BIOETHICS AND THE LAW; TOBACCO CONTROL; LAW, POLICY AND ETHICS OF ACCESS TO HEALTH COVERAGE; UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS

Professor Hermer joined the Institute for the Medical Humanities in 2007.

Before her appointment in the Institute and in UTMB's Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, she was a research professor at the Health Law and Policy Institute at the University of Houston Law Center.  There, her work focused on bioethics and the law, and on the law and policy of health coverage in the United States, with an emphasis on private coverage and Medicaid.  In addition to doing her own research, she taught in the Law Center, worked with Texas legislators on analysis of current and proposed legislation, and worked with the (then) Department of Public Health on state preparedness for public health emergencies.  Prior to her appointment at the Law Center, she practiced law at Kruse, Luccia and Evans, LLP, focusing on medical malpractice defense, employment law, and family law.

Professor Hermer’s work at the Institute encompasses several different areas.  Much of her current research focuses on Medicaid policy, in particular the historic and present tensions between the federal and state governments in directing and funding the program, and the impact these struggles have had, not just on beneficiaries, but also on the greater health care system.  Additionally, and building on prior work in tobacco control, Professor Hermer leads a team on a grant to track and analyze Texas municipal secondhand smoke ordinances.  The project, ongoing since 2000, has culminated in a searchable and regularly updated database (www.utmb.edu/shsordinances) that allows users to assess municipal protections against secondhand smoke by protected area, city, county, population, and other factors.  Professor Hermer also directs the Health Economics and Policy Theme in the School of Medicine.  In this role, she works with the SOM course and clerkship directors to develop and integrate a curriculum in health economics, policy and medical jurisprudence into the existing SOM curriculum.

Recent peer-reviewed publications:

Brody, H, Hermer, L. Professionally responsible malpractice reform.  J Gen Internal Med (forthcoming 2011)

Hermer, L.  Medicaid, low income pools, and the goals of privatization.  Georgetown J. Pov Law and Pol 2010; 17(3): 405-422.

Hermer L, Brody H.  Defensive medicine and health reform:  toward an evidence-based approach.  J Gen Internal Med 2010; 25: 470-73.

Gingiss P, Boerm M, Huang P, Hermer L.  Changes in population coverage by Texas smoke-free ordinances: 2000-2007.  Am J Prev Med 2009; 36(2): 91-95.

Hermer L.  Personal responsibility:  a plausible social goal, but not for Medicaid reform.  Hastings Center Rep 2008;p 38(3): 16-18.