Jodi Hirsch

Jodi Hirsch is vice president for legal affairs at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland. After starting a career in nursing, Hirsch pursued a law degree to provide a voice for nurses in the legal field. For more than three decades, she worked as a medical malpractice defense lawyer representing doctors and nurses and served as in-house counsel for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation, West Penn Hospital, Allegheny Health Network, and University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. Before joining UCSF, she served as general counsel, corporate secretary, and senior vice president for Lifespace Communities, a leader in the management of continuing care retirement communities and acute care health centers.

Hirsch earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Alfred University, followed by a Juris Doctor degree from the Duquesne University School of Law. She is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and Iowa and recently passed the bar exam in California.

Hirsch has authored several educational modules on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and compliance for the Child Health Corporation of America (a national alliance of specialty hospitals). She co-authored a chapter on the combined medical and legal aspects of pediatric anesthesia in Smith's Anesthesia for Infants and Children, a leading textbook for doctors training in pediatric anesthesia, and a comprehensive reference for practitioners.