3L Jessica Wheeler Places Second In National Health Law Writing Competition  

3L Jessica Wheeler recently won second place in the Epstein Becker Green Writing Competition for her note, “Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics: Privacy Protections in Integrated Care.”

The competition is designed to encourage J.D. and LL.M. students in the preparation of scholarly papers on current topics of interest relating to health law. Second place carries with it a $2,000 cash prize.

Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) are clinics where patients receive care for substance use disorders and physical and mental health conditions from various providers working together to deliver holistic treatment.

“The clinical and financial benefits of integrated care are numerous and well-documented, but current federal and state privacy regulations make it difficult for providers to share patient information in integrated care settings, even for the purpose of treatment,” explains Wheeler. “My note proposes changes at both the state and federal level that would help CCBHCs and other integrated care arrangements share patient information for treatment purposes while still protecting the patient's privacy.”

Wheeler expressed her gratitude to Professor Amy Monahan and to her peers at Minnesota Law Review for their feedback throughout the writing process.

"This national recognition of Jessica's research and writing is well-deserved,” said Professor Monahan, who is also associate dean for research & planning. “She chose a cutting-edge issue that was receiving little attention, and wrote about it in a way that is valuable to all stakeholders -- patients, health care professionals, lawmakers, and regulators. Her note is a great example of the ability of students to serve the legal profession."

Amy B. Monahan
Distinguished McKnight University Professor
The Melvin Steen & Corporate Donors Professor