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Heather O. Berchem

Member

hberchem@harrisbeachmurtha.com
D: (203) 772-7728  
- New Haven, CT Office
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Partner Heather O. Berchem
Profile
Representative Matters
Resources
Distinctions

Heather advises nursing homes, assisted living communities, CCRCs, and other providers on a wide range of regulatory, compliance, risk management and reimbursement issues.

Her practice includes assisting clients with regulatory compliance, survey and certification issues; IDRs and IIDRs; ALJ appeals; licensure and changes of ownership; certificates of need; Medicare and Medicaid audits and appeals; HIPAA compliance; investigation and reporting of security breaches; contract and policy drafting and review; developing and implementing corporate compliance programs; and responding to subpoenas and investigations by federal and state agencies.

Heather serves as counsel to the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities, the Massachusetts Assisted Living Association, and the Connecticut Assisted Living Association. She serves on the American Health Care Association’s National Legal Committee, is a contributing author of “Fifty State Survey of Certificate of Need and Licensure: Nursing Homes, Assisted Living, Home Health, and Hospice” and a co-author of the “Assisted Living Communities and Continuing Care Retirement Communities” chapter in The Post-Acute Care Handbook: Regulatory, Risk and Compliance Issues, both published by the American Health Lawyers Association.

Heather has lectured on a wide variety of long-term care and health care topics both at the state and national level. She also served as a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for the American Health Lawyers Association’s (AHLA) LTC-SIR Advisor.

Insights
June 16, 2021

OSHA Announces COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard for Healthcare Industry

On January 21, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety. The order directed the Occupational
News
August 20, 2026

123 Harris Beach Murtha Lawyers Recognized as 2027 Best Lawyers® Award Recipients; 10 Earn “Lawyer of the Year” Recognition

Best Lawyers honorees are selected through a peer-review process evaluating professional excellence within specific practice areas and geogr
June 4, 2026

15 Harris Beach Murtha Attorneys, Eight Practice Areas Earn Recognition in Chambers USA 2026

Chambers and Partners is an independent professional legal research company operating across 200 jurisdictions.
May 7, 2026

Heather Berchem Quoted on Proposed Assisted Living Regulations

Heather wrote a letter to the Massachusetts Attorney General raising concerns the draft regulations.
October 21, 2025

20 Harris Beach Murtha Attorneys Selected to 2025 Connecticut Super Lawyers and Super Lawyers: Rising Stars Lists

Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers in the state are selected to Super Lawyers and 2.5 percent to Rising Stars.
August 21, 2025

More Than 100 Harris Beach Murtha Lawyers Recognized as 2026 Best Lawyers® Award Recipients; 11 Earn “Lawyer of the Year” Recognition

Best Lawyers provides trusted, peer-reviewed recognition of top legal professionals, helping clients find credible, experienced counsel.
June 5, 2025

Chambers USA 2025 Rankings Recognize 18 Harris Beach Murtha Attorneys and Nine Practice Areas

The independent legal research company operating across 200 jurisdictions delivers rankings and insights about leading lawyers and firms.
October 9, 2024

20 Murtha Cullina Attorneys Listed Among 2024 Connecticut Super Lawyers® and Super Lawyers: Rising Stars®

Fifteen attorneys from Murtha Cullina have been selected to the 2024 Connecticut Super Lawyers® list, and five attorneys have been selected
August 15, 2024

41 Murtha Cullina Attorneys Receive Best Lawyers in America® Recognitions

Forty-one attorneys from Murtha Cullina LLP have been selected for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® and five at
Events

Heather Berchem Presenting at Massachusetts Assisted Living Association’s 2025 Conference & Tradeshow

October 30, 2025
Heather Berchem to present at Massachusetts Assisted Living Association’s 2025 Conference & Tradeshow

Brendan Venter and Heather Berchem Presenting Webinar for Massachusetts Assisted Living Association

September 10, 2025
Brendan Venter and Heather Berchem presenting, “Immigration Updates 2025: What Assisted Living Leaders Need to Know.”

Heather Berchem to Present Session III of Connecticut Health Care Association Best Practices Webinar

January 22, 2025
Heather Berchem will present a Best Practices Webinar for CAHCF/CCAL on the new Interpretive Guidance, effective March 24.

