Claire E. Castles

Claire E. Castles is known for her counseling experience due to her ability to guide clients through the complex regulatory reimbursement and licensure challenges faced by the health care and life science industry. She works closely with various clients, including health systems, pharmaceutical companies, retail health organizations, clinical research institutions, digital health startups and lab organizations. Her expertise lies in advancing groundbreaking health care delivery models and challenging restrictive regulatory interpretations that hinder access to health care and innovation.

In the last two years, she has played a leading role as counsel for Valley Children’s Hospital (VCH). She assists VCH in addressing complex regulatory compliance and licensing issues, particularly in the context of providing care to adults with pediatric chronic illnesses. With the increasing recognition of the effectiveness of continued care for childhood-onset chronic diseases, VCH is implementing affiliation strategies to offer specialized resources and services for these patients and their families during the transition to adult care. Castle’s work for VCH includes analyzing state, federal and local laws, examining waivers relevant to these initiatives and providing guidance on complex interactions between California State insurance laws, the Knox-Keene Act, corporate practice of medicine, HIPAA/HITECH and other regulations.

In another significant matter, Castles serves as lead regulatory counsel for the largest hospital provider in Fresno in a dispute with medical groups. Fresno Community Hospital and Medical Center v. Community Regional Medical Staff Medical Group, et al. 21CECG02879 (Fresno Sup. Ct., filed Sept. 24, 2021).

The medical groups failed to staff trauma and emergency centers at the hospital in 2020 without prior notice, jeopardizing the operation of the trauma center and patient care. Castles provides critical support in terms of regulatory compliance requirements and guidance governing clinical care.

Castle’s counsel extends beyond individual cases. She advises clients on regulatory strategies to promote compliance and expand access to health care, collaborating with leading academic medical centers, hospitals, and health systems across the United States.

Looking at broader trends in the health care field, she highlights significant financial challenges faced by health care systems, such as helping clients restructure operational practices that previously relied on public health emergency waivers.

“Additionally, many of the existing federal health care regulations have been significantly modified post-COVID to address elements of digital health care delivery or other innovative technologies patients relied on during the public health emergency,” Castles said. “The ongoing challenge has been and will continue to be assisting clients in finding opportunities to continue using the technologies and health care models, like hospital-without-walls, that proved to be very successful interventions during COVID-19 and turning them into long-standing models for health care in the United States.”

Outside of her professional engagements, she actively participates in various legal community initiatives and organizations, including the National Native American Bar Association, Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, Association of Business Trial Lawyers and California Society of Healthcare Attorneys.