At Regent Surgical Health, our Executive Leadership Team plays a vital role in shaping our strategy, culture, and future. Through our ELT Spotlight series, we’re proud to introduce the leaders who guide our mission and drive operational excellence across the organization.
Meet Melissa Szabad, General Counsel. Melissa brings extensive healthcare regulatory expertise and a collaborative spirit to her role, helping ensure Regent remains compliant, innovative, and aligned with our values.
Tell us a little about your background and what brought you to Regent.
Before joining Regent, I spent my career at McGuireWoods as a healthcare regulatory and transaction attorney, where most of my clients were ASCs and ASC management companies. I had the pleasure of working closely with the Regent team throughout my time there.
I wasn’t actively looking to make a change, but when Regent leaders reached out about the General Counsel position, I knew I had to seriously consider it. I’d always admired the people and the culture—it was clear that Regent was a special place to work. I joined in July 2021 and couldn’t be happier with my decision. I feel very fortunate to work with such amazing people every day.
What’s your top priority or initiative right now for Regent and our ASCs?
Compliance is always a top priority for me. I want to ensure our entire team understands our Code of Conduct and Compliance Program through regular training, and that everyone knows the different ways to report a compliance concern, including the Regent Compliance Hotline. I know our team members are committed to doing the right thing, and it’s my job to make sure they have the knowledge and tools to do that.
What are the biggest regulatory or legal trends affecting ASCs right now?
Compliance with federal and state kickback laws remains a key priority for ASCs. Fortunately, because our industry is well established, the government has provided extensive guidance on how to comply with these laws. Still, kickbacks can take many forms and arise in a variety of situations. It’s not always obvious when something might raise a concern. That’s why the Regent legal department focuses heavily on training our team to identify potential issues early and bring them to us before they become problems.
How do you collaborate with operations and clinical leaders to ensure compliance without slowing innovation?
Open, ongoing communication is the key to collaboration. One of the legal team’s primary roles is to mitigate risk, and the easiest response to a new idea is often to say no—but that’s not always the best answer for our company, our partners, or our patients. Our legal, operations, and clinical teams stay in constant communication so we can fully understand each issue and work together to find solutions that balance risk with innovation.
What do you enjoy most about working at Regent?
Without a doubt, the people and the culture are the best parts of working at Regent. They’re what brought me here and what keep me here. I truly appreciate working alongside so many kind, intelligent, hard-working, and fun people.