Allyson K. Tysinger 2021-01-22 10:56:45
As the chair of the Health Law Section Virginia State Bar Board of Governors, I am pleased to introduce this edition of Virginia Lawyer, which highlights the work of members of the Health Law Section. While the pandemic has likely touched all of us in our practice of law, it has truly consumed those of us who practice health law. Thus, it is not surprising that the articles included in this edition have a COVID-19 focus. This issue addresses the work of the Office of the Attorney General in assisting the Commonwealth in its response to the public health emergency, the expansion of telemedicine during the pandemic, the emergency workplace standards of the Department of Labor and Industry that were the first such standards in the nation related to COVID-19, liability risks faced by longterm care facilities due to COVID-19, and a proposal for pre-disposition mitigation of traffic offenses to minimize court appearances to protect public health.
As the vaccines for COVID-19 begin to roll out, there is much to look forward to in 2021. National Healthcare Decisions Day is April 16, and this is a great time to not only assist clients with preparing advance directives, but to also prepare your own. You can find information from the Health Law Section on advance directives, as well as free forms, on the Bar’s website.
In addition, the Health Law Section is excited to present a CLE at the 82nd Annual Meeting scheduled to be held virtually on June 14-15, 2021. The CLE, titled Natural Questions about Artificial Intelligence: Addressing the Promise and Limitations of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare, will explain how artificial intelligence is being used in healthcare and offer a variety of perspectives on how clinicians and attorneys are addressing emerging legal issues. We hope to see you there.
In the meantime, we wish you all good health and a reminder to wash your hands, wear your masks,and stay six feet apart.
Allyson K. Tysinger is a Senior Assistant Attorney General and Chief of the Health Services Section of the Office of the Attorney General. She and the nine attorneys of the Health Services Section serve as agency counsel to the Department of Health, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, the Department of Health Professions, the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired, and the Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Her practice is focused on public health and disability law.
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