CONCENTRATION
Jo Ellen is a senior shareholder of the Davis Brown Law Firm. Jo practices in but not limited to the areas of Labor and Employment Law, Healthcare Law, Privacy, Fair Housing.
PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION
• BV rated by Martindale-Hubbell. The BV certification mark is an excellent rating for a lawyer with more experience.
• Iowa Super Lawyers 2009
SUMMARY
In the areas of Labor and Employment 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. Business planning areas include the development of contracts, as well as employee manuals, handbooks, and internal policies and practices for employment issues and regulatory compliance, including the ADA, 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 and the Des Moines Human Rights Commission.
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 providers. She has 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.
Jo works extensively in the field of Healthcare Law, 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.
Additionally, Jo works with clients regarding 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.
Also, Jo Ellen works with clients on:
• HIPAA, 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
SEMINARS, LECTURES AND PUBLICATIONS
The author of multiple editions of the Iowa Guide to Medical Records, Jo speaks consistently on HIPAA, medical records privacy, physician issues and consent matters relating to the provision of medical care. She is a regular speaker at the Iowa Health Care Association, Iowa Hospital Information Management Association, Iowa Medical Society, and other groups dealing with issues relating to long term care, the provision of medical services, medical practitioners and privacy.
Jo provides seminars and lectures regularly for both individual employer training sessions and speaks at larger trade associations and educational groups including; the National Telephone Cooperative Association and the Society for Human Resource Management. She is also a regular contributor to various professional and trade magazines, newsletters, and legal bulletins in the areas of employment law, privacy and health law.
COMMUNITY
• 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.
• Volunteer Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
• Volunteer Iowa Center for Law and Civic Education
• Volunteer mediator screener and trainer Iowa Civil Rights Commission
PERSONAL
Jo has won multiple Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbons for recipes including Plum BBQ Sauce and Parmesan Herb Crisps.
Resources
Charges for Medical Records
05/21/2010 - House File 2700, the "Standings Bill" which is the final piece of legislation typically ...Equal Employment Is the Law Poster Update
11/20/2009 - EEO Poster Update October 23, 2009 The Office of Legal Counsel has revised the "Equal ...Emergency Service Providers Job Protection
08/14/2009 - As of July 1, 2009 Iowa Code 100B has been amended to provide job protections for volunteer ...Jo Ellen Whitney Presents 15 Simple Employment Policies to Technology Association of Iowa
03/25/2009 - The Technology Association of Iowa's Legal and Finance clinic will visit the Davis Brown Law Firm ...Jo Ellen Whitney Presents at SHRM Conference
01/28/2009 - Jo Ellen Whitney will present "Employment Issues Involving Blogs and Social Networking ...The Davis Brown Law Firm Congratulates Jo Ellen Whitney for 20 Years of Service
09/23/2008 - Jo Ellen Whitney was recognized by members of the firm Board of Directors and Staff. Jo ...Family and Medical Leave Upheaval: We are marching, but we don’t have a map.
03/27/2008 - Davis Brown attorney Jo Ellen Whitney notes in this article as of January 28, 2008 there have ...Jo Ellen Whitney Interviewed About Workplace Romance
02/18/2008 - Davis Brown Attorney Jo Ellen Whitney was interviewed in a story about Workplace Romance on ...Jo Ellen Whitney honored with the Governor's Volunteer Award
08/09/2007 - For the second time in her career, Jo Ellen Whitney has received the Governor’s ...Attorneys Whitney, Chesser and Knutson to speak at the 21st Annual Symposium, “Building Partnerships in Civil and Human Rights”
02/19/2007 - The Greater Des Moines Friends of Human Rights, Inc., a charitable, educational and ...
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