Steve specializes in advising hospitals, medical staffs, physicians, medical staff services professionals, ambulatory surgery centers, physician groups, and other health care organizations concerning the full range of health law issues. He places a particular emphasis on the intricacies of credentialing, peer review, quality assurance, and enterprise risk management. This practice includes both formal hearings and other proceedings regarding individual credentialing and peer review questions as well as advice concerning larger issues of medical staff and medical group structure and physician relations. As part of his practice, Steve has often been called upon to serve as a hearing officer or legal advisor for physician hearing committees and appellate review bodies.
Steve also advises hospitals, surgery centers, medical staffs, and physician groups regarding mergers, consolidations, exclusive contracting issues, foundation relations, and related mixed patient care-economics topics.
Steve served as president of the California Society for Healthcare Attorneys, following a six-year stint as a member of its Board of Directors. He is also a member of the American Health Lawyers Association and enjoyed a term as a Vice Chairman of its Medical Staff, Credentialing, and Peer Review Practice Group. During his earlier years, Steve served on the San Francisco Medical Society-San Francisco Bar Association Interprofessional Committee and the California Medical Association-State Bar of California Interprofessional Committee.
For more than thirty years, Steve has presented papers on credentialing and peer review issues to gatherings of the National Association Medical Staff Services, the California Association Medical Staff Services, the American Health Lawyers Association, the California Ambulatory Surgery Association, and the California Society for Healthcare Attorneys. He is also an editor of and contributor to the American Health Lawyers Association's Peer Review Hearing Guidebook.
Publications
Peer Review Hearing Guidebook, editor and contributor, American Health Lawyers Association (September 2008)
"Medical Staff Hearings: Some Tips from the Experts," Steven V. Schnier, Ross E. Campbell, and Robert J. Sullivan, 14 California Health Law News 52 (1994)
"Medical Staff Legal Issues," Handbook of Medical Staff Management (1990)
"Physician's Rights at Medical Staff Hearings: Evolution or Revolution," Steven V. Schnier and Robert J. Sullivan, 8 California Health Law News 7 (1988)
"Initiating the Corrective Action Process," A. Robert Singer and Steven V. Schnier, 3 QRC Advisor 1 (1987)
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Presentations
"Discovery in the World of Medical Staff and Medical Group Hearings," California Society for Healthcare Attorneys (June 2012)
“How to Conduct a Medical Staff Investigation of Allegations of Disruptive and Unprofessional Conduct,” co-speaker, California Association Medical Staff Services Annual Education Conference (May 2012)
“Legal Aspects of the Revenue Cycle: Out-of Network Billing" California Ambulatory Surgery Association (April 2012)
"Medical Group Employment and Physician Peer Review: Oil and Water?" American Health Lawyers Association Physicians and Physician Organizations Law Institute (February 2012)
“Assembly Bill 655: Understanding the New Law Affecting Responses to Credentialing Inquiries,” co-presenter, California Association Medical Staff Services Bay Area Chapter (February 2012)
"Dealing with Aging Physicians," co-presenter, California Association Medical Staff Services Bay Area Chapter (October 2011)
“Physician Behavior Contracts,” co-presenter, California Association Medical Staff Services Bay Area Chapter (June 2011)
“The California Legislature and Credentialing and Peer Review,” California Association Medical Staff Services Redwood Empire Chapter (June 2010)
“Credentialing and Peer Review within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation,” California Society for Healthcare Attorneys Annual Meeting (April 2010)
“The California Legislature and Credentialing and Peer Review,” California Association Medical Staff Services San Gabriel Chapter (December 2009)
“California Credentialing and Peer Review Legislation: What Does Sacramento Have In Mind For You?” California Association Medical Staff Services San Diego Chapter (July 2009)
“The Joint Commission and The Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Who’s Applying Now?” California Association Medical Staff Services Mid-Valley Chapter (April 2009)
“Medical Staff Credentialing Criteria and Board Certification Requirements: Valuable or Verboten?” California Association Medical Staff Services San Diego Chapter (October 2008)
“Codes of Conduct and Medical Staff Peer Review: Beware of Incompatibility,” California Association Medical Staff Services Redwood Empire Chapter (September 2008)
“Physician Peer Review and ‘Whistleblowing’: Incompatible or Complementary,” California Ambulatory Surgery Association Annual Meeting (September 2008)
“The Model Medical Staff Judicial Review Committee Hearing,” California Association Medical Staff Services Annual Education Conference (May 2008)
“Peer Review Hearings: Conduct & Controversy. The Hearing Officer Training Program,” California Society for Healthcare Attorneys Fall Meeting (November 2007)
“Truth or Consequences: Kadlec Medical Center v. Lakeview Anesthesia Associates and Lakeview Regional Medical Center/Credentialing Inquiries and the Potential for Liability,” California Association Medical Staff Services Steinbeck Chapter (September 2006)
“The Model Medical Staff Judicial Review Committee Hearing" California Association Medical Staff Services Annual Education Conference (April 2006)
”When the Worlds of Peer Review and Human Resources Collide,” California Association Medical Staff Services Redwood Empire Chapter (February 2006)
"Kadlec Medical Center v. Lakeview Anesthesia Associates/Credentialing Inquiries and the Potential for Liability,” California Association Medical Staff Services Alameda Contra Costa Chapter (November 2005)
“The National Practitioner Data Bank and You: The Keys to a Healthy Relationship” American Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers Annual Meeting (March 2005)
“The Credentialing and Peer Review Hearing Officer Training Program” American Health Lawyers Association Hospitals and Health Systems Law Institute (February 2005)
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Honors
Best Lawyers in America (1995-2012)
Northern California Super Lawyers (Health Care) (2006-2012)
Northern California's Best Lawyers (Healthcare Law) (2013)
San Francisco’s Best Lawyers (Healthcare Law) (2012)
Chambers USA Ranking: Leading Healthcare Attorney