2014 Virginia Legal Elite – Health Law

Molly Trant
Riverside Health System, Newport News

Title: Senior corporate counsel
Birthplace:  Austinburg, Ohio
Education: Bachelor’s degree, Ithaca College; law degree, Marshall-Wythe School of Law, College of William and Mary   
Spouse:  Timothy O. Trant II        
Children:  Elizabeth, 6; Timmy, 4
Hobbies or pastimes:  I enjoy outdoor activities with my family, such as boating and going to the beach. I also enjoy cooking and singing.
First job as a lawyer:  I started my career with Williams Mullen in the corporate law section.
Fan of: My children’s sports teams    
Favorite vacation spot:  Caribbean
Recently read books:  “The Sound and the Fury” and “The Giving Tree”
Career mentor:  Too many to name … I have been very fortunate to be exposed to numerous people throughout my professional journey that have helped shape me and my career.  I am grateful to them all.

Virginia has not expanded its Medicaid program. How will that decision affect health systems like Riverside?
Approximately 400,000 of our friends, neighbors, co-workers and fellow citizens, about 70 percent of whom live in working families, today are without access to affordable health care. Virginia’s decision not to expand Medicaid threatens the financial stability of hospitals and providers in our communities.  This will have an impact on the broader economy. Businesses and individuals in Virginia will pay higher premiums to offset the costs of charity care for the uninsured as well as being subject to new taxes under the Affordable Care Act.                      

What do you see as the most pressing development in health law?
The evolution of the Affordable Care Act.