Faculty Profile: Clevonne Jacobs

Vonne is the Principal and Founder of Creating Equity, PLLC, a boutique strategic advisory firm dedicated to assisting individuals and organizations in designing and executing straightforward solutions to complex problems. Creating Equity, PLLC is a manifestation of Vonne’s commitment to creating an equitable world by supporting people and organizations facilitating health equity.

Vonne previously served as Associate University Counsel for Duke University and Duke University Health System where she provided advice and counsel to one of the world’s preeminent health systems on a broad range of regulatory, operational, and transactional matters. Most recently, she served as Of Counsel in the Raleigh office of Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman where she specialized in transactional, operational, and regulatory matters for healthcare providers. After spending more than two decades serving as in-house and outside counsel for a broad range of organizations across the healthcare industry (including hospitals and health systems, academic medical centers, long term care facilities, physician organizations and specialty care providers), Vonne established her firm so she could deliver tailored strategic and operational advice to for-profit and not-for-profit healthcare entities supporting underserved communities – enabling them to manage regulatory challenges, achieve strategic objectives, and focus on delivering high-quality care to those who need it most.

Known for her practical leadership style, Vonne leverages her extensive expertise to offer clients pragmatic solutions for navigating complex issues in an efficient and cost-effective manner. A fierce advocate for equity in all spheres, she also consults with organizations on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion – focusing specifically on promoting health equity and facilitating belonging for historically excluded groups in the healthcare and legal industries.

An engaging & entertaining presenter, and nationally recognized as an expert in her field, Vonne is a frequent author and speaker on issues related to regulatory compliance (e.g., the Stark Law, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, HIPAA, etc.), hospital-physician transactions, physician compensation, corporate governance issues, and health equity. Vonne is a long-time member of the American Health Law Association (AHLA), having served on the Planning Committee for the AHLA Health Care Transactions Program and as the Vice-Chair of Membership for the In-House Counsel Practice Group. Vonne currently serves on the AHLA Development Advisory Council.

A lover of bourbon and an advocate for Black womxn everywhere, Vonne enjoys spending her days getting into good drink, good music, and good trouble.