As a double alumnus, member of the NSU Shepard Broad College of Law (NSU Law) Board of Governors, and donor, Jay A. Ziskind, J.D., D.P.A., has a rich history with NSU.

His first introduction to the university dates back to the 1970s when a friend suggested he pursue a doctorate in public administration at a small school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. At only 28-years-old, Ziskind had recently taken over Cedars Medical Center, which was bankrupt at the time, and wanted to explore opportunities in public administration. He decided to enroll.

“At the time, NSU was focused on individuals who were already in the workplace, as opposed to students who were just at the beginning of their academic careers,” Ziskind said. “I made some great connections and experienced great networking, which was part of the academic experience. I also met someone by the name of Abraham Fischler, who was president of the university.”

A few years later, Ziskind was ready for a change of direction in his career. For him, that meant furthering his education. He settled on law school as his next opportunity. Ziskind was not interested in looking around for schools, so he contacted Fischler to learn what would be required to attend law school at NSU.

“He said NSU was always looking for a mix of students, not necessarily those just out of getting a college degree, but students who have had some experience,” Ziskind remembered. “I said, ‘Well, if that’s the case I’m your guy.’ I didn’t even apply to any other schools. As they say, the rest is history. I went to work for the three years, graduated, and picked up my law degree.”

Fast-forward more than two decades, and a representative of NSU Law contacted Ziskind. He remembered being hugely impressed with the university’s growth when he returned to campus for lunch with the then-dean of the law school.

“I was blown away with what had been done,” Ziskind said. “To form what is one of the foremost universities in the state of Florida, and probably in the Southeast, is what got me started again with NSU.”

When determining how he wanted to give back to the university, Ziskind decided to combine three of his passions—education, health, and law—and establish a lecture series that would provide educational opportunities in the fields of health and law. He worked to ensure the series would offer continuing education credits to attendees and overcame the challenges of Zoom to offer the inaugural lecture last year. More than 200 people virtually joined the event.

“We had a wonderful speaker who talked about the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on certain communities,” Ziskind said. “It was extremely timely. I was surprised that we got as many participants as we did, but it worked out fabulously well.”

The second annual Jay A. Ziskind Health Law Lecture Series will be held on Thursday, October 21 at noon over Zoom. Continuing education credits are once again available for attendees. This year’s topic is “Mapping the Future of Health Care Post COVID-19: Legal and Delivery Considerations” and features four panelists who will discuss issues in medical education, health care operations, ethics, and changing regulations as the health care industry continues to adapt to the global pandemic.

Speakers include

• Charles Gressle, president, HCA East Florida Division, discussing the changes to hospital and health delivery systems as a result of COVID-19
• Bill Sage, M.D., J.D., professor of law, University of Texas School of Law, James R. Dougherty chair for faculty excellence and professor in the Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care at Dell Medical School, talking about ethical issues in the health care system
• Lisa Tripp, J.D., associate professor of law, John Marshall Law School, speaking about the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other regulatory responses to COVID-19 and beyond
• Elaine M. Wallace, D.O. M.S.⁴, dean of NSU’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, discussing changes to medical education as a result of COVID-19

 

“We have recruited four absolutely incredible speakers,” said Ziskind. “It’s a diverse group, and I think this format is going to bring out a lot of topics that are timely and important to our audience.”

Ziskind hopes that professionals in both health care and health law will take something away from every speaker, especially since the opportunity does not require the fees normally associated with educational seminars and conferences. “There’s something for everyone in this program that is, by the way, no cost,” Ziskind said. “I think if you hold any position in the law or health care and have any interest in these topics, you have to tune in.”

In addition to his support of the lecture series, Ziskind was recently asked to chair the Board of Governors Development Committee. In this role, he hopes to help NSU Law increase major gifts and scholarships. One of the challenges the college currently faces is that tuition at other law schools housed in nearby public universities is considerably less than the cost of an education at NSU. Scholarship offerings would help offset these costs and attract even more high-caliber students.

“Law school education is not cheap,” Ziskind explained. “If we want to compete as a private school, we need to raise scholarship money. We hope to identify law firms in the South Florida community that have NSU graduates at their top levels to join us in this challenge. Their support will make a big difference in not only recruitment, but also retention of competent law students who will then become superb lawyers.

“I also believe that if you’re an NSU law alumni and you’ve had a successful law practice, or you’re currently engaged in a successful law practice, it only makes sense to contribute back to your law school. Paying it forward should be alive and well.”

For more information about giving opportunities at NSU’s Shepard Broad College of Law, contact Tiffany D. Garner, M.S., J.D., director of development and adjunct professor of law, at (954) 262-6261 or via email at tiffany.garner@nova.edu.