Overview

Christina Strong focuses her practice on healthcare law and the general corporate representation of non-profits. She has provided counsel on such diverse issues of regulatory compliance as HIPAA, Fraud and Abuse, Human Subjects Research and Intellectual Property. She is particularly committed to serving in an outside General Counsel role, which allows her to focus on a small number of clients in great depth.

Her work in healthcare law and policy involves representing numerous non-profit and provider organizations, as well as trade groups, medical societies, and individual providers and practices. Christina has particular expertise in the areas of organ and tissue donation for transplant, education, and research, and has been closely involved in state and national law and policy development concerning authorization for and allocation of organs and tissues, neurologic death, donation after circulatory death and medical examiner law development, as well as end -of life issues.  In 2006, she received the “Executive Director’s Award” of the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations for her work in national healthcare policy development. Christina served as the Chair of the American Association of Tissue Banks “Consent and Authorization Task Force”, presiding over the successful two-year project to update accreditation standards in accordance with national and international legal and ethical precepts. Most recently, she co-wrote the Editorial for the British Medical Journal on the Nuffield Bioethics Council’s report on anatomic gifts.

A frequent speaker on legal and policy topics, Christina endeavors to stimulate civil discussion on topics at the intersection of law, health care and bioethics. She served as a member of the New Jersey Bar Association’s End of Life Task Force, and was appointed to the Board of New Jersey Health Decisions, a non-profit organization involved in end-of-life decisions policy. She also taught “Patient-Centered Health Law” at Rutgers University School of Law-Newark, as an Adjunct Professor in Health Law.

Representative Experience

Cannabis

  • Provided in-depth legal counsel to first of its kind non-profit Alternative Treatment Center in New Jersey, from inception and initial licensure through complex regulatory, compliance and operational issues.
  • Negotiated numerous contracts and transactions, facilitating the provision of treatment to medically needy patients in New Jersey. The representation culminated in the successful transfer of its permit to a multi-national company.
  • Assisted in the crafting of ground-breaking legislation permitting fair transfer of cannabis entities, while maintaining access to medicinal users.
  • Serves as counsel to first-of-its kind in New Jersey non-profit research institution devoted to quality, access and equity for medicinal cannabis users.

Anatomical Gifting & Transplant

  • Represents numerous organ donation entities, medical research institutions, tissue banks, eye banks and life sciences organizations in the furtherance of their goals to save lives through donation and transplant.
  • Instrumental in the drafting and passage of the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act and other state and federal law concerning donation and transplant.
  • Nationally sought after speaker on organ donation and transplant issues.
  • Serves nationally as a donation consultant in time-sensitive matters.
  • Provided legislative testimony and consultation in New York, New Jersey, California, Texas and numerous other states in issues as diverse as organ donor privacy, the use of HIV organs, coroner relationships and end-of-life planning.  

Privacy

  • Advised multi-national medical product company on response to international data breach. In addition, took a lead role in strategy development in response to existential state and international legal and regulatory challenges.
  • Created updated privacy policies for numerous non-profits in response to changes in international and California privacy laws.

Non Profit Governance & Compliance

  • Responsible for the creation and implementation of Corporate Compliance, Code of Conduct and associated policies and procedures for heavily regulated health-care entities.
  • Advises numerous non-profits on advice on how to form, structure and govern their corporations in order to best support their crucial missions.

Professional & Community Activities

  • Adjunct Professor, Rutgers School of Law, Newark, New Jersey 2014 to present
  • Trustee, Trinity Counselling Service, Princeton, NJ 2019 to present
  • Trustee, Donate Life America, 2011 – 2019
  • Observer to National Council of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, Uniform Anatomical Gift Act Committee, 2004 – 2006. Stakeholder Committee on UAGA Enactment, 2006 – 2009.
  • Member, American Health Lawyers Association, 1991-present
  • Member, New Jersey State Bar Association, Health and Hospital Law Section, 2003 –  present. End of Life Task Force, 2009-present. Professional Responsibility Committee, 1991 – 1992.
  • Officer/Trustee, Hi-Tops, Inc. 2005-2009
  • Trustee, New Jersey Health Decisions/Social Workers Palliative Care Network, 2007-2009
  • Essex Inns of Court, William J. Brennan, Jr. Chapter, 1989 – 1991
  • Treasurer, Princeton Memorial Association, 1988 – 1990
  • Citizens Committee on Biomedical Ethics, Central New Jersey Chapter, 1990 – 1994
  • Community Representative, St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Hospital Ethics Committee, 1993 – present
  • Member, Association of the Bar of the City of New York, Biomedical Ethics Committee, 1998 – 2000

