Lara Cartwright-Smith

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Bio

Lara Cartwright-Smith is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management and Program Director for the MPH in Health Policy. She teaches PUBH 6012 (Fundamentals of Health Policy) and PUBH 3135W (Health Policy), and directs the practicum for MPH in Health Policy students. In addition, Professor Cartwright-Smith maintains a research portfolio focusing on legal issues related to health system reform, particularly policies to facilitate the use and exchange of health information while protecting privacy. She co-directs the Health Information & the Law project (www.healthinfolaw.org), which aims to inform and empower providers, consumers, payers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to understand and navigate federal and state laws and regulations that may be perceived or real barriers to health system transformation.

An interest in applied ethics, particularly bioethics and social justice, first drew Professor Cartwright-Smith to law school and informs her health policy work at GW SPH. Past research projects have focused on equity, health care quality, and health system change. As co-author of a chartbook on racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care, Professor Cartwright-Smith helped to create a substantial resource for students, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners.

Before joining GW SPH as research staff in 2006 (becoming a faculty member in 2008), Professor Cartwright-Smith practiced law in a small, public-interest law firm in Washington that specialized in environmental and civil rights litigation. She has also been a law clerk for a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice and a staff attorney for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. At law school, she helped to launch the Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law, and served as an editor of its first volume.

Expertise

Expertise:

Health Law

Health Policy

Health Reform

Health Information Technology

Education:

Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy), Bates College, 1997

Juris Doctor, Georgetown University Law School, 2000

Master of Public Health (Health Policy), School of Public Health and Health Services, The George Washington University, 2008

Teaching:

PubH 6012 - Fundamentals of Health Policy

PubH 3135W - Health Policy

PubH 6305 - Fundamentals for Health Policy: Public Health and Health Care

Research

Research:

Professor Cartwright-Smith's work focuses on the legal barriers to health system reform and facilitating the use of health information while protecting privacy. She co-directs the Health Information & the Law project (www.healthinfolaw.org), which aims to inform and empower providers, consumers, payers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to understand and navigate federal and state laws and regulations that may be perceived or real barriers to health system transformation. Other research projects include creation of a state law database for economics researchers and creation of a legal and ethical framework for patient-centered outcomes research.

Publications

Publications:

Cartwright-Smith L, Gray E, Thorpe JH. “Pennsylvania Law and Policy Governing the Confidentiality of Substance Use Treatment Information: Challenges and Opportunities.” November 2019.

Thorpe JH, Cartwright-Smith L, Gray E, Mongeon M. “Legal and Ethical Architecture for PCOR Data,” September 28, 2018.

Cartwright-Smith L, Thorpe JH, Mongeon M. “Advanced Use of Health Information Technology to Support New Models of Care (Trendwatch Issue Brief #4).” American Hospital Association. July 2018.

Cartwright-Smith L, Thorpe JH, Mongeon M. “Improving Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality through Health IT (Trendwatch Issue Brief #3).” American Hospital Association. July 2018.

Cartwright-Smith L, Thorpe JH, Mongeon M. “Sharing Health Information for Treatment (Trendwatch Issue Brief #2).” American Hospital Association. March 2018.

Cartwright-Smith L, Thorpe JH, Mongeon M. “Expanding Electronic Patient Engagement (Trendwatch Issue Brief #1).” American Hospital Association. March 2018.

Thorpe JH, Gray E, Cartwright-Smith L, “Information Sharing in Medical-Legal Partnerships: Foundational Concepts and Resources,” National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership. August 2017.

Thorpe JH, Cartwright-Smith L, Gray E. “Legal and Ethical Framework for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research,” Submitted to HHS/ONC, April 2017.

Cartwright-Smith L, Gray E, Thorpe JH, "Health Information Ownership: Legal Theories and Policy Implications," Invited article, Vanderbilt University School of Law Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law, Vol. XIX: 2:207, 2016.

Thorpe JH, Gray E, Cartwright-Smith L, “Show Us the Data: The Critical Role Health Information Plays in Health System Transformation” Invited article, Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 44(4): 592-597, 2016.

Thorpe JH, Gray E, Cartwright-Smith L, “Building a Legal Framework for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research,” Submitted to HHS/ONC, March 17, 2016.

Cartwright-Smith L, Thorpe JH, Rosenbaum, S. "Ebola And EHRs: An Unfortunate And Critical Reminder," Health Affairs Blog. Oct. 28, 2014.

Cartwright-Smith L. “Patenting Genes: What Does Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics Mean for Genetic Testing and Research?” Public Health Reports. May/June 2014.

Kindermann D, Mutter R, Cartwright-Smith L, Rosenbaum S, Pines J. “Admit or Transfer? The Role of Insurance in High-Transfer-Rate Medical Conditions in the Emergency Department.” Annals of Emergency Medicine. 2014 May; 63(5):561-571. Epub 2013 Dec 15.

Burke T, Cartwright-Smith L, Rosenbaum, S. Data Collection and Use in the New Health Insurance Marketplaces. Health Information & the Law. Dec. 2013.

Cartwright-Smith L. “Benefit or Burden? Religious Employers and the Affordable Care Act’s Contraception Coverage Mandate.” Nexus Journal of Law and Public Policy. Vol. 18 (2013)

Thorpe JH, Cartwright-Smith L, Mehta D, Gray E, Casico T, and Im G. “Highlights of the Final Omnibus HIPAA Rule.” Health Information & the Law. Jan. 30, 2013.

