BOB MORGAN



Robert Morgan is a health care regulatory and policy attorney with extensive experience in public service and the private sector. Bob helps hospitals, health systems, consulting firms, pharmacies, advocacy groups and other clients better understand the effects of federal and state health care reform legislation, ensure compliance with evolving regulatory requirements, implement industry best practices, and navigate complex relationships between lawmakers, government officials and law-enforcement agencies.

Bob also has extensive experience in the still-developing cannabis industry. As the first statewide project coordinator for the State of Illinois Medical Cannabis Pilot Program, Bob was appointed by the Governor of Illinois to develop and implement a regulatory framework for the use of cannabis by eligible patients. He understands the concerns and goals of patients, medical professionals and providers, hospitals and health systems, insurers, law enforcement officials and legislators, and draws on this knowledge to engage key stakeholders and develop effective public and private communications strategies.

As leader of the Illinois medical cannabis program, Bob oversaw the efforts of five state agencies and more than 50 employees charged with creating program rules and fees, laboratory testing and database systems, and a selection process for licensed dispensary facilities and cultivation centers. He managed a multimillion-dollar state fund to create and maintain a system of operations, detailed tracking capabilities, policies to assure patient safety, proper enforcement of laws and regulations, and public education campaigns. The patient-centered focus of the medical cannabis program was manifested in the creation of the Illinois Medical Cannabis Advisory Board consisting of patients and health care professionals.

Bob also served as general counsel for the Illinois Department of Public Health, where he advised the agency director and senior staff on a broad range of complex legal issues, including licensure of health care facilities, emergency preparedness, maternal and child health initiatives, mental health and developmental disability facilities, and food safety. He supervised the department’s legal team and administered all privacy, confidentiality, and ethics policies and protocols for the department’s employees.

Previously, Bob served as associate general counsel in the Office of the Governor of the State of Illinois and as lead attorney on issues involving health care, the Affordable Care Act, private and public insurance issues and health information technology. In this role, he managed a dozen state agency general counsels overseeing health care, insurance, human services, environmental, energy, commerce and housing legal issues. Before this, he served as deputy general counsel of employee benefits for the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, where he handled a range of benefits, insurance, pension, workers’ compensation, litigation and tax matters.

  

Earlier in his career, Bob was a legal health care consultant, where he advised clients on HIPAA, private insurance accountability, specialty hospital regulation, health care reform, and regulatory filings and registrations. He has also assisted political campaign of candidates for federal and state offices, and was a member of the Obama for America National Health Policy Advisory Committee.