George F. “Pete” Bloss is a shareholder based in the firm’s Gulfport office. Mr. Bloss represents a broad range of clients in various fields, with a focus on hospitals, health systems, clinics, medical staff, physician groups, individual physicians, and other health care providers. He also represents a wide variety of defendants in civil litigation, including products liability, admiralty, and maritime matters.
Pete is perhaps best known and recognized by his clients and peers for his vigorous and effective defense of physicians and other healthcare providers in medical malpractice claims. He has been recognized with an AV Preeminent rating by Martindale Hubbell. He is listed in US News and World Reports, Best Lawyers in America in both Medical Malpractice-Defendants, and Litigation-First Amendment Law. He has three times been named “Lawyer of the Year – Medical Malpractice – Defendants” (2019, 2016 and 2012) by Best Lawyers in America in his geographic area, and is listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers in the field of Medical Malpractice – Defendants.
Healthcare disputes are becoming increasingly common as healthcare laws become more complex. Mr. Bloss has represented physicians, clinics, practice groups, nursing homes, dentists, pharmacies, and other healthcare entities in hundreds of claims and scores of cases tried to verdict and in appeals. He also represents clients before administrative boards and federal and state agencies, and has submitted numerous amicus curiae briefs on behalf of healthcare industry participants and associations. Matters have included disputes involving medical negligence and malpractice, private medical and healthcare information, antitrust, bankruptcy, patient competency, medical treatment and discontinuance of life support, Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements and set-asides, and free speech issues related to health care. He has been at the forefront in defending Mississippi Tort Reform legislation.
In his counseling practice, Mr. Bloss advises clients on compliance with the full range of healthcare-related federal laws and regulations, including privacy requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”), the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (“EMTALA”) and reporting requirements for the National Practitioners Data Bank. He also provides guidance on state healthcare statutes and agency policies such as the Mississippi Department of Health Regulations, Minimal Standards for Operation of Hospitals.
Pete advises hospital medical staffs, officers and committees on a broad range of healthcare licensure, certification, operational, and delivery issues, including credentialing, quality assurance, peer review, outside review of care, Joint Commission accreditation, and continuing medical education and staff training. He regularly drafts and amends medical staff bylaws and assists in the interpretation and enforcement of policies, rules, and regulations. When potential issues arise, he conducts internal investigations relating to patient care and a broad range of provider issues, including behavioral problems, substance abuse, impairment, and other sensitive and confidential human resources matters. Mr. Bloss also negotiates and prepares contracts with third-party providers and contractors, and prepares contracts for pharmaceutical clinical trials principal investigators.
He routinely conducts risk-management analyses to help healthcare organizations identify and correct potential concerns before they develop into systemic, less tractable issues. Mr. Bloss has a robust government relations practice and represents industry participants and trade associations before elected and appointed officials, particularly in the field of tort reform.