Speeches & Presentations

  • Speaker, United Network for Organ Sharing, Region 5 Collaborative Meeting, “First  Person Authorization for DCD Donors”,  Las Vegas, Nevada, August 2019
  • Speaker, Association of Bioskills Laboratory Excellence Annual Meeting, “Legal Considerations for Bioskills Events”, Chicago, Illinois, August 2019
  • On-Line Presenter, Practising Law Institute “Giving Life at the ‘End of Life’ – Legal Considerations,” February 2019
  • Speaker, Mid-South Transplant Foundation, Inc. “Legal Aspects of Donation” Memphis, Tennessee, April 11, 2018
  • Speaker, Greater New York Hospital Association, “Making It Happen” November, 2017
  • Speaker, New York City Bar Association, New York Alliance for Donation Symposium: “The Rare Chance: Legal Aspects of Donation” April, 2017
  • Speaker, Association of Bioskills Laboratory Excellence Annual Meeting, “Legal Trends”, Clearwater, Florida, August 2016
  • Guest, WHYY Philadelphia Public Radio “The Pulse” Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 2016. newsworks.org/pulse/thebody/
  • Presenter: Live Training and Webinar, “The Gift of Oneself”, OneLegacy, Los Angeles, California, February 2016
  • Trainer: “Why We Are Here: Facilitating the Gift of Life” LiveOnNY, New York, New York, April, 2016
  • Speaker: NJ Sharing Network Annual Symposium: “Life Is a Gift”, Edison, New Jersey, November 2015
  • Presenter, Webinar: “Core Elements of Authorization, American Association of Tissue Banks, April 2015
  • Speaker, Hospital Executive Leadership Summit, LifeShare Transplant Donor Services of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, April 2015
  • Speaker “Anatomical Gifting at the End of Life” , NJ State Bar Association, Princeton, New Jersey October 2015,
  • Contributing Author: Bioethics, 4th Edited by Bruce Jennings. Farmington Hills, MI: Macmillan Reference USA, 2014
  • Speaker, “Anatomical Gifting in New York” New York County Lawyers Association, NYC, May 2014
  • Featured Presenter, California Transplant Donor Network Symposium, San Jose, CA “Legal and Ethical Aspects of Donation”, October, 2013
  • Editorial, (with Teresa Shafer) Donation of Bodily Material for Medicine and Research, British Medical Journal 2011; 343 doi: 10.1136/bmj.d6839 (Published 26 October 2011)
  • Key Note Speaker, UNOS Region 6, Honolulu Hawaii, September, 2011
  • Speaker, “First Person Donation Authorization: Legal Requirements And
    Basis For Action,” Hospital Attorneys and Risk Managers, Houston, Texas, August, 2011
  • Curriculum Development and Video Presenter-“Heroes Act”–University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Center for Continuing and Outreach Education July-August 2011
  • Co-Presenter, “Sources and Uses of Health Data in the Electronic Health Information Age” Practice Group Luncheon, American Health Lawyers Association Annual Meeting, June, 2011
  • Speaker, “WHOSE BODY IS IT? The Law of Donor Designated Individual Anatomical Gifts in New York State,” SUNY Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics, State University of New York, Stony Brook, April 2011
  • Task Force Chair, American Association of Tissue Banks, Consent Standards Revision, March 2009- June 2011
  • Author, with Sheldon Kurtz, JD and David Gerasimow, The 2006 Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act-A Law to Save Lives, Health Lawyers News, February 2007.
  • Speaker, “Uniform Anatomical Gift Act”, National Association of Medical Examiners Annual Meeting, October 2006.
  • Award Recipient, Annual Executive Director’s Award, Association of Organ Procurement Organizations, 2006.
  • Speaker, “Antitrust for Physicians”, New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians. December, 2003.
  • Speaker, “HIPAA Privacy Issues”, Eye Bank Association of America, 2003
  • Author, “Organ Donation: What Hospitals Need to Know,” Garden State Focus, February 2000.
  • Panelist, “Ethical Issues Involved with Procurement of Organs for Transplantation,” Medical Society of State of New York, Committee of Bioethics, April 1999.
  • Televised appearance, “Legal Issues in Organ Donation,” Legal Café, Court TV, 1998.

Publications

Representative Experience

Cannabis

  • Provided in-depth legal counsel to first of its kind non-profit Alternative Treatment Center in New Jersey, from inception and initial licensure through complex regulatory, compliance and operational issues.
  • Negotiated numerous contracts and transactions, facilitating the provision of treatment to medically needy patients in New Jersey. The representation culminated in the successful transfer of its permit to a multi-national company.
  • Assisted in the crafting of ground-breaking legislation permitting fair transfer of cannabis entities, while maintaining access to medicinal users.
  • Serves as counsel to first-of-its kind in New Jersey non-profit research institution devoted to quality, access and equity for medicinal cannabis users.

Anatomical Gifting & Transplant

  • Represents numerous organ donation entities, medical research institutions, tissue banks, eye banks and life sciences organizations in the furtherance of their goals to save lives through donation and transplant.
  • Instrumental in the drafting and passage of the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act and other state and federal law concerning donation and transplant.
  • Nationally sought after speaker on organ donation and transplant issues.
  • Serves nationally as a donation consultant in time-sensitive matters.
  • Provided legislative testimony and consultation in New York, New Jersey, California, Texas and numerous other states in issues as diverse as organ donor privacy, the use of HIV organs, coroner relationships and end-of-life planning.  

Privacy

  • Advised multi-national medical product company on response to international data breach. In addition, took a lead role in strategy development in response to existential state and international legal and regulatory challenges.
  • Created updated privacy policies for numerous non-profits in response to changes in international and California privacy laws.

Non Profit Governance & Compliance

  • Responsible for the creation and implementation of Corporate Compliance, Code of Conduct and associated policies and procedures for heavily regulated health-care entities.
  • Advises numerous non-profits on advice on how to form, structure and govern their corporations in order to best support their crucial missions.

Insights