Stacey Tovino

We know you are passionate about health law and policy. Has your recent scholarship addressed health law issues raised by COVID-19?

Yes. I just placed my first spring article, "Assumed Compliance," in the Alabama Law Review. This article examines recent federal health privacy bills, including the Smartwatch Data Act, Mind Your Own Business Act, Protecting Personal Health Data Act, and Data Care Act, and proposes new legislation that will better balance patient privacy and public health in light of COVID-19 and other health emergencies. My second spring article, "Not So Private," is almost ready for submission. "Not So Private" presents an original survey of federal and state data de-identification standards and demonstrates how data that are fully de-identified in accordance with these standards (including data regarding patients with COVID-19) are being re-identified with the help of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics. "Not So Private" offers an alternative to law-based de-identification standards; that is, a prohibition against re-identification.

How do you continue to write during COVID-19? 

We have many resources that support our research at UNLV Law and these resources continue to be available during COVID-19. I have always worked closely with the Law Library Faculty in the Wiener-Rogers Law Library, especially Professor Lena Rieke. On a daily basis, Professors Rieke provides me with pdf. copies of the current medical literature and I reference that literature in my writing the following day. I miss seeing the Law Library Faculty in the Law Library. However, I am grateful for the incredible support they continue to provide on a remote basis.