Sherry A. Fabina-Abney

Undergraduate School
Bachelor of Arts, Purdue University
Graduated in 1985

Law School
Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington
Graduated in 1988

Professional Experience:
A partner in the Health Law Group, Sherry Fabina-Abney, provides legal advice to hospitals, surgery centers and physicians to assist in minimizing the risk of legal exposure to lawsuits concerning physician contracts, conducting peer review and addressing regulations affecting the physician and entity.

Fabina-Abney earned a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Purdue University, with distinction, and earned her law degree, magna cum laude, from the Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington. While in law school, she served as the managing editor on the board of editors of the Indiana Law Review. After law school, Fabina-Abney clerked at Ice Miller for the summer and then served as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Judge Michael S. Kanne, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. She joined Ice Miller in 1989.

Fabina-Abney counsels health care entities and professionals on a variety of legal issues involving the laws affecting the relationship between hospitals and their professionals, medical staff bylaws, licensing and accreditation. Her litigation experience includes defending hospital's corrective actions against physicians, professional liability defense, pharmaceutical product liability defense, exclusive contracts disputes, physician group dissolutions, licensing board matters and internal medical staff disputes arising out of credentialing, corrective actions, impairment, and behavioral issues.

Fabina-Abney authored "A New Consideration When Designing Physician Performance Improvement Recommendations" for Med Staff News, a publication of the Medical Staff, Credentialing and Peer Review Practice Group of the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA). She also wrote the "Year-In-Review" for the Medical Staff, Credentialing, and Peer Review Practice Group of the AHLA from 1998-2006. She co-authored "Hospital and Physician Liability: A Legal and Risk Management Overview", NHLA Focus Series Book, 1992 and "Why Do Managed Care Organizations Do Credentialing?" 2.2 NAMSS J. 11, 1996.

Fabina-Abney served as president of the Indiana Chapter of the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association in 2007.

Professional Associations:
Medical Staff, Credentialing and Peer Review Practice Group, American Health Lawyers Association
Member, Healthcare Businesswomen's Association
Member, Indiana State Bar Association
Member, Indianapolis Bar Association

Awards and Recognitions:
AV Rating, Martindale-Hubbell, the AV rating is a reflection of having achieved the highest levels of professionalism, skill and integrity
Outstanding Hospital Lawyer, Nightingale's Healthcare News, 2008
Indiana Super Lawyer, Health Care Law, 2004-2011
Who's Who Behind the Scenes in Health Care," Indianapolis Business Journal ", 2004
The Best Lawyers in America, Health Care Law, 2007-2011

Speaking Engagements:
Fabina-Abney speaks frequently concerning legal issues governing medical records, interpreting and complying with accreditation standards related to the medical staff, the Health Care Quality Improvement Act, Emergency Medical Treatment, Active Labor Act, the Indiana Peer Review Statute and other healthcare related subjects.
EMTALA Update, Columbus Regional Hospital, Oct. 13, 2010
Case Law Update, Indiana Association of Medical Staff Services, July 23, 2010
"Managing the Risks in Managed Care Credentialing," National Association of Medical Staff Services, 2008 Annual Conference
"Score Points with Quality: Quality Profiling," Indiana Association of Medical Staff Services, January 2008
"Credentialing Non-Physician Healthcare Professionals in Today's Environment," Indiana Association of Medical Staff Services, January 2007

Community Involvement:
Indiana 4-H Foundation, Inc., 2007-Present
Board of Director, 4-H Foundation of Indiana, Inc.
Past President, Indiana Chapter of Healthcare Businesswomen's Association, 2007
President of the Board, Alternative Care Experience, Inc., 2003-2005
Executive Board and Program Chair, Indiana Federation of Republican Women, 2003-2004
President, Johnson County Bargersville Area Republican Women's Club, 2004-2005
Former Director, Indiana University School of Law Alumni Board
Precinct Committeewoman, Union Township II, Johnson County, 1998-2006
Delegate to the Indiana State Republican Convention, 2002, 2004 and 2006
Graduate, Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series, 2000-2001
Indiana Delegate, National Federation of Republican Women, 2003 Convention, Salt Lake City, Utah
4-H Leader, Johnson County Unit Club, Union Boys and Girls, 2005-2010

Reported and Representative Cases:
Cohen v. Orthalliance New Image, 252 F.Supp.2d 761 (N.D.Ind 2003)
Orthodontics v. Orthalliance, 210 F.Supp. 2d 1054 (N.D.Ind. 2002)
Mulder v. Vankersen, 637 N.E.2d 1335 (Ind. App. 1995).
Sink v. Knox County Hospital, 900 F. Supp. 1065 (S.D. Ind. 1995).
Watters v. Dinn, 633 N.E.2d 280 (Ind. App. 1994).
Maresse v. Deaconess Hospital, No. 90-3415, 1992 W L 116376 (7th Cir. June 1, 1992), rehearing denied (July 22, 1992).
Islami v. Covenant Medical Center, 882 F. Supp 1361 (N.D. Iowa 1992).
GPH v. Giles, 578 N.E.2d 729 (Ind. App. 1991).

Bar Committees:
Vice Chairman, American Health Lawyer Association's Credentialing and Peer Review Practice Group, 1999-2005
Conducts Character and Fitness Interviews of candidates for the Indiana Bar on behalf of the Indiana Supreme Court, 1996-Present

Services:

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