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Jo Ellen Whitney

CONCENTRATION

Jo Ellen is a senior shareholder of the Davis Brown Law Firm. As the chair of the firm's Employment and Labor Relations Department, she has a general practice in, but not limited to, the areas of employment and labor law, health law, privacy and fair housing.

 

Employment and Labor Law
In the area of employment and labor law, Jo handles a variety of issues ranging from business planning and contracts, representation before administrative agencies such as the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, the EEOC and local Human Rights Commissions, as well as state and federal court. 

 

As a prior chair of the firm's Human Resources Committee, she brings practical experience to bear on business planning, discipline and termination issues for employers. She has extensive experience with contract development, as well as employee manuals, handbooks, and internal policies and practices for employment issues and regulatory compliance, including the ADA/ADAAA, FLSA, HIPAA and FMLA. She has developed sample policies for a number of professional groups and organizations including members of the Iowa Telecommunications Association and the Iowa Healthcare Association.

 

As part of her ongoing work involving civil rights commissions, Jo has previously served as a mediator, speaker, and current case screener for the Iowa Civil Rights Commission.  In recognition of her work with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, Jo Ellen was awarded the Governor's Volunteer Award for "outstanding contributions of volunteer service to the Iowa Civil Rights Commission." Awards are granted to people or groups who volunteer their time with a city or state government agency, or an Iowa non-profit organization. Jo Ellen received the Governor's Volunteer Award in 2007 and 1997. 

 

Health Law
Jo works extensively in the field of health care law, including privacy and confidentiality issues, for hospitals, clinics and small practices. She has worked with medical staffing, credentialing and privileging matters, as well as consent and risk analysis in the health care area.

 

Jo Ellen also works with clients health care clients on matters including:

  • HIPAA/HiTECH, privacy, security and record release and retention. 
  • E-data release security and retention. 
  • Medical research including NIH, FDA and privately funded research - compliance and ethics. 
  • Consent to medical care, procedures, issues.  
  • Specialty records - HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, mental health and genetics. 
  • Business planning and policies regarding staffing, discipline, and terminations

 

Fair Housing Compliance 
Additionally, Jo works with clients on issues related to fair housing compliance in the construction, rental and sale phases for housing, apartments and condominiums. Her work has encompassed both state and local commissions including HUD, in the areas of construction compliance, special housing issues, long-term care, assisted living facilities, and manufactured housing, as well as more general fair housing issues. 

 

Representative Clients

Jo works with a variety of clients including local service providers, such as telephone companies and agricultural cooperatives, hospitals, clinics, physician practices, manufacturing facilities, and social service agencies.  She has also worked regularly with the unique issues facing not-for-profit service organizations ranging from contract and policy issues to grant requirements for organizations such as Easter Seals of Iowa, Lutheran Services in Iowa and House of Mercy.