Thomas L. Bell
Thomas L. Bell has a long career working on behalf of those who provide healthcare services in Kansas, giving him a unique understanding of the healthcare delivery system. After graduating cum laude from Washburn University School of Law, he clerked for Justice Harold Herd of the Kansas Supreme Court. Subsequently, he practiced at Goodell Stratton Edmonds and Palmer before he took a position with the Kansas Hospital Association.
Mr. Bell recently retired from the Kansas Hospital Association after 35 years of service, starting as vice president and legal counsel and taking over as president and CEO in 2005. As part of his leadership at KHA, Mr. Bell advocated on behalf of Kansas hospitals, especially in areas of maintaining the state’s strong tort laws, holding managed care companies accountable, reversing proposed Medicaid cuts, and most recently in moving Kansas closer to adoption of Medicaid expansion. He also helped provide healthcare providers with a better understanding of the ever-growing number of regulatory requirements and how those requirements impact the delivery of healthcare services.
Additionally, Mr. Bell served as the president of the Kansas Health Services Corporation and APS; and chairman of the Board of the Health Alliance of MidAmerica, a joint venture between KHA and the Missouri Hospital Association. He served on the boards of the Kansas Hospital Education and Research Foundation, the KHA Workers Compensation Fund, the Kansas Health Information Network, and the Kansas Healthcare Collaborative.
Beyond his state leadership role, Mr. Bell was also very involved in regional and national health care-related initiatives, and served in numerous leadership capacities with the American Hospital Association.
Mr. Bell was appointed by Governor Laura Kelly as a member of the Governor’s Council on Medicaid Expansion and to the Executive Committee of the Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Taskforce, which was initially responsible for oversight of the statewide distribution of CARES Act funding related to COVID relief. Mr. Bell was also appointed by Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt to the Health Care Stabilization Fund Board of Governors.
Mr. Bell has developed tremendous respect and admiration for the work that those who provide healthcare do in an increasingly complicated and challenging environment. He uses his decades of experience to provide his health care clients with counsel on a wide variety of matters including, compliance, reimbursement, corporate governance, licensure, accreditation, and transactions, allowing them to focus on providing high levels of patient care and service.
Mr. Bell is a member of the Kansas Association of Hospital Attorneys and the American Health Lawyers Association. Tom currently serves on the boards of the United Methodist Health Ministries Fund; Humanities Kansas; Stormont Vail Health and Thrive Kansas.