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Health Care Arbitration Training

Schedule

This training is designed to be highly interactive, encouraging participants to fully engage throughout the training. Attendees will take part in group exercises and discussions. Those unable to participate in the December Training, please note, we will offer another Training May 18-21, 2026. If you are interested in signing up, submit your name and we will contact you when registration is open.

Tuesday, December 9, 2025

11:00 AM - 11:25 AM

Welcome and Introductions

Geoff Drucker

11:25 AM - 12:25 PM

1. Arbitration Process and Agreement to Arbitrate

Stuart M. Widman

  • Key Steps
  • Legal Overlay
  • Tailoring the process to specific situations
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

2. Process for Selecting an Arbitrator | Arbitrator Ethics and Disclosures

Melvia B. Green

  • Options and Processes for Arbitrator Selection
  • Communications between Parties and Arbitrators
  • Arbitrator disclosures
  • Codes of Arbitrator ethics
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Lunch Break

2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Group Exercise on Ethics

Melvia B. Green

3:15 PM - 3:30 PM

Break

3:30 PM - 4:15 PM

3. Arbitrator Authority and Responsibilities

Andrew F. McBride

  • Scope of Arbitrator authority
  • Jurisdiction determinations
  • Role of Arbitrator
  • AHLA rules that support the Arbitrator in making a determination
  • Managed arbitrations

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

11:00 AM - 12:10 PM

4. Pre-Hearing Process

Melissa (Lisa) M. Thompson

  • The Rule 5.4 Status Conference
  • Procedural issues
  • Substantive issues
  • Fact Discovery
  • Expert Witnesses Disclosures and Discovery
  • Non-Party Subpoenas
  • Motion Practice
  • The Scheduling Order
12:10 PM - 12:15 PM

Break

12:15 PM - 1:15 PM

5. Managing Health Care Documents in Arbitration

Melissa (Lisa) M. Thompson

  • Basic terms and concepts
  • Distinctive features
  • Establishing ground rules for the production of ESI
  • Sampling
1:15 PM - 1:45 PM

Lunch Break

1:45 PM - 3:00 PM

Group Exercise on Arbitrator Authority and Preliminary Hearings

Andrew F. McBride | Melissa (Lisa) M. Thompson | Stuart M. Widman

3:00 PM - 3:15 PM

Break

3:15 PM - 4:00 PM

6. Overcoming Unconscious Bias in Decision-Making

Geoff Drucker

  • What is unconscious bias
  • What causes bias
  • Best practices for deciding fairly

Thursday, December 11, 2025

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

7. Arbitration Hearings

Andrew F. McBride

  • Pre-hearing submissions
  • Opening and closing arguments
  • Evidence: ground rules and guidelines
  • Managing time and emotions
  • Closing and reopening the hearing
12:00 PM - 1:15 PM

Group Exercise on Arbitration Hearings

Andrew F. McBride | Melissa (Lisa) M. Thompson

1:15 PM - 1:45 PM

Lunch Break

1:45 PM - 2:45 PM

8. AHLA Rules and Procedures

Geoff Drucker | Trainers

  • Serving as an AHLA neutral
  • Joining the roster
  • Positioning yourself for success
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Understanding AHLA's rules of procedure for arbitration
  • Managing challenging situations
  • Pro se (unrepresented) parties
  • Uncooperative parties or unruly behavior
  • Sanctions in arbitration
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM

9. Awards and Orders

Stuart M. Widman

  • Interim Orders
  • Partial Final Awards
  • Form / framework of awards
  • AHLA rules on awards
  • Drafting of awards
  • Corrections

Friday, December 12, 2025

11:00 AM - 12:15 PM

Group Exercise on Awards and Orders

Andrew F. McBride | Stuart M. Widman

12:15 PM - 1:15 PM

10. Post-Hearing Issues

Melvia B. Green

  • Confirmation of the award
  • Vacating an award
  • Application of state law
  • Application of Federal Arbitration Act (FAA)
  • Limitations of review and manifest of disregard of the law
  • Appellate consideration
1:15 PM

Final Remarks and Conclusion

Geoff Drucker | Trainers