

We are always mindful of the costs involved in litigation. We work closely with clients to informally resolve such legal actions in a productive manner, through settlement, negotiation, mediation and arbitration, as applicable and appropriate.

Health care is a people business. As a result, providers often have many employees and related employment concerns.

We work closely with clients on issues ranging from assisting with recruiting, contracting and policy and practice matters. We help our clients to reasonably and smoothly terminate employment situations when necessary.

We assist employers to prepare and revise employee handbooks or personnel policies and procedures, as well as assist in employee training matters. We also provide employer defense in matters brought before federal or state agencies.

ICF-MRs and other Providers of Services for those with Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities

We help for profit and not for profit organizations that provide services to those with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities.

We assist providers in the often-confusing activities of obtaining governmental permits, licenses and reimbursement contracts (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, managed care contracts, and other governmental reimbursement sources). We defend allegations of noncompliance with state and federal regulations made during facilities’ surveys and help our clients develop and implement procedures to achieve consistently favorable survey results.

Health care is becoming increasingly regulated, with stronger and stronger penalties for alleged violations. We help our clients implement state and federal regulations, including HIPAA.

We help health care providers to determine the best legal structure for their businesses and to implement that structuring. We assist with the sale or purchase of facilities and ancillary businesses, properties or equipment. We handle contracting matters between health care professionals and facilities, their vendors or payors; and prepare, review or revise operational policy and practice manuals.

Our litigation practice ranges from handling legal disputes in federal and state courts to assisting providers with filing, managing or defending disputes before federal and state administrative agencies. We are also equipped to deal with the criminal or quasi-criminal aspects that sometimes arise in governmental litigation.

As private disputes may arise between our clients and the individuals or businesses with whom they transact business, we also assist in defending or pursuing legal action, where necessary, to resolve such disputes. Our general litigation practice includes matters involving premises liability, Deceptive Trade Practices Act violations, suits to collect on bonds, contract claims and similar commercial litigation matters.

We are always mindful of the costs involved in litigation. We work closely with clients to informally resolve such legal actions in a productive manner, through settlement, negotiation, mediation and arbitration, as applicable and appropriate.

Health care is a people business. As a result, providers often have many employees and related employment concerns.

We work closely with clients on issues ranging from assisting with recruiting, contracting and policy and practice matters. We help our clients to reasonably and smoothly terminate employment situations when necessary.

We assist employers to prepare and revise employee handbooks or personnel policies and procedures, as well as assist in employee training matters. We also provide employer defense in matters brought before federal or state agencies.

We assist home health care agencies to comply with the state and federal regulations and clinical standards of care that govern their operation. To be reimbursed by Medicare or Medicaid, home health agencies must meet strict requirements established by the federal Health Care Financing Administration. We help clients to prepare for and to respond to the periodic unannounced audits by the state Department of Public Health.

We help health care providers to determine the best legal structure for their businesses and to implement that structuring. We assist with the sale or purchase of agencies and properties or equipment. We handle contracting matters between home health care agencies and their vendors or payors; and prepare, review or revise operational policy and practice manuals.

Our litigation practice ranges from handling legal disputes in federal and state courts to assisting providers with filing, managing or defending disputes before federal and state administrative agencies. We are also equipped to deal with the criminal or quasi-criminal aspects that sometimes arise in governmental litigation.

As private disputes may arise between our clients and the individuals or businesses with whom they transact business, we also assist in defending or pursuing legal action, where necessary, to resolve such disputes. Our general litigation practice includes matters involving premises liability, Deceptive Trade Practices Act violations, suits to collect on bonds, contract claims and similar commercial litigation matters.

Health care is a people business. As a result, providers often have many employees and related employment concerns.

We work closely with clients on issues ranging from assisting with recruiting, contracting and policy and practice matters. We help our clients to reasonably and smoothly terminate employment situations when necessary.

We assist employers to prepare and revise employee handbooks or personnel policies and procedures, as well as assist in employee training matters. We also provide employer defense in matters brought before federal or state agencies.

We understand the specific legal issues that may arise in the delivery of hospice care.

We assist providers of hospice care to comply with the Medicare conditions to qualify them for payment under Medicaid. We defend allegations of noncompliance with state and federal regulations made during surveys and help our clients develop and implement procedures to achieve consistently favorable survey results.

Health care is becoming increasingly regulated, with stronger and stronger penalties for alleged violations. We help our clients implement state and federal regulations, including HIPAA.

We help health care providers to determine the best legal structure for their businesses and to implement that structuring. We assist with the sale or purchase or rental of equipment. We handle contracting matters between providers of hospice care and other health care providers; and providers of hospice care and their vendors or payors. We prepare, review or revise operational policy and practice manuals.

Our litigation practice ranges from handling legal disputes in federal and state courts to assisting providers with filing, managing or defending disputes before federal and state administrative agencies. We are also equipped to deal with the criminal or quasi-criminal aspects that sometimes arise in governmental litigation.

As private disputes may arise between our clients and the individuals or businesses with whom they transact business, we also assist in defending or pursuing legal action, where necessary, to resolve such disputes. Our general litigation practice includes matters involving premises liability, Deceptive Trade Practices Act violations, suits to collect on bonds, contract claims and similar commercial litigation matters.

We are always mindful of the costs involved in litigation. We work closely with clients to informally resolve such legal actions in a productive manner, through settlement, negotiation, mediation and arbitration, as applicable and appropriate.

Garlo Ward P.C. frequently assists physicians and other healthcare professionals with the wide range of legal issues that arise in the practice of their profession, including:

We represent physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and other licensed professionals in responding to complaints filed against them alleging professional misconduct, substandard care, and criminal conduct. We represent physicians before the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners and other health care entities.

We assist physicians with medical practice formation, physician employment agreements, mergers and sales, practice buy-in arrangements, dissolution of corporations and partnerships, managed care contracting, physician/hospital agreements, independent contractor and consulting contracts, employment agreements and other issues.

We assist physicians in today’s heavily regulated environment. Our work in this area includes developing HIPAA compliance programs, structuring transactions for compliance with federal fraud and abuse and "Stark" laws; state anti-kickback and self-referral laws; defense of Medicare and Medicaid suspension actions and internal audits by entities such as Medicare.

We understand the specific legal issues that arise in the operation of a health clinic, especially the challenge of delivering quality, cost-effective health care in under served rural areas. We help our clients with business matters, regulatory compliance, litigation and any issues that arise in the course of their business.