Denise M. Fletcher has been appointed to the March of Dimes State Public Affairs Committee. The main purpose of the State Public Affairs Committee is to approve and carry out the State Public Affairs Plan for the Texas Chapter. The 2011 year agenda includes such initiatives as:
• Smoke Free Texas
• Data sharing (allow registries at DSHS to share de-identified hospital discharge information)
• CHIP Perinate Program
• Access to health care
• Monitor newborn hearing screening legislation
• Monitor opportunities related to Centering Pregnancy
Ms. Fletcher will serve a 2 year term. |
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| Rob C. Vartabedian was selected as a 2011 Texas Rising Star. Texas Super Lawyer’s research team reviews and evaluates the credentials of potential candidates who have been nominated by other lawyers in order to select the Rising Stars. To be eligible, an attorney must be either 40 or under, or have been practicing for 10 years or less. No more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in Texas are named to the list. |
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| Elizabeth H. Jepson has been appointed as the editor of the Amarillo Area Bar Association newsletter, AMA-Law beginning in September, 2011. |
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| Allison L. Stephens was appointed to the 2011 Board of Directors for Center City of Amarillo, Inc. She will serve a 2 year term. The organization is dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown Amarillo, by focusing community, social, recreational and economic interests in the historic core area. |
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| Bradley W. Howard’s article “A Beneficiary’s Guide to Medicaid Fair Hearings” was published in “Directions” magazine volume 2011.3 in 2011. “Directions” is the official publication of the National Registry of Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers. |
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| Jeffrey S. Baird serves on AAHomecare’s Regulatory Council and Audit Task Force. AAHomecare is the national association for HME companies. The regulatory Council works with CMS in implementing and revising regulations and guidelines affecting the HME industry. The Audit Task Force works with CMS in implementing and revising post-payment audits and prepayment reviews conducted by Medicare contractors. Mr. Baird is a regular contributor of articles to Homecare Magazine, a publication for HME companies. |
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| Tina Alexander has been elected to serve as Treasurer of the Texas Panhandle Paralegal Association for 2011-2012. TPPA serves the legal community by providing assistance to the local and state bar associations in various local pro bono endeavors, maintaining a job bank, providing quality monthly continuing legal education to members and guests, and furthering the paralegal profession in the Texas Panhandle by offering scholarships to those pursuing a paralegal career. TPPA will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2011-2012. |
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| Rob C. Vartabedian was elected the President of the Board of Trustees of Opportunity School. He previously served as the Vice President of the Board in 2010. Opportunity School’s mission is to help young children, primarily from low-income families, succeed in school and in life by providing high quality care and education. Opportunity School serves the community with two campuses located in Amarillo. |
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| Elizabeth H. Jepson has been appointed to the Texas Tech University Health Science Center Institutional Review Board, which reviews research protocols involving human subjects to evaluate risks to subject and compliance with federal regulation. |
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| Nicole Shannon, SPHR, CLM, Administrator for Brown & Fortunato, P.C., was elected as the State Director for the Texas State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management – SHRM. Her two year term runs from January 2011 through December 2012. Ms. Shannon leads over 85 state volunteers in their volunteer initiatives which promote human resources throughout the State of Texas. |
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| Bradley W. Howard has been appointed as the President Elect for the 2011 Board of Directors for the Panhandle Human Resources Association (PHRA). Mr. Howard previously served as Legislative Chair for the Panhandle Human Resources Association (PHRA) from January 2007 until December 2010. (He also regularly advises the board and membership on legislative issues.) PHRA is a local affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management. |
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| Allison L. Stephens was appointed to the Board of Directors for the Medical Center League House for a two year term in 2011. The League House is a partnership between Harrington Regional Medical Center, Inc., the Junior League of Amarillo and Baptist Community Services. The Medical Center League House provides hotel-like accommodations for families of adult patients who live in neighboring communities and travel to Amarillo for medical treatment. |
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| Michele Fortunato serves on the Board of Trustees for the Amarillo Museum of Art. AMoA provides quality visual arts programming to the residents of the Texas Panhandle, eastern New Mexico, and western Oklahoma through collections, temporary exhibitions representing a variety of media and periods, educational programming, preservation and research. |
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| John Ben Blanchard currently serves on the Amarillo Independent School District Board of Trustees. Mr. Blanchard was first appointed to the Board of Trustees in July 2008 and his current term expires in May 2013. |
