Kimberly Kerry

Kimberly Kerry is chair of Dentons’ national health care practice, as well as managing partner of the firm’s San Francisco and Oakland offices.

She has extensive experience advising multi-hospital health systems, home health agencies, hospices, skilled nursing facilities and senior living communities. She also focuses on transactions, governance issues, tax exemption matters, contracting arrangements and regulatory and operational issues.

While most of Kerry’s matters are confidential, she has demonstrated her ability to navigate complex challenges and achieve successful outcomes. One such case involved the disaff liation of Hoag from the Providence Health System amid the COVID pandemic.

“There were a number of constituents involved in the negotiation process, including the hospital system board, the Hoag board, Hoag and Providence management, Hoag physicians and nurses, the Hoag corporate members and regulatory agencies,” Kerry said.

All in-person meetings had to immediately be transitioned to being held by Zoom or phone. Combined with the sensitive nature of the discussions, it made everything more challenging, she added.

“In addition, the Hoag financing involved developing a new credit structure for Hoag as an independent hospital,” Kerry continued. “Given the uncertainty with the financial market in the early months of 2022, this work had to be accomplished in an expedited manner to obtain the best rates for the organization. My experience with the client and other financing matters assisted with being able to meet the timing requirements for the client.”

Identifying key trends in the health care field, Kerry emphasizes the continued financial pressures faced by health systems and providers due to factors like labor and supply increases and COVID-related operational impacts.

“The financial pressures that hospitals and other providers are facing are extremely acute for rural hospitals,” Kerry said. “Health equity is an issue that will need to be addressed in the near term. There needs to be a focus on providing health care services regardless of where the patient is located and whether they can afford the services. These concerns will require a focus on telehealth and other digital services and through reimbursement methods.”

Beyond her professional responsibilities, Kerry provides pro bono legal services to ReSurge International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to performing reconstructive surgeries and supporting surgical teams in low-income countries. Her dedication to pro bono work earned her the Wiley W. Manuel Certificate for Pro Bono Legal Services from the California Lawyers Association. Kerry is also a member of Women Health Care Executives, the American Health Lawyers Association, the National Association of Bond Lawyers and the Order of the Coif at Santa Clara University School of Law.