Biography
When Denise Rose came to Jackson Walker, her primary experience was in the healthcare arena; however, in the time she has been at the Firm, she has expanded her practice across the business spectrum. Denise continues to work successfully for a broad array of clients on their legislative and regulatory issues, whether those issues are environmental, healthcare, local government, licensing, or procurement focused. She is adept at navigating the nuanced and complicated Texas budget process, and has successfully helped clients achieve their goals.
Denise has been working in and around the Texas Capitol for nearly two decades, and her strength is a deep knowledge of the legislative process and the people involved. She has cultivated relationships throughout the Texas Capitol and in state agencies. Denise provides effective strategic counsel to clients on a wide variety of issues, including but not limited to Medicaid and hospital finance, special utility districts, occupational licensing, health care quality, and agency rulemaking processes and requests for proposals. Denise is adept in the legislative drafting process. She represents non-profit organizations, nationally ranked hospitals, and Fortune 500 companies at the Capitol.
Prior to joining Jackson Walker, Denise served as Assistant Vice President for Legislative Affairs at the Texas A&M Health Science Center, where her work was primarily focused on the Health Science Center’s budget needs for the state’s healthcare workforce. Prior to the A&M Health Science Center, Denise served as the Senior Director of Government Relations at the Texas Hospital Association. She has years of experience tracking and analyzing legislation specific to hospitals and health-related institutions, and she has also drafted legislation, amendments, and expert witness testimony on various topics, as well as legislative appropriations requests and budget riders.
Previously, Denise served as the Government Relations Liaison for Texas Children’s Hospital and as a policy analyst at the Sunset Advisory Commission. She began her career at the Capitol as a Health Law Legislative Fellow for State Representative Vicki Truitt.
Education
B.S., University of Oklahoma
J.D., University of Houston Law Center
Bar Admissions
Texas, 2004
Areas of Focus
- Health insurance, including commercial and Texas Medicaid Managed Care
- State Budget Issues, including Hospital Finance, Medicaid and CHIP, and Higher Education Funding
- Healthcare Quality Initiatives
- Healthcare Workforce Issues
- Public Health Policy
- Sunset Commission Reviews
- Special Utility Districts
- Environmental quality issues
- Legislative drafting
Career Highlights
- Helped create the structure and wrote subsequent legislation that modernized the method by which Texas’ graduate medical education programs are funded.
- Assisted hospital client in passage of legislation creating a Certificate of Public Advantage and helped client successfully navigate this process at the state level.
- Assisted multiple hospital systems in recouping over $3 million in Medicaid payments.
- Successfully assisted a special utility district in passing legislation allowing them to dissolve.
- Helped pass legislation creating local provider participation funds, which give hospitals the ability to access additional federal funds for indigent healthcare. Passage of this legislation could result in $16 million in additional funding for hospitals in Dallas, San Angelo, Cedar Park, and Lufkin.
- Helped secure the largest funding increase in history for Family Violence program services
- Succeeded in obtaining the first significant rate increase for Meals on Wheels providers since 1993
- Helped pass legislation requiring all Texas Medicaid managed care plans to be accredited
- Assisted in the passage of legislation creating an independent medical review process for Texas Medicaid managed care denials and appeals
- Secured funding for Mobile STEM labs in areas of the state impacted by natural disasters
- Supporter of Women Award, Pink Granite, 2021
- Top Hired Gun, Capitol Inside Lobby Power Rankings, 2021
- Rising Star, Capitol Inside Lobby Power Rankings, 2019
Speaking Engagements
- “Economic Development in 2020 and Beyond,” Jackson Walker, the Valued Advisor Fund, the Texas Mezzanine Fund, and CHHS webinar (July 15, 2020)
- “Denise Rose,” Pink Granite podcast interview with Nelda Hunter (June 4, 2020)
- “What Phase 1 of Governor Abbott’s Plan to Reopen Texas Means for Texas Businesses,” Jackson Walker Fast Takes Podcast (May 1, 2020)
- Panelist, “Capitol Insiders Discuss State Policy,” Texas State Reform Health Policy Conference (2018)
- Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow, Class of 2020
- Leadership Texas, Class of 2020
- Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas
- Board of Directors
- Women of Courage Member
- Travis County Women Lawyer’s Association
- Texans Care For Children
- Board Member
- Treasurer
- GirlForward Texas Chapter, Founding Board Member, 2015-2016
- Wine and Food Foundation of Texas, Membership Committee
- Dress for Success Austin, Advisory Committee
- Mobile Loaves and Fishes, Volunteer
- GENAustin, Volunteer
- Texas Association of Business’ State PAC (BACPAC), Board Member, 2018