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Amy Bulpitt was introduced at a young age to showing compassion for others, as demonstrated by her parents. Her father, a physician who put his “heart and soul” into his practice and her mother, an artist who did the same for those with disabilities and behavioral health issues by providing art therapy, exposed her through their vocations. She wanted to follow their teachings and make a positive impact on people.
“I knew I wanted to give back to healthcare providers and patients, especially those who are the most vulnerable in our society—people who are marginalized,” she says. “Healthcare is highly regulated, and law seemed like a good path to ensure a broad impact on the industry and those it serves.”
After she graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University with a bachelor’s degree in history, Bulpitt obtained her law degree and health law certificate from St. Louis University School of Law and her MBA from Washington University’s Olin School of Business. Her career began at a boutique firm that specialized in medical malpractice defense, where she represented physicians.
“It was a great learning experience, and I truly enjoyed learning the art of litigation and caring for physicians as they care for others. However, I knew something was missing for me, I just couldn’t pinpoint it at the time,” she says. “Then I was presented with an opportunity to join HSHS [Hospital Sisters Health System] St. John’s Hospital. After starting, I realized the missing piece was supporting a mission that focused on care for all people.”
That’s why Bulpitt was interested in joining HSHS, a multi-institutional healthcare system that cares for patients in thirteen hospitals and hundreds of clinics and ambulatory care sites across Illinois and Wisconsin. She began her career with HSHS in 2010 and has spent the last nine years as its senior vice president and chief legal officer.
“What attracted me to HSHS was the mission and what has kept me at HSHS is that and my extended HSHS family,” she explains. “I was able to practice the kind of law I truly enjoyed and with people who have made a lasting impact on my personal and professional growth. I try to learn from all people at every level of the organization.”
That’s what’s made the health system her home.
“The role of the chief legal officer has changed,” she explains. “When I came, we didn’t have in-house lawyers; I was the first one at St. John’s.” The first HSHS general counsel started in 2010 and partnered with Bulpitt and two other lawyers in leadership roles to build the office of general counsel from the ground up. “It was hard work, but we have had a phenomenal team of people who wanted to protect HSHS and its colleagues and worked to create something that would be sustainable and nimble to change with the law and the healthcare industry.”
Designing the internal legal infrastructure for a major healthcare system was a monumental task that Bulpitt took on with fewer than five years of legal experience. “There were nights we wouldn’t leave [work] until the early morning hours, trying to figure out how to give structure to an office of general counsel and add value to our client,” Bulpitt recounts. “Our focus was on how we could keep clinicians at the patients’ bedsides and help them do their jobs without worrying about legal matters and serve as strategic legal advisors to leadership.”
At the time, the department concentrated on legal services and teaching people how to use in-house lawyers. Bulpitt took over as head of the department nine years ago. Then, four years ago, Damond Boatwright became CEO and changed the responsibilities of her position.
When Boatwright arrived, Bulpitt was solely a general counsel. Boatwright serves as an inspiration to Bulpitt as he helped her feel supported and taught her how to lead a multidisciplinary team.
“I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given and do not shy away from the work we have ahead of us.”
Amy Bulpitt
Today, she manages the legal team, which includes two general counsel (one for Illinois, one for Wisconsin) and five other skilled lawyers. She has shared oversight for the HSHS CISO and also leads a team of thirty people in the functions of governance, advocacy, compliance, risk management, and risk financing through a captive, internal, and external audit.
When HSHS experienced a cybersecurity attack in 2023, Bulpitt’s team was instrumental in enacting a quick, effective response. These colleagues help make up her extended family along with countless others, whom she views as instrumental to her own development.
“Amy Bulpitt’s leadership at Hospital Sisters Health System, with her focus on strategic risk management and serving marginalized communities, mirrors Gallagher Bassett’s mission as a claims and risk management partner,” says Rob Blasio, managing director of GB Specialty at Gallagher Bassett. “Her visionary leadership and fostering of a positive culture have set HSHS on a path to enduring success.”
Though she has a lot on her plate, Bulpitt’s number one priority is clear: to protect the HSHS mission and serve her team. “HSHS takes care of those who are marginalized. Our team acts as guardians of the mission,” she notes. “To have that mission, HSHS and other nonprofit healthcare providers must attain financial sustainability.
“This requires the office of general counsel to find ways that mitigate enterprise risk for the organization. We are integral players in finding ways to maintain the sustainability of Catholic healthcare, rural healthcare, and not-for-profit healthcare. We help ensure our teams can provide access to high-quality healthcare when and where people need it most. We want to be viewed as partners to our business and clinical leaders as they navigate turbulent times in the industry.”
Her team has worked to simplify workflows and provide efficient services. Bulpitt has also spearheaded well-received HSHS initiatives to address workplace violence, malpractice tort reform, and the modernization of governance at HSHS.
Ultimately, Bulpitt believes her calling is to serve, yet she emphasizes that she receives more than she has given. “I have learned from my team members and my mentors and continue to look for ways to provide solid strategic legal advice and leadership to those who have given so much to me. I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given and do not shy away from the work we have ahead of us.”
McDermott is the leading health and life sciences law firm in the US. Clients turn to us to drive innovative deals and advise on contentious disputes, enforcement risks, and regulatory issues. Our dynamic events produce transformative partnerships, and our advocacy firm McDermott+ helps clients navigate legislative obstacles. We are top ranked in Best Law Firms, Chambers, and Legal 500, and have received Law360’s “Practice Group of the Year for Healthcare” multiple times. We advise top biopharmaceutical companies, investors, healthcare providers, health systems, payors, healthcare technology companies, and other key players revolutionizing the industry.
Polsinelli PC has one the largest health care practices in the country in addition to one of the most experienced groups of incident response attorneys in the country. The heads of our incident response team have been counseling clients in connection with breach notification laws since California passed the first breach notification law in 2003. The Polsinelli team also includes alumni of regulatory agencies charged with enforcing privacy and security regulations, such as the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. Collectively, our attorneys have handled more than 4,000 data security incidents and have counseled clients through nearly every conceivable type of incident, from system-wide malware and ransomware attacks, network intrusions and misconfigurations, to third-party/business associate breaches and email compromises.
