AHLA Announces Craig Holden as New President-Elect Designate

The Board of Directors of the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA) announced today that S. Craig Holden has been selected as the new President-Elect Designate.

As President-Elect Designate, Mr. Holden will play a key role in guiding the Association’s programming and educational efforts leading up to his term as President, which will begin July 1, 2020. Mr. Holden has served on AHLA’s Board of Directors from 2011–2017, was Chair of the Fraud and Compliance Program from 2005–2010, received the 2012–2013 Patricia Meador Leadership Award for outstanding volunteer service, and has served in other pertinent AHLA leadership roles over the years.

“I am delighted that Craig was selected and that he is willing to serve the Association in this new capacity,” said Eric Zimmerman, AHLA Board President. “He is a respected and appreciated leader within AHLA, his firm, the broader national legal community, and in his hometown of Baltimore. AHLA is lucky to have him.”

David S. Cade, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of AHLA, agrees, “Craig is a consummate leader, strategic thinker, and diplomat. We are fortunate to have someone with Craig’s talents and business savvy joining the Association’s Presidential line, to help us rise to new heights as we embark on our next strategic plan.”

Mr. Holden, a Shareholder with Baker Donelson, focuses his practice on serving clients in all areas of the health care industry, with particular emphasis on advising clients on Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse issues, pharmaceutical pricing issues, Medicare and other third-party reimbursement issues, and general compliance matters. He has also represented numerous health care industry clients in government fraud and abuse investigations.

Mr. Holden is a former trial attorney with the Inspector General Division, Office of the General Counsel, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). At HHS, he was responsible for litigating actions imposing civil money penalties and assessments, as well as suspensions from Medicare and Medicaid participation, based on violations of the Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse statutes. He has been extensively involved in issues arising under the anti-kickback provisions of the Social Security Act and in the drafting and passage of the Medicare and Medicaid Patient and Program Protection Act of 1987.

Mr. Holden earned his B.A. from the Catholic University of America and his J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.