Legal Nurse Consultant Certified Expert Witness

Expert Witness No. 371

Education

1998 – 2005   California State University, Sacramento, CA
Masters in Nursing (Completed 8.05) Case Management Certificate Program (Completed 5.03)

2002 –2003, University of Florida Life Care Planning Certificate Program

1985 1987, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA Masters in Public Administration, Health Services Administration

1978 – 1980, California State University, Sacramento, CA Bachelors of Science, Nursing

1973 – 1977, University of California, Davis, CA Bachelors of Science, Zoology

Awards

State of California, Superior Accomplishment Gold Award      2002

Licenses

Licensed Registered Nurse, State of California 1980 - Present
California Public Health Nursing Certificate 1980 – Present

Certifications

Medicare Set-aside Consultant Certified (MSCC), 2005 - Present
Certified Case Manager (CCM),   2005 - Present
Certified Life Care Planner (CLCP), 2003 - Present
Legal Nurse Consultant Certified (LNCC), 1998 - Present
Professional Clear School Nurse   Services Credential , 1997 - Present
Case Management Certificate, 1997 - Present
Quality Management Certificate, 1993 - Present
Pediatric Advanced Life Support Provider (PALS), 1992 - Present
Advanced Cardiac Life Support Instructor, 1989 - Present
Certified Nursing Executive, Board Certified (NE-BC),   1987 - Present
Trauma Nursing Core Course Provider (TNCCP), 1987 - 1991
Mobile Intensive Care Nurse (MICN), 1987 - 1990
Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN), 1986 - Present
Advanced Cardiac Life Support Provider (ACLS), 1980 – Present

Professional Experience

October 2008 – Present

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Sacramento, CA
California Prison Health Care Services Litigation Management Unit, Third Level Appeals- Health Care Nurse Consultant Program Review

Review, research, and perform clinical investigation of third level appeals filed in patients confined in California prisons or on parole to determine if care is in accordance with regulatory and departmental standards.  Identify potential risk management issues and work with the institutions to implement strategies which promote risk reduction and improvement in quality patient care along the health care continuum.

2000 – 2008

California Department of Health Services/Public Health, Sacramento, CA

2004 – 2008 

Chronic Disease and Injury Control Division, Medicine and Public Health Section
Center for Gerontology - Nurse Consultant III Specialist and Chief

Develop clinical protocols; provide professional education and technical assistance to Public
Health Nurses and County Health Department grantees of the Preventive Health Care for
Adults program.  Provide nursing leadership and consultation to other internal programs:
School Health, Asthma, Diabetes, Oral Health, and Physical Activity; and external agencies,
programs, and coalitions regarding various healthy aging issues across the lifespan.
Responsibilities include monitoring clinical, contractual, and fiscal program element;
performing on-site programmatic and chart reviews to ensure delivery of quality services
according to regulatory and professional standards.

April  2003

Maternal Child and Adolescent Health Branch, Child and Adolescent Health Unit

October 2004

Nurse Consultant II
Provided nursing consultation services, policy development and program
recommendations for Maternal Child and Adolescent Health programs including
comprehensive case management programs :Adolescent and Family Life Program and
Adolescent Sibling Pregnancy Prevention Program; Oral Health and  School Health
Services.  Program consultation and technical assistance encompassed a collaborative
approach with program grantees.  Responsibilities included development of scope of
work, providing programmatic technical assistance, monitoring contractual and fiscal
program elements, and performing on-site programmatic and chart reviews to evaluate the
programs and ensure quality and delivery of services according to statewide standards. 

2000 – April 2003

Medi-Cal Managed Care, Office of Clinical Standards and Quality Nurse Consultant II
Provided nurse consulting services, policy development, and program recommendations
while applying recognized clinical standards and quality principles.  Developed statewide
clinical quality review training curriculum for ongoing training of professional staff which
incorporated current State, Federal, and professional practice standards.  Responsible for
all aspects of project coordination including budget and logistics for multi-site trainings.
Coordinated a  State Task Force charged to develop a methodology to define and identify
the Children with Special Health Care Needs population to meet Federal requirements to
facilitate the delivery of  coordinated quality services.  Prepared multiple comprehensive
reports integrating policy, statute and task force recommendations for administrative
action.

1997 - Present

Los Rios Community College District, Sacramento, CA
Nursing, Assistant Professor - Provide intermittent clinical instruction to nursing students for Los Rios Community College ADN programs.  Provided full time Nursing instruction to Semester 1 nursing students. Approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing at the highest instruction level to teach Med- Surg, Pediatrics, and Geriatrics

1997 – 2000

Roseville City School District, Roseville, CA
School Nurse - Provided health related services to multiple K-8 school sites which included health and prevention education, special education assessments, community outreach, case management, and program coordination; while applying public health and acute care clinical standards.

1991- Present

MFC Consulting, Sacramento, CA

Nurse Consultant - Provide legal nurse consulting services which include expert witness services: medical record analysis and case evaluation regarding adherence to or deviation
from the standard of care.  Provide evaluations and litigation support including literature research, comprehensive medical chronologies, and written summaries. Other consulting services include Life Care Planning, Case Management, Medicare Set Aside allocation; and estimating the lifetime medical costs for catastrophic events and chronic conditions.

1990 – Present

Mercy General Hospital, Sacramento, CA
Staff Nurse, Clinical Coordinator/Assistant Manager, Emergency - Provide acute care nursing services to all types and ages of emergency patients while directing the operations of the emergency department.  Coordinated research program for acute myocardial infarction (MI - heart attack) patients and assisted with research of acute stroke patients.  Clinical expertise includes emergency, pediatrics, medical surgical intensive care, and recovery room.

1988 – 1990

NorthBay Medical Center, Fairfield, CA  
Director of Emergency Services - Provided emergency nursing management for the trauma service, base station, emergency department in a multi-facility health care system. 

1987 – 1988

Seton Medical Center, Daly City, CA
Supervisor, Emergency Department - Provided direct patient care and emergency department management for urban trauma service medical center.

1985 – 1987

Methodist Hospital, Sacramento, CA
Administrative Supervisor, Nursing Department - Responsible for hospital administration and supervision of all employees on the evening shift.  Provided patient care as needed in all clinical areas.

1980 – 1985

Sutter Memorial Hospital, Sacramento, CA
Charge Nurse and Staff Nurse - Provided acute nursing services in critical care units: coronary, intensive, medical/surgical and emergency.

Professional Affiliations

Academy of Certified Case Managers -   2006 - Present
American Association of Nurse Life Care Planners - 2005 - Present
International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals - 2003 - Present
Case Management Society of America - 2002 - Present
California Association of Healthcare Quality - 2002 – Present ;
National Association of School Nurses - 1997 – Present
California School Nurses Association - 1997 - Present
Greater Sacramento Area Chapter of the American - 1995 - Present
Association of Legal Nurse Consultants; Board member including President,
Secretary, Treasurer, Director at Large
American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants - 1991 – Present
Emergency Nurses Association -   1986 – Lifetime Member
Sigma Theta Tau, National Honor Society of Nursing - 1980 - Present
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi -1980 – Lifetime Member

Publications

Available upon Request