James C. Dechene, JD

Senior Vice President and General Counsel, UW Hospital and Clinics

James C. Dechene, JD, joined UW Hospital and Clinics in 2009 after 29 years practicing with the Chicago office of the international law firm Sidley Austin LLP. His clients included physician groups, medical associations, hospitals, academic medical centers, pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies and other health care entities. His practice included a broad range of health care acquisitions and joint ventures, as well as reimbursement, regulatory, telemedicine, fraud and abuse and false claims act matters.

As General Counsel, Jim has responsibility for the legal, risk management, workers compensation and compliance departments. Jim has also served as Interim CEO of University Health Care since December, 2009. At University Health Care, Jim has responsibility for regional outreach and affiliation initiatives, managed care contracting, e-Care telemedicine programs, the Health Information Management Center and other UHC initiatives. Jim has been instrumental in establishing the American Family Children's Hospital at Watertown Regional Medical Center Joint Operating Agreement and developing the Affiliation Agreement and programs with SwedishAmerican Health Systems in Rockford.

Jim has been listed among the Best Lawyers in America and Chambers USA. Jim was an adjunct professor of law at the DePaul University College of Law Health Law Institute from 1987-2009. He developed and taught courses on health care reimbursement and delivery systems as well as health care fraud and abuse and issues related to Stark regulations. He has been an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School since 2010 and an adjunct professor at Loyola University School of Law's Beazley Institute for Health Law and Policy since 2011.

Jim earned his bachelor's degree in Mathematics summa cum laude from Santa Clara University, and his Juris Doctor magna cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School. He also received a master's degree and PhD in Economics from the University of Michigan. He is the co-author of Telemedicine and E-Health Law, and the author of Establishing a Physician Organization, Health Care Fraud & Abuse and Stark Issues and Health Care Reimbursement and Delivery Systems, as well as dozens of book chapters and articles on health care law.