Barbara J ZabawaBarbara J. Zabawa owns the Center for Health and Wellness Law, LLC, a law firm dedicated to improving legal access and compliance for the health and wellness industries. She is also Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Informaticsand Administration at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (UWM). Before graduating with honors from the University of Wisconsin Law School, she obtained an MPH degree from the University of Michigan. Immediately prior to starting her own firm, she was Associate General Counsel and HIPAA Privacy Officer for a large health insurer, where she advised on Affordable Care Act matters.
She was also a shareholder and Health Law Team Leader at a large Wisconsin law firm. In 2011, Barbara was named a Wisconsin Up and Coming Lawyer and in 2021 she was named a Health Law Trailblazer by the National Law Journal.
She serves health and wellness professionals and organizations across the country as an advocate, a transactional lawyer, and a compliance resource. Barbara is a frequent writer and speaker on health and wellness law topics, having presented for national organizations such as WELCOA, National Wellness Institute, HPLive, and HERO. She teaches health law and compliance for the UWM Masters in Health Administration program as well as the UWM undergraduate program in Health Administration.
Barbara's commitment to improving health and wellness is also demonstrated through her community service. Barbara sits on the Board of Directors for the National Wellness Institute, a national nonprofit organization that is the leader in providing professional development and engagement opportunities that support individuals from a variety of disciplines in promoting whole-person wellness. Barbara also founded the Wellness Compliance Institute, a nonprofit organization that seeks to educate individuals on wellness compliance issues. Barbara broadcasts a podcast called Lemonspark, which aims to provide hope and inspiration through stories of triumph from people who have overcome life's lemons. She also founded a clothing company called Pursesuitz, LLC featuring Pursesuitz Pocketwear. Finally, Barbara authored the book The Tug: Finding Purpose and Joy through Entrepreneurship, published by Henschel Haus publishing in 2021.
Barbara is licensed to practice law in both Wisconsin and New York. Read More Read Less