Nursing Home Community Care Expert Witness

Expert Witness No.1131

South Carolina

Professional Profile

Strong medical/health care background includes over 15 years of hospital, OR and nursing related
experience.

Legal Nurse Consultant with 11 years of experience in multiple, medical and non-medical case reviews.

Experienced serving as trusted resource to ER physicians, cardiologists, multiple, specialty surgeons and other
health care professionals.

Outstanding management skills. Highly experienced building, leading and developing teams of up to 50
personnel.

Recognized expert in 12 surgical specialties.

Focused on results. Saved $250,000 in medical costs by streamlining surgical instrumentation and $120,000
by overhauling medical supply replenishment.

Cited for unfailing diligence and total dedication, by reviewer, who added: “(Expert1131) is a
Superbly gifted and talented nurse her leadership style inspires a strong sense of teamwork.”
   

Education

Master of Science: Nursing (Administration, Leadership, and Perioperative Nursing  emphasis), University of Maryland at Baltimore (1997). GPA 3.7.

Bachelor of Science: Nursing, School of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina (1986). GPA 3.0.
   

Experience

Medical Case Manager: Rehabilitation Case Management, Southern Rehabilitation Network, Inc. (November 2003 – Present)

Litigation Support Service Team, Review and analyze medical records in preparation for depos and trials.  Specializing in LTC and community care standards.  Assess medical, vocational, financial and behavioral needs of referred injured workers. Recommends and implements rehabilitation plan and actions to obtain maximum medical potential and return to work.

Legal Nurse Consultant: US and International (1992 –present)

Testimony as an expert in perioperative nursing given in several court-martial trials. Other examples of cases reviewed include elder care, long-term care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, sexual abuse, drug abuse, etc..

Risk Management Officer: Charleston Naval Hospital, Charleston, SC (1999 - 2001).

Ensure safe, responsive health care delivery system by leading quality and safety initiatives.
Lead monthly in-service sessions. Serve as expert resource to physicians, administrators and other professionals on leadership, team building and related issues. Manage staff of four.

Designed and set up hospitals first risk management website to increase staff awareness and create opportunities to earn continuing education units (CEUs).
   
Charge Nurse: San Diego Naval Medical Center, San Diego, CA (1997-1999).

Directed nursing and administrative activities for general surgery, main operating room (MOR).
Involved average monthly caseload of 1,000 and full range of surgical procedures. Managed $600,000 annual budget and supervised 50 health care professionals.

Also served as Continuous Quality Improvement/Risk Management Officer. Cited by 
JCAHO for outstanding risk management program, contributing to Accreditation with Commendation.

Awarded Navy Achievement Medal for superior performance. Achieved 66% reduction in number of laparoscopic systems used in operating room.

Reduced orientation time per employee by 16 hours as result of laparoscopic standardization.
   
Duty under Instruction: Baltimore, MD (1995-1997). Selected over more-senior officers to attend graduate school full-time for MS degree.
   
Charge Nurse: Roosevelt Roads Naval Hospital, Puerto Rico (1993-1995).

Directed nursing and administrative activities for MOR and Sterile Processing Department.

Directly supervised 10 personnel. Also served as Hospital Infection Control Officer, as well as Quality Assurance, Risk Management and Total Quality Leadership Officer for MOR.

Overhauled deficient infection control program, vastly increasing productivity. Cited by JCAHO
surveyors for successful program turnaround.
 
Charge Nurse: National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD (1990-1993).

Directed nursing and administrative activities for Urology, General Surgery and Vascular specialties in Main Operating Room. Directly supervised 30 personnel.

Awarded Navy Achievement Medal for superior performance as Charge Nurse of General Surgery Specialty aboard USNS Comfort (hospital ship) during Desert Shield/Storm.

Awarded Navy Achievement Medal for superior performance as Charge Nurse of Urology, General Surgery and Vascular specialties.

Saved Navy Medicine $120,000 and eight hours of inventory requirements per week by
consolidating consumable supplies used by multiple services.
Staff Nurse: Charleston Naval Hospital, Charleston, SC (1986-1990).

Served as Staff Nurse for Internal Medicine and GYN/Post-Partum wards.
Completed Perioperative Nursing course. Supervised up to 10 personnel.
Awarded Navy Achievement Medal for leadership during Hurricane Hugo and aftermath.

Additional Information

Awarded five Navy Achievement Medals for professionalism, leadership skills, clinical and 
administrative expertise at three Naval Hospitals and aboard Naval hospital ship.

Sales & Marketing experience: design HTML newsletters for multiple, local businesses.

Member of the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants

Computer skills include Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, Outlook, Flash Presentation, HTML
formatted e-mail, ORIS, ORMS, OMNI-Server, RES-Q RN, PRO/Scheduler, and MEDITECH.

Seminars: Total Quality Leadership, Team Building, Facilitator Training, Leadership and Management.
Published Author: "Humor in the Leadership Role," Surgical Services Management Journal, 1997.