Overview

MaryEllen Pickrell advises healthcare companies and hospital systems when acquiring hospitals, healthcare facilities or physician practices and provides insight into the business side of transactional matters. With a strong corporate background, Ms. Pickrell provides real-world, strategic advice to companies on structuring myriad complex transactions in compliance with healthcare regulatory laws.

Ms. Pickrell advises providers on alignment strategies including the acquisition and divestiture of healthcare facilities, joint ventures with health systems, physicians and other healthcare providers, physician practice acquisitions, and regulatory issues. Her extensive experience includes:

  • acquisitions of tax-exempt facilities subject to state attorney general review
  • purchases of distressed facilities
  • joint ventures of hospital systems
  • acquisitions of facilities in competitive situations
  • acquisitions of physician practices

Ms. Pickrell's ability to handle client transactions from both financial and legal standpoints has made her a trusted advisor to CEOs, generals counsel and development officers seeking to increase market share or expand into new regions.

Representative Experience

  • Advised HCA Healthcare, Inc. in the acquisition of outstanding interests in 18 CareSpot urgent care facilities in Tennessee and Missouri
  • Represented HCA Healthcare, Inc. in its acquisition of 24 Texas MedSpring urgent care centers from Fresenius Medical Care
  • Advised HCA Healthcare, Inc. in its $450 million asset purchase of Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah, Georgia
  • Represented HCA Healthcare, Inc. in its acquisition of Richmond, Va.-based BetterMed, an urgent care practice with 12 locations
  • Served as special healthcare counsel to HCA Healthcare, Inc. in the acquisition of Meadows Regional Medical Center and part of Meadows Health
  • Assisted HCA Healthcare, Inc. in preparing for and commencing participation in the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced model
  • Represented HCA Healthcare, Inc. and its Methodist Physicians group practice in San Antonio, Tex. in its acquisition of RiverCity CardioVascular, a comprehensive cardiology practice with 11 physicians specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular and peripheral vascular heart disease
  • Represent HCA Healthcare, Inc. in a variety of intellectual property matters, including software licensing and information system analysis related to its transactions
  • Represented HCA Healthcare, Inc. in a joint venture development agreement for an academic medical center in Florida
  • Served as transaction counsel to RCCH HealthCare Partners in its joint venture with UW Medicine
  • Advised Ascend Management Innovations in its acquisition by MAXIMUS

Credentials

Education
  • Vanderbilt University Law School, J.D.
  • Williams College, B.A.
Bar Admissions/Licenses
  • Tennessee
Memberships
  • Nashville Bar Association
  • Tennessee Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • ABA Health Law Section
  • American Health Law Association
  • Nashville Health Care Council
Honors & Awards
  • The Best Lawyers in America guide, Corporate Law, 2009-2022; Mergers and Acquisitions, 2023
  • Nashville Business Journal's Health Care Innovation Awards, Legal Champion, 2021

Publications