For over 30 years, Joy Heath’s practice has focused on the representation of clients in the health care industry. She assists providers in monitoring and responding to opportunities to develop new capacities and advises on state-specific issues related to private equity arrangements, large-scale transactions, and a range of health care development initiatives.

For over 30 years, Joy Heath’s practice has focused on the representation of clients in the health care industry. She assists providers in monitoring and responding to opportunities to develop new capacities and advises on state-specific issues related to private equity arrangements, large-scale transactions, and a range of health care development initiatives.

Joy is particularly adept in helping clients navigate all phases of the Certificate of Need (CON) process from applications for CON approvals to contested case and appellate litigation in Washington, D.C., North Carolina, and Florida. She provides counsel to behavioral health providers, chemical dependency treatment facilities, hospitals and health care systems, long-term care providers, physician practices, home health and hospice providers, medical equipment suppliers, diagnostic imaging companies, and specialty providers.

In connection with her CON work, Joy regularly assists providers with buying, selling, and relocating health care facilities and equipment, negotiating arrangements, maintaining compliance, and navigating regulatory hurdles. She represents provider clients in disputes, including litigation and arbitration matters, as well as in strategic planning, acquisitions, and transactions involving beds and services.

Joy collaborates with colleagues in the firm’s Health Care Section to deliver comprehensive legal services to provider clients, including help in navigating both day-do-day operations and special concerns arising from audits and investigations, as well as with advice on HIPAA, corporate practice of medicine (CPOM), the Stark law, and Anti-Kickback compliance.      

Joy co-chairs the Membership & Diversity Committee of the Health Law Section and is a member of the Women in the Profession Committee of the North Carolina Bar Association. She is the president-elect and is the former treasurer of the Out of State Division of The Florida Bar. Joy was honored by the National Council of Alpha Chi Omega with a 2022 Award of Achievement as an alum receiving national attention in her profession.

Joy is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in public policy and received her law degree with honors from the University of Florida in 1986. She is admitted to practice law and actively represents clients in Florida, the District of Columbia and North Carolina.

Prior to joining Williams Mullen, Joy owned her own firm, where she practiced for 15 years. She previously headed the health care practice for the Raleigh office of Moore & Van Allen, PLLC and before that, practiced in Washington, D.C. with Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld.

  • Provided state-specific advice and representation to a private equity group in connection with a diagnostic imaging transaction.
  • Assisted an orthopaedic practice with multiple CON initiatives, including the development and expansion of surgery center offerings.
  • Assisted an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) with compliance with post-CON reporting obligations.
  • Provided North Carolina CON advice on the acquisition of a behavioral health facility.
  • Assisted a specialty services provider in expanding its existing surgery center.
  • Represented a home health services company in strategic planning and expansion of agency operations.
  • Represented an orthopaedic physician practice in CON strategy and filings for diagnostic imaging capacities.
  • Provided strategic planning advice to a gastrointestinal practice related to a potential expansion and relocation of an existing endoscopy center.
  • Prepared CON applications for a skilled nursing and assisted living provider for bed relocation projects. Assisted the client with compliance with post-CON reporting obligations.
  • Provided advice and representation to a long-term care provider in re-negotiating long-term operations leases.
  • Assisted a diagnostic imaging provider in securing CON approval in the District of Columbia for the acquisition of an existing imaging center.
  • Assisted an orthopaedic practice with the legal aspects of the development of a CON-approved surgery center, including physician buy-in agreements and corporate filings.
  • Assisted a gastrointestinal practice in receiving CON approval to expand an endoscopy center and with compliance with post-CON reporting obligations.
  • Assisted a hospital with compliance with post-CON reporting obligations.
  • Represented a diagnostic imaging provider in securing CON approval to relocate a multi-modality imaging center within the District of Columbia.
  • Assisted a gastrointestinal practice in developing a strategy and a CON application for a proposed facility relocation.
  • Represented an orthopaedic practice on all CON aspects of its operation, including equipment exemptions and CON filings.
  • Represented an oncology practice in securing CON approval for a PET scanner. Assisted the client with compliance matters related to post-CON reporting obligations.
  • Represented a hospital in seeking leave for an amicus filing before the NC Supreme Court on a significant CON legal issue.
  • Assisted an orthopaedic practice group in securing MRI CON approval in a competitive review.