Karen S. Rieger

Helping hospitals remain part of their communities

Karen Rieger has spent much of her career helping hospitals adapt as financial pressures, changing reimbursement models and evolving healthcare delivery reshape the industry. In recent years, she has worked extensively with rural hospitals considering acquisitions or partnerships with larger health systems, helping them evaluate options that allow healthcare services to remain available locally. She also advises hospitals transitioning to Rural Emergency Hospital status, establishing rural health centers and developing telehealth relationships that expand access to specialty care while keeping patients closer to home.

Representing healthcare organizations in transactions and regulatory matters

Karen represents hospitals, health systems, physicians and other healthcare providers throughout Oklahoma on the broad legal and business issues that accompany growth, restructuring and operational change. She negotiates physician and service agreements, structures acquisitions and joint ventures and advises clients as they develop new service lines and other strategic initiatives such as constructing a new surgical center. Her practice also includes counseling healthcare organizations on regulatory matters involving Medicare reimbursement, HIPAA privacy and security, the Anti-Kickback Statute, the Stark Law, medical staff governance and laws affecting tax-exempt and governmental healthcare providers.

Helping healthcare leaders evaluate difficult decisions

Healthcare executives often involve Karen before making significant organizational or operational decisions. Drawing on more than four decades of experience, she efficiently identifies the legal issues affecting a client’s particular situation, explains them in clear, straightforward terms and outlines the available options without minimizing the challenges involved. Clients value her ability to explain not only what the law requires, but also the practical implications of different approaches so they can make informed decisions with confidence.

Contributing to healthcare law and education in Oklahoma

Karen has remained actively involved in Oklahoma’s healthcare legal community throughout her career. She is a past chair of the Oklahoma Bar Association Health Law Section, has served as a speaker, author and dispute resolver through the American Health Law Association and taught healthcare law as an adjunct professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Law. These leadership roles have allowed her to remain engaged with emerging legal developments while helping educate future healthcare lawyers.