Celeste P. Lira, J.D., R.N., Attorney
Celeste devotes her time to helping clients with health and hospital law. She represents hospitals, health care systems, physicians, nursing homes, clinics, home care providers, group practices, and individual healthcare providers. She handles such matters as medical malpractice defense, contracts, medical staff issues, Medicare fraud and abuse, risk management, physician contracts, regulatory matters, daily operational issues, Stark laws, privacy and peer review.
She has successfully represented physicians before the Texas Board of Medical Examiners, and nurses before the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners as well as clients before the EEOC, Texas Workforce/Employment Commission, as well as at administrative hearings.
Celeste’s pre-law background as a registered nurse and health care administrator allows her to apply a business understanding to healthcare law. She has served as a Practice Manager and assisted in the up-start of multiple physician offices. Her pre-law healthcare experience includes serving in management functions such as: Hospital Admissions Director; Coordinator for the Nursing Department Hospital Review; Liaison to physician office practices and coordinator of the education program for Physicians Office Managers. She has been a guest speaker for the Texas Medical Association, Texas Nurse Association, National Defense Research Institute and the Texas Department of Health, among others.
Celeste currently holds Registered Nursing Licenses from the states of Ohio and Texas. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the Texas Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute and the American Association of Nurse Attorneys.
She is admitted to the State Bar of Texas and is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Celeste earned a J.D. from St. Mary’s University, School of Law in 1990.