Photo of Stephanie S. Sobkowiak

Stephanie Sobkowiak is a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee, Co-Chair of the Firm's Health Care Practice Group and prior Chair of the Firm’s Regulatory Department.  Stephanie’s practice includes representation of health systems, hospitals, physicians, physician groups and other clients in the health care industry. Her practice includes assisting those clients with a wide range of compliance, regulatory, managed care, risk management and reimbursement issues, including fraud and abuse, payor contracts, medical staff and credentialing matters, Certificates of Need and HIPAA and related security breaches.

Stephanie has experience assisting health care clients with a wide variety of contracts, from physician and physician extender employment agreements to service agreements and medical staff bylaws and related documents. She has negotiated numerous managed care agreements and counseled clients on a variety of issues related to payor relationships. She has drafted and negotiated numerous purchase and sale transactions for health care clients. She has also worked with physicians and other practitioners involved in matters before the Department of Public Health and with other health care providers involved in a variety of Medicare/Medicaid matters. She has lectured on meaningful use of electronic health records and general medical records issues as well as various other CMS and state law requirements.

Beginning her legal career as an associate in the Firm’s Corporate and Health Care Departments, Stephanie also worked with Jeffers Cowherd P.C. where she practiced health care as well as promotions and marketing law. Her promotions and marketing practice includes client counseling, contract negotiation and preparation of sweepstakes and contest rules, including campaigns run through social media.

Stephanie received her B.S. summa cum laude from the University of Delaware and received her J.D. from Boston College Law School.

Connecticut’s legislature has amended the state’s physician noncompete law to provide for additional restrictions on physician noncompete agreements. (Public Act No. 23-97). In addition, Connecticut has extended noncompete restrictions to advanced practice registered nurses (nurse practitioners) and physician assistants. Governor Lamont is expected to sign the amendment, but has not yet done so.

In response to COVID-19 vaccination mandates and employer-mandated vaccination policies, federal agencies continue to issue guidance.  The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) have released additional guidance addressing common employer concerns regarding vaccination status, discrimination, and reasonable accommodations.
Continue Reading Handling COVID-19 Vaccination Mandates: Federal Agencies Continue to Issue Guidance

On January 21, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety. The order directed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to take action to reduce the risk that workers may contract COVID-19 in the workplace. On June 10, 2021, OSHA announced a highly-anticipated Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) setting forth steps that employers in the healthcare industry must take to protect workers from COVID-19 risks while the pandemic is ongoing. The ETS will become effective 14 days after it is formally published in the Federal Register.
Continue Reading OSHA Announces COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard for Healthcare Industry