Kathleen Duffett, RN, JD, Attorney at Law

Professional History

Kathleen began her health care career as a Registered Nurse, working primarily in the adult critical care areas of two major academic medical centers. After graduating from law school, she litigated medical malpractice and insurance defense matters for Heidell, Pittoni, Murphy & Bach, a well-regarded New York City law firm. Thereafter, she joined the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), where she represented unionized RNs in the metro NY area in labor relations and other employment matters.

Subsequent to her NYSNA employment, Kathleen joined Montefiore Medical Center as a Risk Manager. At Montefiore, she provided advice on routine and emergent medicolegal issues to all levels of staff.

Kathleen next joined KPMG as a senior health care consultant, where she focused on fraud and abuse issues. Her responsibilities included developing corporate compliance programs for health care organizations.

Kathleen acquired her managed care expertise while working at the Contract Management Organization, LLC. The CMO is a management services organization that contracts with HMOs and IPAs to handle claims processing, credentialing, provider relations, utilization review and other business operations. Initially hired as the Manager of Utilization Review, she quickly went on to become the Director of Corporate Compliance & HIPAA Privacy Officer.

In 2004, Kathleen started her own legal and health care consulting practice. The practice focuses on helping health care organizations and providers understand and meet their regulatory obligations. Her areas of expertise include fraud and abuse, HIPAA, home care operations, hospital operations, managed care and risk management.

Teaching Experience

Kathleen has been a lecturer at Pace University’s Lienhard School of Nursing Legal Nurse Consultant Certification Program since its inception in 2000. She created the health care regulation module, which provides a comprehensive overview of federal and state laws and regulations governing health care in both the public and private sectors. She has also been an instructor for Mercy College’s Legal Nurse Consultant Program.

Writing Experience

Kathleen has authored several articles on regulatory compliance issues. Here is a sampling of her articles.

  • Hitting the Ground Running- What Every New (or Wannabe) Compliance Professional Needs to Know, Health Care Compliance Association Compliance Today, Volume 8, Number 11, November 2006
  • The HIPAA Privacy Rule, Nursing Spectrum, Volume 18A, Number 20, September 25, 2006
  • Emergency Care Is a Patient’s Right – Insured or Not, Nursing Spectrum, Volume 17, Number 22, October 24, 2005 (Continuing Education Module – on line version updated July 2007)
  • Wouldn’t It Be Nice – Utilization Review Determinations, External Appeals and the Benefits of Being a Provider Covered by the New York State Access to End of Life Care Law, New York State Bar Association Health Law Journal, Volume 10, Number 1, Winter 2005
  • An Ounce of Prevention: Enhancing the Confidentiality of IPA Quality Improvement Records, New York State Bar Association Health Law Journal, Volume 9, Number 2, Spring 2004


Speaking Experience

Kathleen enjoys speaking to health care professionals about legal and regulatory matters. She welcomes invitations to speak to health care professionals about regulatory compliance issues within her areas of practice. Please contact her if you are looking for a speaker for a program or event.

Here is a partial list of Kathleen’s presentations:

  • Desperate Times, Desperate Measures – Legislation That Impacts on Case Managers, Case Management Society of America, New York City Chapter, Annual Meeting, October 2006
  • Managed Care in New York State: Current Issues and Future Trends, New York State Bar Association, September 2006 (Co-chair of program and panel moderator for 2005 revisions to NYS Department of Health managed care organization regulations)
  • Medical Necessity Denials and Provider Appeal Rights in NYS: A Primer,
    Greater New York Hospital Association, March 2005
  • Medical Necessity Denials and Provider Appeal Rights in NYS: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going, Hudson Valley HFMA Managed Care Forum, October 2004
  • HIPAA Privacy Standards: An Overview of the December 2000 Final Rule and the March 2002 Proposed Modifications, New York Association for Ambulatory Care, April 2002

Professional Memberships

Kathleen is a member of the following professional associations:

  • American Health Lawyers Association, HMOs and Health Plans Practice Group
  • New York State Bar Association, Health Law Section, Committee on Health Care Providers and Committee on Managed Care
  • Westchester Women’s Bar Association, Health and Elder Law Committee
  • Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York.

She is also a former board member of the Women’s Healthcare Network, an affiliate of the American College of Healthcare Executives

Educational Background

Kathleen is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science. She graduated magna cum laude from Boston University, where she majored in Nursing and minored in English Literature. She received her law degree from Albany Law School of Union University.