Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman, P.C. (“Hall Render”), a national health care-focused law firm, announced that it served as purchaser’s counsel to Centurion Foundation, a Georgia-based non-profit, in connection with a prominent Rhode Island hospital transaction that closed March 6, 2026.
The transaction represents a significant milestone for the hospitals and surrounding communities, enabling the acquisition of two safety net hospitals, Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital in North Providence, and positioning the facilities to continue serving patients while avoiding the disruptive outcomes
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Union Membership Rate in U.S. Held Steady in 2025
Despite a new administration in D.C. and a push by the executive branch to reign in federal worker unions, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics finally released figures showing that the percentage amongst all U.S. workers who were part of a labor union ticked up ever so slightly from 9.9 percent in 2024, to 10 percent in 2025. With respect to the private workforce, that percentage held at 5.9 percent (same as 2024).
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Meet the candidates for Dane County Circuit Court
Candidates Huma Ahsan and Ben Jones vie for the Branch 1 seat on the Dane County Circuit Court. The election is April 7.Ahsan is an immigration law attorney and owner of Madison Immigration Law. She graduated from Stetson College of Law (Florida) in 1999. A copy of her resume/CV is here.Jones is the incumbent, having been appointed to the seat by Gov. Tony Evers in 2025. WJI’s “Evers’ judges” post about him is here. He previously was
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Beneficiary Designations vs. Your Estate Plan: The Costly Mistake Many High-Earners Make
Beneficiary Designations vs. Your Estate Plan: The Costly Mistake Many High-Earners Make
For many successful professionals, estate planning feels like something you complete once and check off your list. You sign a will, create a trust, and assume everything will pass according to the plan you carefully designed.
But one overlooked detail can quietly undo even the most sophisticated estate plan.
Beneficiary designations.
For high-earning professionals and families in Libertyville and across Lake County, beneficiary forms attached to retirement
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Indiana Appeals Court Affirms Patient’s Ongoing Refusal of Treatment and History of Mental Illness Can Establish Grave Disability
The Indiana Court of Appeals recently affirmed a regular commitment to a state hospital of a gravely disabled patient based on evidence that the patient’s symptoms impaired his judgment and his refusal to take medication and behavior demonstrated his inability to function independently. In re Commitment of G.S. v. Richmond State Hosp., No. 25A-MH-2033, 2026 WL 555535 (Ind. Ct. App. Feb. 27, 2026) (mem.).
Background
G.S. had a long history of mental health treatment and involvement with the
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CMS Issues Sweeping Anti-Fraud RFI Under New CRUSH Initiative
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS“) issued a wide-ranging Request for Information (“RFI”) on February 26, which could reshape current program integrity efforts to prevent and detect fraud, waste and abuse in government health care programs. CMS, under its new Comprehensive Regulations to Uncover Suspicious Healthcare (“CRUSH”) initiative, is seeking stakeholder input on potential regulatory and operational changes aimed at strengthening program integrity across Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP and the Health Insurance Marketplace (“Marketplace”).
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Episode 30: Legal Blogging with LexBlog CEO Kevin O'Keefe
Explore the evolution and impact of legal blogging with Kevin O’Keefe, CEO of LexBlog Inc., as he shares insights on how lawyers can leverage blogs for reputation, niche authority, and adapting to AI advancements. The LexBlog Library “indexes and archives legal commentary published across the web, providing the structure and metadata required to power the AI-driven web.” O’Keefe, who started his legal career as a trial lawyer in La Crosse, discusses his path into the legal tech world, the
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Weekly Hospital Real Estate Briefing: New Requirements Imposed on HOPDs | Conn. Seeks to Stop Hospital Sale-Leasebacks | Low-Income Tax Credit Helps Hospital Housing Initiatives
Patient Privacy in the Age of AI Scribes: Notice, Consent, and Compliance
Providers, patients and regulators alike are assessing and questioning the appropriate use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the health care space. One such technology is ambient listening tools, which passively capture physician-patient clinical conversations in real time and generate draft clinical notes by transcribing and summarizing these encounters using trained AI algorithms. So, can providers record their patient appointments? The short answer: generally, yes. And are they doing so? Likely. If not, with major electronic health record
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GLP-1 Gold Rush Meets Legal Reality: Novo Nordisk Challenges Compounded Alternatives
The continued expansion of GLP-1 weight-loss therapies has introduced both commercial opportunity and evolving legal and regulatory considerations across the health care landscape. Novo Nordisk’s (“Novo”) recent federal lawsuit against Hims & Hers (“Hims”) illustrates how brand manufacturers may increasingly use patent and regulatory frameworks to challenge the marketing and sale of compounded versions of these products. This case may signal a broader shift in how compounding practices, telehealth platforms and pharmaceutical patent rights intersect.
On Monday, February 9,
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The Basics of Child-Related Issues in Wisconsin Divorce
You are getting divorced in Wisconsin – what next when it comes to your children?
First, it is important to understand two key terms in Wisconsin divorce (and paternity) cases involving children: legal custody and physical placement. Custody refers to legal decision-making, and placement refers to the schedule your children will follow. It is possible to have an arrangement where the parents share custody, but one parent has more placement than the other. Vice-versa, it is possible to have
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ADA Compliance for Model Home Sales Offices: Solutions for Residential Home Builders
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination and guarantees persons with disabilities have equal access to purchase goods and services. Title II of the ADA governs places of “public accommodation,” which includes residential home builders sales offices. Although single family and model homes are not considered places of public accommodation, ADA complexities arise when home builders use some or part of a model home as a sales office.
In these common situations, Title II may apply, triggering accessibility
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Builders
Attorney Shanna Fink Elected to the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation
Ruder Ware is pleased to announce that Attorney Shanna Fink, has been elected a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (ABF). Membership is limited to just one percent of lawyers licensed to practice in each jurisdiction. Members are nominated by their peers and selected by the ABF Board.
The ABF Fellows is a global honorary society that recognizes attorneys, judges, law faculty and legal scholars whose public and private careers have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the highest principles
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UNDERSTANDING PUBLIC RECORDS IN WISCONSING FAMILY LAW
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Navigating a divorce, custody dispute, or restraining‑order case can feel overwhelming – especially when you’re worried about who might see your personal information.
In Wisconsin, most family‑law matters are public records, but “public” doesn’t mean every detail is freely available online.
Attorney Kyle Kaufman breaks down exactly what’s accessible, what stays private, and how you can proactively protect your privacy while moving forward with confidence in this article.
Check out attorney Kaufman’s YouTube
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It's a wrap, part 2
The Wisconsin State Capitol. Photograph by Margo Kirchner. By Alexandria StaubachWe continue our summary of justice-related bills and those with significant potential to impact the rights of marginalized populations in Wisconsin. Consistent with part 1 of this post, these are bills passed in the final weeks of the last substantive legislative of this term. Limited legislation will be produced until January 2027. At the end you’ll find bills that have passed in the Assembly and could still be taken up by
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Register Today for Breakfast Briefing Series: Retaliation & Discrimination Claims: Prevention, Risk, and Best Practices for Employers
Join labor & employment partners Ann Hanneman and Stephanie Cantrell for a practical Breakfast Briefing focused on preventing retaliation and discrimination claims before they arise. This session will provide employers with guidance on identifying risk areas, responding appropriately to employee complaints, and implementing best practices that reduce exposure.
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Claims: Prevention, Risk, and Best Practices for Employers