Kristen R. Rice

As a former Regional Ombudsman for Long Term Care, Kristen brings unique insights to her role as a Nursing Home Litigation Attorney at the Kosieradzki Smith Law Firm. Kristen is a tenacious attorney who has seen too often abuse and neglect in nursing homes and assisted living settings. She works tirelessly to hold long term care facilities accountable for neglect and unacceptable care that results in what would otherwise be preventable catastrophic injury or death.

Upon graduation from William Mitchell College of Law, Kristen became a trial attorney advocating on behalf of victims of the negligence of others. In addition to client advocacy, Kristen has worked to hold wrongdoers accountable and to promote justice on behalf of all victims in our community by serving on the Board of Governors and the Executive Committee of Minnesota Association for Justice (MAJ).  She is also a past President of the Hennepin County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

Kristen joined the Office of Ombudsman for Long Term Care in 2015 as a Regional Ombudsman. Through that job she advocated for residents of long-term care facilities in all matters related to quality of care including staffing concerns (numbers, training, competencies), daily care issues (call light response time, infection control, person-centered care planning and implementation, quality of food, appropriateness of activities, cleanliness of the facility, etc.) refusals to readmit after hospitalization, and representation at involuntary discharge hearings. Kristen has been at the bedside of residents in countless facilities offering support and advocacy as they negotiated the oftentimes confusing and disappointing world of long-term care.

Kristen is also an advocate for animals. She has been a council member and officer in the Animal Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association for over ten years.