LEGAL CARE – MEDICAL CARE

Many of my clients are not aware of the medico-legal component of Ronald Zack Law PLC.  Since becoming an attorney in 2004, I have incorporated medico-legal consulting into my practice Legal Care – Medical Care.  Initially, I worked as an associate in a California firm representing doctors and hospitals in medical malpractice cases.  Over the years, I have represented medical professionals in disciplinary actions, reviewed records and consulted on personal injury cases, and provided education to medical professionals on documentation, risk reduction, and other areas of legal concern.

In 2008, when I began to focus my practice on estate planning and probate litigation, I did (and still do) a considerable amount of community education regarding health care directives, health care powers of attorney, living wills, patient and family rights in the health care system, and long-term care planning.  I am always available to speak to groups concerning these issues, which I consider crucial to legal care.

I have always viewed legal issues as important to health care.  Legal problems are a category of concerns often referred to as social determinants of health.  Legal issues can have a huge impact on your individual physical health.  I first recognized this when I worked in hospice, even before I attended law school.  I worked as an RN for a local Tucson hospice.  The hospice interdisciplinary team had a physician, nurse, social worker, bereavement counselor, home health aide, and chaplain, but no one knowledgeable in the myriad of legal issues that often arise at the time.  I observed that while we were so good at managing physical, psychological, and spiritual issues, we were not good at addressing legal concerns people often have near the end of life.

I am fortunate to have a strong background in both healthcare and law.  I have been a registered nurse for over 30 years and an attorney for over 15 years.  During my time maintaining a full-time law practice, I have worked part-time as a nurse in hospice, geriatric psychiatry, and addiction.  Currently, I work part-time as a family nurse practitioner, often dealing directly with medical issues related to aging, death and dying.  In addition to my law degree and my legal certification in trusts and estates, I have a master’s degree in nursing education, and I am a board-certified family nurse practitioner.  As part of my law practice, I continue to offer medico-legal consulting as I have since 2004.

I consider legal and medical care closely entwined.  At Ronald Zack Law, we understand that relationship and provide holistic legal care.  We can help with guardianships, conservatorships, estate and trust administration, long-term care planning, wills, trusts, and powers of attorney.  And if you have questions or issues relating to the intersection of medical and legal issues, we can help.