Director, Health Law Institute and Health Care Compliance Program
Professor of Law
About Professor Colombo
Professor Colombo is a professor and director of the Health Law Institute and Health Care Compliance Certification Program at Mitchell Hamline, where her responsibilities include the ongoing management and strategic growth and development of this nationally recognized program. While at Hamline Law, a predecessor school of Mitchell Hamline, she launched the online Health Care Compliance Certificate Program in 2012 and currently serves as the faculty lead for both the J.D. and online programs. Prior to her affiliation with Hamline, she served as an independent legal and policy consultant, providing advice to corporate, individual, and nonprofit clients.
Professor Colombo served as the assistant commissioner and principal regulator of Minnesota nursing homes, hospitals, health plans, emergency medical services, and health occupations for seven years. While in this role, she collaborated closely with the Minnesota legislature and numerous stakeholders, serving as one of the primary architects of the Minnesota’s comprehensive health care reform law. She started her career as a critical care registered nurse, working at several of Minnesota’s largest health care systems.
I have always considered myself, first and foremost, to be an advocate for patients and health care consumers. Mitchell Hamline’s Health Care Compliance Program offers our students an opportunity to learn the laws and regulations that form the underpinnings of our health care delivery system, and gain the skills to help ensure that this system promotes patient safety, cost effective quality care, and organizational compliance and ethics.”
Education
B.S., R.N., cum laude, College of St. Teresa
J.D., cum laude, William Mitchell College of Law
Experience
Mitchell Hamline School of Law: director, Health Care Compliance Certification Program, 2015-; assistant teaching professor, 2015-.
Hamline University School of Law: assistant teaching professor, 2007-2015.
Assistant commissioner, Minnesota Department of Health, 1991-1999.
General counsel and vice president of enterprise development; Araz Group, Bloomington, Minn.; 1994-1995.
Associate attorney and law clerk; Robins, Kaplan, Miller and Ciresi; 1986-1991.
Registered nurse – post anesthesia recovery, Abbott Northwestern Hospital, 1985-1988.
Registered nurse – newborn intensive care, University of Minnesota Medical Center-Fairview, 1983-1985.
Registered nurse – surgical trauma ICU, St. Mary’s Hospital-Rochester, 1981-1983.
Leadership and service
Gov. Mark Dayton appointee, Minnesota Racing Commission, 2015-.
President, Minnesota Horse Welfare Coalition, 2014-2017
Member, board of directors, Animal Humane Society, 2007-2014.
Chair, board of directors, Park Nicollet Institute.
Member, board of directors, Fraser Community Services.
Member, National Health Lawyers Association.