Cartwright-Smith L, Lopez N. “Sorrell v. IMS Health Inc.: Data Mining Of Pharmacy Records and Drug Marketing as Free Speech.” Public Health Reports. January/February 2013.

Ku L, Cartwright-Smith L, Sharac J, Steinmetz E, Lewis J, Shin P. “Deteriorating Access to Women’s Health Services in Texas: Potential Effects of the Women’s Health Program Affiliate Rule.” Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative, Policy Research Brief No. 31. Oct. 11, 2012.

Mehta D, Burke T, Cartwright-Smith L, Thorpe JH. “The Meaningful Use Stage 2 Final Rule: Overview and Outlook.” Health Information & the Law. Sept. 5, 2012.

Rosenbaum S, Cartwright-Smith L, Hirsh J, Mehler PS. “Case Studies at Denver Health: 'Patient Dumping' In The Emergency Department Despite EMTALA, The Law That Banned It.” Health Affairs. 2012 Aug;31(8):1749-56.

Cartwright-Smith L, Rosenbaum S. “Controversy, Contraception, and Conscience: Required Insurance Coverage of Birth Control under Health Reform.” Public Health Reports. September/October 2012.

Teitelbaum J, Cartwright-Smith L, Rosenbaum S. “Translating Rights into Access: Language Access and the Affordable Care Act.” American Journal of Law and Medicine. March 2012.

Cartwright-Smith L, Rosenbaum S. “Medicaid’s Free Choice of Provider Protections in a Family Planning Context: Planned Parenthood Federation of Indiana v. Commissioner.” Public Health Reports. January-February 2012.

Cartwright-Smith L, Thorpe JH, Rosenbaum, S. “Easing the Pathway to Accountable Care Organizations: Final Administration Policy.” BNA Health Care Policy Report. Nov. 21, 2011.

Cartwright-Smith L, Rosenbaum S, Mehta D. “Disparities Reduction and Minority Health Improvement under the ACA.” Aligning Forces for Quality. April 2011.

Burke T, Stewart A, Cartwright-Smith L. “Meaningful Use & Medicaid – Challenges for States and Providers.” Aligning Forces for Quality. December 2010.

Burke T, Cartwright-Smith L, Thorpe JH, Rosenbaum, S. “Chapter 2: An Update on Meaningful Use.” In “Health Information Technology in the United States: Moving Toward Meaningful Use, 2010.” Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. December 2010.

Cartwright-Smith L, Thorpe JH, Burke T, Rosenbaum S. “An Overview of Final Regulations Implementing HITECH’s Meaningful Use Provisions.” Aligning Forces for Quality. November 2010.

Cartwright-Smith L., Rosenbaum S., Weik TS. “Legal Issues in Interfacility Transfer.” Emergency Medical Services for Children National Resource Center. May 2010.

Cartwright-Smith L., Rosenbaum S., Sochacki C. “The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act Regulations: Implications for Health Information Access and Exchange.” Aligning Forces for Quality. March 2010.

An Analysis of the Implications of the Stupak/Pitts Amendment for Coverage of Medically Indicated Abortions Rosenbaum, S., Cartwright-Smith, L., Margulies, R., Wood, S., Mauery, D. "An Analysis of the Implications of the Stupak/Pitts Amendment for Coverage of Medically Indicated Abortions." Nov 16, 2009.

Fair Process in Physician Performance Rating Systems: Overview and Analysis of Colorado's Physician Designation Disclosure Act Cartwright-Smith, L., Rosenbaum, S. "Fair Process in Physician Performance Rating Systems: Overview and Analysis of Colorado's Physician Designation Disclosure Act." BNA Health Care Policy Report, Issue No. 30. Vol. 17 BNA, Jul 27, 2009.

Antitrust Aspects of Health Information Sharing By Public and Private Health Insurers Burke, T., Cartwright-Smith, L., Pereira, E., Rosenbaum, S. "Antitrust Aspects of Health Information Sharing By Public and Private Health Insurers." Health Law Reporter, BNA, Jul 23, 2009.

The Application of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) to Hospital Inpatients Cartwright-Smith, L., Rosenbaum, S., Belli, K., Purcell, E., Tasmeen, S. "The Application of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) to Hospital Inpatients." EMSC, Jun 2009.

A brief summary of the major health provisions contained in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Rosenbaum, S., Cartwright-Smith, L., Burke, T., Borzi, P., Goldstein, M. "A brief summary of the major health provisions contained in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009." Hirsh Health Law and Policy Program, The George Washington University, Washington, DC. Feb 18, 2009. [Detailed Side-by-Side chart tracking the major health provisions in the Senate, House, and final Act signed into law February 17]

Detailed Side-by-Side chart tracking the major health provisions in the Senate, House, and final Act signed into law February 17 Rosenbaum, S., Cartwright-Smith, L., Burke, T., Borzi, P., Goldstein, M. "Detailed Side-by-Side chart tracking the major health provisions in the Senate, House, and final Act signed into law February 17." Hirsh Health Law and Policy Program, The George Washington University, Feb 18, 2009.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in U.S. Health Care: A Chartbook Holly, M., Cartwright-Smith, L., Jones, K., Ramos, C., Woods, K., Siegel, B. "Racial and Ethnic Disparities in U.S. Health Care: A Chartbook." Mar 2008.

Web 2019 Update - CSS

Lara

Cartwright-Smith, JD, MPH

Associate Professor

Lara Cartwright-Smith

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