Beacon Partners and Ropes & Gray Form Strategic Business Alliance

Beacon and Ropes & Gray will offer joint comprehensive HIPAA compliance services

Norwell, MA – November 7, 2001 – Beacon Partners, Inc., a leading national provider of health care management consulting services, announced today that it has signed a teaming agreement with Ropes & Gray of Boston, to provide comprehensive HIPAA compliance services to the healthcare industry.

Established in 1865, Ropes & Gray is one of the preeminent U.S. law firms, serving businesses throughout the nation and the world. With more than 450 lawyers, Ropes & Gray creates solutions to complex legal problems across a wide range of disciplines, from offices in Boston, New York, San Francisco, Providence, and Washington, D.C., and from its conference center in London. The firm’s health law practice is noted for the corporate strategic advice it has dispensed over the last 20 years.

Since the passage of HIPAA, members of the health law practice have been analyzing the progress of the HIPAA privacy standards and advising clients on HIPAA matters, including integrated delivery systems, academic medical centers, health plans, community hospitals, pharmacies, and disease management companies. Specific advice has centered on election of single covered entity status, organized health care arrangement issues, the approach to research issues, and the identification of the health care component within hybrid entities, as well as developing assessment questionnaires and working with HIPAA compliance task forces.

“Beacon is honored to be chosen by Ropes & Gray as a strategic partner for HIPAA compliance services,” says Charles R. Anastos, Jr., Vice President of Business Development for Beacon Partners. “Ropes & Gray is a perfect complement to Beacon, given the in-depth knowledge of federal and state privacy laws, informed consent, privilege, and disclosure issues possessed by the firm. Together, Beacon and Ropes & Gray offer knowledge and experience unrivaled in the industry on the legal, operational, and technical aspects of the HIPAA legislation.”

“Ropes & Gray selected Beacon Partners based on its depth of knowledge of HIPAA and its IT consulting experience,” says Michele Garvin, a partner at Ropes & Gray. “We are pleased to be collaborating with such a well regarded health care management consulting firm. Working together with Beacon, we will be able to provide integrated legal, technical, and operational advice to our clients concerning HIPAA matters.”

For more information, please call Charles Anastos at Beacon Partners at 1-800-4BEACON, or Michele Garvin at 617-951-7000.

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About Beacon
Beacon Partners, Inc. -- a leading national provider of health care management consulting services -- is focused on the delivery and deployment of strategic, technology, HIPAA and operational solutions to health care organizations. Experienced consultants deliver measurable results, sound methodologies and realistic recommendations. Clients who have benefited from its solutions include hospitals, IDNs, MCOs, academic medical centers and physician practices.

Information about Beacon Partners and its management consulting services and technical solutions can be found on the World Wide Web at www.beaconpartners.com.

About Ropes & Gray
Ropes & Gray is a national law firm serving the needs of businesses throughout the country and the world. Our more than 450 lawyers provide comprehensive legal services from Boston, New York, Providence, Washington, D.C., and facilities in London. Clients include large and small companies, financial institutions, government agencies, hospitals and health care organizations, colleges and universities, and families and individuals. Ropes & Gray has a nationally recognized health law practice and represents academic medical centers, multi-provider networks, community hospitals, physician organizations, managed care organizations and a wide variety of proprietary and nonprofit specialty providers.

Contact:
Charles R. Anastos, Jr.
Vice President, Business Development
Beacon Partners, Inc.
(781) 982-8400
cra@beaconpartners.com

Contact:
Michele M. Garvin, J.D.
Partner
Ropes & Gray
(617) 951-7000
mgarvin@ropesgray.com

Posted to HIPAAcomply 11/8/01