Cara Dermody
Associate
Cara Dermody is an associate in the firm’s health care practice group. She provides regulatory, transactional, and compliance advice to clients across the health care industry, including hospitals and health systems, universities and medical schools, managed care organizations, pharmaceutical and medical device companies, and digital health companies.
Cara has experience advising clients on a variety of matters, including corporate structure and governance, university-hospital relationships, privacy and data security, clinical research, and compliance with state laws governing licensure and professional practice. She has worked on an array of transactions, including academic affiliations, private equity deals, joint ventures, and other strategic combinations.
Cara also maintains an active pro bono practice focused on family and immigration law. She has represented clients successfully in guardianship and child support proceedings.
During law school, Cara interned at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Office of General Counsel and the National Partnership for Women and Families. She also served as an executive editor for the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law and received a joint degree in bioethics.
Experience
- Advised clients on a variety of strategic transactions, including assistance with the combination of two large health plans.
- Advised health systems and research organizations in HIPAA compliance, including the development of policies and procedures and compliance with breach notification obligations.
- Advised academic medical center in connection with the reorganization of its clinical and academic enterprises.
- Advised clients on change of ownership and license transfer requirements applicable to a range of licensed health care entities, including senior living facilities and insurance entities.
- Developed health care regulatory training and compliance program materials.
- Advised private equity clients and other strategic investors on health care regulatory and privacy implications of transactions with health care targets, including a digital health company, revenue. cycle management company, a management services organization, and a network of physician group practices.
- Advised provider networks on formation and corporate governance matters.
- Advised academic medical center on fraud and abuse considerations in connection with its affiliation with a neighboring hospital.
- Advised academic medical center in the formation of an accountable care organization participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program.
Publications
- Co-author, “Post-Dobbs HHS Guidance Brings Privacy Considerations,” Law360 (July 29, 2022)
- Co-author, “Delaware's amendments apply market-out exception to appraisal rights for Section 251(h) mergers,” International Law Office Corporate Finance/M&A Newsletter (April 3, 2019)
- Co-author, “HHS is Embracing a Broader Vision of Health Care,” Law360 (February 21, 2019)
- Co-author, “A Look Inside CMS' New Medicare Shared Savings Program,” Law360 (January 14, 2019)
- Co-author, “Future MACRA Concerns For Hospitals And Health Systems,” Law360 (November, 22, 2017)
- Co-author, “Health Care in the Two Americas: Findings from the Scorecard on State Health System Performance for Low-Income Populations,” The Commonwealth Fund (September 18, 2013)
- Co-author, “How the Affordable Care Act Supports a High-Performing Safety Net,” The Commonwealth Fund Blog Post (January 16, 2012)
- Co-author, “Ensuring Equity: A Post-Reform Framework to Achieve High Performance Health Care for Vulnerable Populations,” The Commonwealth Fund (October 7, 2011)
Education
- JD, University of Pennsylvania Law School, 2016; Pro Bono Service Award for Exceptional Service; executive editor, University of Pennsylvania Law School Journal of Constitutional Law
- MA (Bioethics), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 2016
- MPA, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, 2013
- BA (History of Science, History of Medicine), Yale University, 2009
Admissions / Qualifications
Qualifications
- District of Columbia, 2022
- Pennsylvania, 2022
- Massachusetts, 2016