RICHARD D. SANDERS is a Partner in Balch & Bingham's Atlanta office and directs the Healthcare Practice Group in Atlanta.  Mr. Sanders represents a variety of healthcare providers and managed care organizations on a broad range of issues including fraud and abuse compliance, antitrust policy, physician self referral management, medical staff credentialing, Medicare reimbursement, legislative activities, and business transactions.  He also represents providers and managed care organizations in their relationships with regulatory agencies, including state Medicaid, insurance, and health departments, as well as the U.S. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 

Recently, Rich has counseled hospitals with regard to improving the effectiveness of their corporate compliance programs, including the rules protecting patient privacy and security.  In addition, he has assisted several physician practices transactions, including a practice merger, as well as the formation of hospital/ physician joint ventures.  Rich regularly speaks to a variety of groups of hospital and physician executives regarding legal issues facing healthcare providers.  He has presented to groups of providers on topics including HIPAA, medical staff credentialing, Medicare fraud and abuse, and antitrust.

In addition, Rich is on the adjunct faculty at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and teaches courses in healthcare law.  In 2004, he was awarded Professor of the Year.  Rich is an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy and works with an Atlanta-based unit supporting the U.S. Sixth Fleet in Naples, Italy.  He is also on the Board of the Midtown Atlanta Rotary Club and Buckhead Baseball (Little League).  He and his wife Rebekah, live in Buckhead and have three children: James (2000), William (2002) and Caroline (2005).  They are members of the Cathedral of St. Phillip Episcopal Church in Atlanta.