Heather Berchem to Speak at Massachusetts Assisted Living Association’s Regulations Training

June 20, 2024
Heather Berchem will speak at the MASS-ALA’s Regulations Training on “Negotiated Risk: How to Effectively Use Negotiated Risk Agreements…
External Publications
June 1, 2024

Presenter, "Negotiated Risk: How to Effectively Use Negotiated Risk Agreements in Assisted Living,"  Massachusetts Assisted Living Association - Webinar

June 1, 2022

“What Can/Cannot be Done in Assisted Living as it Relates to Mobility Aids, Service Animals, Dining Practices, Marketing Materials, and More,” Massachusetts Assisted Living Association

April 19, 2021

Quoted, "Masonicare sees opportunity to reposition as pandemic continues to batter nursing home sector," Hartford Business Journal

December 1, 2017

“Legal Update,” Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities

May 1, 2017

“Top Changes from the Mega Rule,” Massachusetts Chapter of the American College of Health Care Administrators

Contributing author, "Fifty State Survey of Certificate of Need and Licensure: Nursing Homes, Assisted Living, Home Health, and Hospice" American Health Lawyers Association

Co-author, “Assisted Living Communities and Continuing Care Retirement Communities” chapter in The Post-Acute Care Handbook: Regulatory, Risk and Compliance Issues, American Health Lawyers Association

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Professional and Civic

  • Connecticut Bar Association
  • Massachusetts Bar Association
  • American Health Lawyers Association
  • Connecticut Health Lawyers Association
  • American Health Care Association, National Legal Committee Member
  • Murtha Cullina Executive Committee (2016-2020)

Recognition

  • Listed as a leading healthcare lawyer in Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business
  • Holds an AV Preeminent® Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™
  • Best Lawyers, Health Care Law, since 2018
  • Best Lawyers, “Lawyer of the Year,” Health Care Law, 2021. 2023, 2025, 2027
  • Connecticut Super Lawyers®, Health Care, 2015-2021 and 2024
  • James W. Cooper Life Fellow of the Connecticut Bar Foundation
Admissions
ConnecticutMassachusettsU.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
Education

Boston University School of Law

JD 

University of California at Berkeley

BA 

Capabilities

Industry Teams

Co-Leader for:

Long-Term Care

Member of:

Long-Term Care
Health Care
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Partner Heather O. Berchem

Heather O. Berchem

Member

hberchem@harrisbeachmurtha.com
Capabilities
People
Harris Beach Murtha Attorneys at Law
Partner Heather O. Berchem

Heather O. Berchem

hberchem@harrisbeachmurtha.com
D: (203) 772-7728
New Haven, CT Office

Profile

Heather advises nursing homes, assisted living communities, CCRCs, and other providers on a wide range of regulatory, compliance, risk management and reimbursement issues.

Her practice includes assisting clients with regulatory compliance, survey and certification issues; IDRs and IIDRs; ALJ appeals; licensure and changes of ownership; certificates of need; Medicare and Medicaid audits and appeals; HIPAA compliance; investigation and reporting of security breaches; contract and policy drafting and review; developing and implementing corporate compliance programs; and responding to subpoenas and investigations by federal and state agencies.

Heather serves as counsel to the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities, the Massachusetts Assisted Living Association, and the Connecticut Assisted Living Association. She serves on the American Health Care Association’s National Legal Committee, is a contributing author of “Fifty State Survey of Certificate of Need and Licensure: Nursing Homes, Assisted Living, Home Health, and Hospice” and a co-author of the “Assisted Living Communities and Continuing Care Retirement Communities” chapter in The Post-Acute Care Handbook: Regulatory, Risk and Compliance Issues, both published by the American Health Lawyers Association.

Heather has lectured on a wide variety of long-term care and health care topics both at the state and national level. She also served as a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for the American Health Lawyers Association’s (AHLA) LTC-SIR Advisor.

Areas of Expertise

Industry Teams

Co-Leader for:

Long-Term Care

Member of:

Long-Term Care
Health Care
Please select listing to show.

Admissions

ConnecticutMassachusettsU.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts

Distinctions

Professional and Civic

  • Connecticut Bar Association
  • Massachusetts Bar Association
  • American Health Lawyers Association
  • Connecticut Health Lawyers Association
  • American Health Care Association, National Legal Committee Member
  • Murtha Cullina Executive Committee (2016-2020)

Recognition

  • Listed as a leading healthcare lawyer in Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business
  • Holds an AV Preeminent® Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™
  • Best Lawyers, Health Care Law, since 2018
  • Best Lawyers, “Lawyer of the Year,” Health Care Law, 2021. 2023, 2025, 2027
  • Connecticut Super Lawyers®, Health Care, 2015-2021 and 2024
  • James W. Cooper Life Fellow of the Connecticut Bar Foundation
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. © 2026 Harris Beach Murtha Cullina PLLC
Content current as of October 13, 2026 12:51 pm