Offering a comprehensive and updated review of both health law and ethics, Legal and Ethical Essentials of Health Care Administration, Fourth Edition provides the reader with the necessary knowledge to become conversant with both legal and ethical issues pertinent to the healthcare profession. Using reader-friendly language, the book presents actual court cases, state and federal statues, and common-law principles to help the student understand the practical application of the concepts learned. The author includes a broad discussion of the legal system, including the sources of law and government organization as well as basic reviews of tort law, criminal issues, contracts, civil procedure and trial practice, and a wide range of real-life legal and ethical dilemmas that caregivers have faced as they wound their way through the courts. Updated thoroughly, the Fourth Edition includes: * Important recent changes to health care law, including a thorough discussion of how Dobbs v. Jackson has altered the law concerning abortion in the U.S. * Discussion of contemporary issues such as COVID-19, the opioid crisis, abortion law, and more. * Numerous new and updated case studies, derived from cases that have been litigated or discussed in the press, illustrate important legal and ethical issues. * Revised and updated research and sources to accurately reflect current law. * Dynamic, real-world focus that engages readers to apply the concepts learned to the issues they will potentially face.