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| Mary M. Bearden was elected Vice Chair to the Board of Directors of the Harrington Regional Medical Center, Inc. for the 2011 term. The Harrington Regional Medical Center is a non-profit organization responsible for the orderly development of the Medical Center campus in Amarillo. |
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| Richard F. Brown is the author of the “Recent Texas Oil and Gas Cases” section of the Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Law Section Report. This report is published quarterly by the State Bar of Texas and Richard has been the author since 2008. |
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| Conrad D. Hester was appointed as a Volunteer Judge for the Amarillo Teen Court. Teen Court is a legally binding alternative system of justice that offers young offenders an opportunity to make restitution for their offenses through community service, educational classes and jury service. |
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| Michele Fortunato is serving on the executive committee of the Board of Directors of the Amarillo College Foundation. The foundation is a non-profit foundation which administers grants and gifts for the benefit of Amarillo College, its students, faculty and staff, programs and facilities. |
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| Jeffrey S. Baird serves on the Medtrade Education Advisory Board. The committee selects programs that will be the most valuable to the attendees of the two Medtrade conferences. Medtrade is a conference attended by owners and employees of home medical equipment companies and the manufacturers and other vendors that sell products and provide services to them. |
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| Michele Fortunato was re-elected to the Amarillo College Board of Regents in May 2010. Amarillo College, a public community college, is dedicated to providing educational, cultural and community services and resources to enhance the quality of life for the diverse population in the service area. Ms. Fortunato’s current term on the Board of Regents expires May 2016. |
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| Lisa K. Smith was appointed to the Health Law Advisory Commission for the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for a term which expires in 2013. The Advisory Commission reviews applicants seeking certification in Health law from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
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| Richard F. Brown is serving as Chairman of the Tax Increment Refinancing Zone #1 Board of Directors. The Board uses funds generated by the incremental increase in ad valorem taxes to incentivize additional development. Mr. Brown has been involved with Amarillo development and downtown revitalization since 1990. |
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| Michele Fortunato addressed the newly naturalized citizens at the naturalization ceremony in the United States District Court, Northern District of Texas on December 6, 2010. |
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| Denise M. Fletcher serves as a member of the Board of Commissioners for the Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Inc. She has served as the Board Secretary since 2007. ACHC is a national accrediting body which has an accreditation program for Home Health Infusion, Home Medical Equipment, Hospice, Home Care Aides, Women’s Health Care Products and Services, Specialty Pharmacies, Medical Supply Provider Services, Rehabilitation Technology Supplier Services and Respiratory Nebulizer Medication Pharmacies. |
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| Mary M. Bearden was listed in the 2010 edition of the Best Lawyers in America in the practice of Health Care. She has received the award for more than ten consecutive years. |
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| Conrad D. Hester was inducted into the Pro Bono College for Texas in 2010. Created in 1992 by the State Bar of Texas, the Pro Bono College recognizes attorneys who have far exceeded the State Bar’s aspirational pro bono goal in their efforts to address the vast unmet legal needs of the poor. Members must perform a minimum of 75 hours of eligible legal assistance activities during the past year. |
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Richard F. Brown is the author of a monthly casenote published in the “Pipeline”, which is the newsletter for the Panhandle Producers & Royalty Owners Association. Richard has been the author since 1987.
Mr. Brown is also the author of the “Oil, Gas and Mineral Law” chapter of the SMU Law Reviews’ Annual Survey of Texas Law. Richard has been the author since 1996. |
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| Carolyn Johnson and her four year old Australian Cattle dog, Sophie, have competed in many American Kennel Club Agility trials in Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Over the last three years, Sophie has won 12 first place ribbons, 5 second place ribbons, 2 third and 3 fourth place ribbons. Carolyn has taught obedience and beginning agility classes at the Amarillo Obedience Training Club; she is on the Board of Directors and serves as Vice President for the club. |
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| Denise M. Fletcher was listed in “The 10 Most Interesting People in HME” July 2010 article of the HME News publication for her HME News TV segment on Recovery Audit Contractors. |
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The firm congratulates Mary M. Bearden for being selected as 2011 Super Lawyers. Ms. Bearden was selected in the area of Health Law. Ms. Bearden has been the recipient of this award in the past. The list of Super Lawyers is published in the October issue of Texas Monthly. The Super Lawyers selection process includes peer nomination, a blue ribbon panel review and independent research of candidates. Less that 3% of lawyers receive this award in Texas each year.
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