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Melinda Monson

Melinda Monson

Partner

Direct Dial: 203-577-5100
mmonson@stockmanoconnor.com
Newtown Office

Melinda Monson is a Registered Nurse and an Attorney.  She practiced medical-surgical and critical care nursing between 1979 – 1990.   In 1990 she entered the private practice of law where her primary areas of focus for 18 years included medical malpractice and professional licensure defense, representing many health systems and health care providers throughout Connecticut.  In 2008, she transitioned in-house to Western Connecticut Health Network (WCHN) to oversee the clinical risk management program for a multi-hospital system which also included a large medical group practice, emergency medical and home care services.  Melinda’s primary responsibilities at WCHN encompassed management of professional and general liability, Workers Compensation, cyber, and D&O claims, as well as oversight of the clinical risk and insurance programs.  In May of 2019, Melinda returned to private practice joining the firm of Stockman O’Connor Connors as a partner, with a focus on the defense of medical malpractice and professional licensure matters.  She also serves as a consultant to health care clients on clinical risk management issues.  Melinda is admitted as an attorney in Connecticut and New York and practices in state and federal court.  She is also actively licensed to practice nursing in Connecticut.  In addition, Melinda is an adjunct professor in the Master’s in Health Care Administration program at Western Connecticut State University and is an active presenter on various health care topics at both the state and national level.

Practice Areas

Bar Admissions

  • Connecticut, 1990
  • New York, 2019

Education

  • William Rainey Harper Community College, Associate Degree in Nursing, 1979
  • Northern Illinois University, Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, 1982
  • Northern Illinois University, Master’s Degree in Nursing, 1985
  • University of Bridgeport School of Law, Juris Doctorate, 1990

Memberships

  • American Bar Association
  • Connecticut Society for Health Care Risk Management
  • DRI
  • The American Association of Nurse Attorneys

Publications

  • “Physicians as Professional Peer Reviewers”, The University of Bridgeport Law Review, 1990
  • “Designing a Geriatric Unit: An Innovative Approach”, Nursing Management, February 1991
  • “Emergency Psychiatric Admissions (Chapter 29)” and “Impaired Nurses (Chapter 48), Quick Look Nursing – Legal and Ethical Issues, 2000
  • “Should you Hire that Nurse?”, Nursing Management, October 2001
  • “License to Practice: For Keeps?”, Nursing Management, November 2001
  • “Psychiatric Crises and Emergency Admissions”, Nursing Management, December 2001
  • “What to Know About Duty to Report”, Nursing Management, May 2005
  • “Disclosing Adverse Events: You Said It, Now Write It”, Nursing Management, August 2006

Speaking Engagements

  • “Can They Sue Me for That? Common Legal Issues for Nurses”, Eastern Connecticut Health Network, 2008
  • “Mock Trial”, Norwalk Hospital, 2008
  • “Counsel for the Crisis: Shootings and Violence in Health Care”, DRI, 2011
  • “Counsel for the Crisis: Shootings and Violence in Health Care”, 21st Annual New England Healthcare Risk Management Conference, 2012
  • “Healthcare Violence in the Workplace”, Health Care Initiatives, 2012
  • “Violence in Healthcare Facilities: A Risk Manager and Security Consultant Share Their Experiences with Active Shooter Events”, North Carolina ASHRM, 2012
  • “Social Media Realities and Risks”, Horizons, 2013
  • “Do’s and Don’ts of Nursing Documentation”, American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses, 2013
  • “Counsel for the Crisis: Shootings and Violence in Health Care”, International Society for Healthcare Security and Safety”, 2013
  • “Avoiding Risky Handoffs and Minimizing Liability”, Connecticut Society for Respiratory Care, 2014
  • “Counsel for the Crisis: Violence in Healthcare”, Florida Society for Healthcare Risk Management and Patient Safety, 2014
  • “Electronic Health Records: Where We Were and Where We Are Going”, Connecticut Society for Respiratory Care, 2015,
  • “Advance Directives: The Legalities and Realties”, GE Capital, 2017
  • “Legal Ramifications of Child Abuse: Obtaining a Defensible Medical History”, Child Abuse Symposium, 2017
  • “Advance Directives: The Legalities and Realties”, Maplewood Senior Living, 2018
  • “Social Media and Nurses: Managing the Risks and Rewards”, Horizons, 2018
  • “Documentation Do’s and Don’ts”, Western Connecticut State University, annually 2013-2019
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