Biomedical Rehabilitative Medical Expert Witness

EDUCATION:

Master of Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1984. Awarded scholarship for academic excellence covering tuition, fees and stipend.

Bachelor of Science, Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 1981.  Graduated with honors.

EMPLOYMENT:

July, 2012 – present
Director of Occupational Health and Wellness
University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, Virginia

Responsible for merging Employee Health, the Employee Same Day Clinic, and UVA-WorkMed into one business unit within the Health System. Assess business operations, pursue strategies to improve quality, customer satisfaction, and efficiency. Take action to expand UVA’s market share in employee wellness and occupational health services. Continue to manage and oversee the delivery of rehabilitation engineering services.

September, 2007 – July, 2012
Director, Rehabilitative Services and UVA-WorkMed University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, Virginia

Responsible for the strategic planning, program development, and operational management of the Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Language Pathology, Rehabilitation Engineering, and UVA- WorkMed programs within the Health System. Develop and oversee budgets that exceed $6 million dollars. Oversee programs that employ more than 80 employees. Oversee clinical research and grant funded activities performed by rehabilitation, occupational-medicine, and health/wellness clinicians.

November, 2004 – present Manager, UVA-WorkMed
University of Virginia Health System, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.

Responsible for the management and development of a comprehensive occupational health and medicine program at the University of Virginia. Develop and oversee an annual budget that approaches $700,000 per year. Manage clinical and non-clinical personnel. Develop and implement service contracts with businesses located throughout Central Virginia.  Coordinate services between collaborating clinical entities located within

the University of Virginia Health System.  Oversee program improvement and expansion activities.

December, 1989 – present
Manager, Rehabilitation Engineering Services
University of Virginia Health System, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.

Responsible for the establishment, management and ongoing development of a free-standing rehabilitation engineering program within the University of Virginia Health System. Manage the clinical, educational, and research activities of the program. Write and manage grants; develop and fulfill service contracts; collaborate with other academic departments, governmental agencies, and industry on special projects. Teach graduate and undergraduate engineers, medical residents, allied health students, and healthcare professionals.

June, 1985 – December, 1989
Rehabilitation Engineer, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.

Established a nationally recognized wheelchair seating program within the Division of Prosthetics and Orthotics. Developed and implemented strategies to maximize the program’s clinical effectiveness and financial strength. Provided clinical education and supervision to graduate biomedical engineers enrolled in the University’s federally-funded Rehabilitation Engineering Training Program. Participated in the clinical evaluation and refinement of new products developed by the University of Virginia’s Rehabilitation Engineering Center on Wheeled Mobility.

June, 1983 – June, 1985
Director, Rehabilitation Engineering Services
Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center, Fishersville, Virginia.

One of only two service-oriented rehabilitation engineers employed at that time by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Coordinated, both administratively and clinically, in-house and field rehabilitation engineering consultation, design and fabrication services. As an applied biomedical engineer, implemented, utilizing human factors design, assistive devices and equipment that maximized individuals’ employability, physical independence, and quality of life. Managed an allied medical department and professional service in a manner that complied with both rehabilitation and hospital association standards.

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

2002-present    Assistant Professor of Medical Education, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, University of Virginia

1992-2000    Assistant Professor of Medical Education, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, University of Virginia

1989-1992    Instructor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, University of Virginia

1985-1989    Instructor, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, University of Virginia

SELECT PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

2016    Assigned a lead role in overseeing employee safety within the University of Virginia Health System. Charged with reducing injuries by 15% in first year.  Formalizing the process by which injuries and unsafe conditions are reported, root causes are analyzed, and interventions are implemented. Focusing on reducing injuries related to patient handling, needlesticks, splashes, and falls.

2015    In collaboration with the University Physicians Group (UPG) and U.S Preventative Medicine, assisted in the development and implementation of an employer wellness program. Managed the development and implementation of a comprehensive biometric screening program that resulted in the screening of the majority of UPG employees.

2011    In collaboration with the UVA Human Resources and Aetna, assisted in the development and implementation of a University-wide employee wellness program. Managed the development and implementation of a comprehensive biometric screening program that resulted in the screening of more than 3700 participants in the program’s first year. Due to its success, the program is being expanded in 2012.

2009    Responsible for the development and implementation of a physician occupational health surveillance program at UVA. Monitor the compliance of more than 900 licensed independent practitioners in their participation in annual surveillance to monitor 8 infectious disease elements.  Compliance has risen from 30% to more than 90%.

1995-2009    Developed and implemented a rehabilitation engineering service contract with the Piedmont Regional Educational Program, a private non-profit corporation that provides assistive technology services to six school districts in Central Virginia.

2006    Consultant with the University of Virginia’s Healthcare Product Evaluation Center to provide ergonomic analyses and recommendations pertaining to the design of a new generation of bedside patient chairs. This work was requested by an internationally renowned manufacturer of ergonomic office chairs.

1999 – 2001    Reviewer, RESNA 2001 Student Scientific Paper Competition.

2000    Registered Professional Engineer, having successfully passed, on first attempt, the Principles and Practices of Engineering exam.

1998-99    Developed a one-day educational course entitled “Practical Approaches to Seating and Positioning” for clinicians who provide services to individuals with disabilities. Delivered the training throughout the Mid-Atlantic States.

1997    Elected to the Professional Advisory Board of the Epilepsy Foundation of America. This represents the first time ever that an engineer has been elected to the Board.

1997    Co-authored a $50,000 contract from the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services to

provide management and technical support of the Department’s statewide rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology programs.

1996    Co-author of the University of Pittsburgh’s grant-funded curriculum for the Assistive Technology Training Program for Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers. Lead author of the Engineering Principles and Biomechanics components of the curriculum.

1996    Co-author of CARTE, The Center for Assistive and Rehabilitation Technology Training and Evaluation, a one-year project funded by the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services to increase the availability of assistive technology evaluation services in Central Virginia.  Served as Training Coordinator for the Center.  Amount of award: $125,000.

1996    Collaborated in the design of an automatic braking system for manual wheelchairs. This design has been submitted to the University of Virginia Patent Foundation for potential commercialization.

1996    Designed the front-latch subasis bar hardware and small-diameter subasis bar. Collaborated with Metalcraft Industries, a manufacturer of assistive technologies, in the technology transfer process which resulted in the commercialization of these products.

1995-1996    Co-author of the RESNA document “Guidelines for Advanced Curriculum Development for Seating and Mobility Assistive Technology Practitioners”.  This work was supported by a grant from NIDRR.

1995-1996    As an activity of the Virginia Rehabilitation Technology Training Project, developed and delivered twenty high-level seminars focusing on the state-of-the-art in clinical and research practices within the rehabilitation technology arena. Areas of focus included: specialized seating and positioning; mobility; augmentative and alternative communication; technology for personal vehicle transportation; robotics applications; assistive technology for older adults; computer applications and adaptations; human factors engineering; and, exemplary service models. Subject matter was delivered by nationally-recognized clinical and research leaders to an audiences made up of professionals from a variety of backgrounds.

1994    Author of the University of Virginia’s proposal for its fourth Rehabilitation Long-Term Training Program in Rehabilitation Engineering/Technology. Proposal was funded in the fall of 1995. Served as Co-Project Director.  Amount of award: $289,017.

1994    Assisted the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services in the development of a statewide counselor training program focusing on assistive and rehabilitation technology training.
Training modules were developed for virtually every aspect of technology. Chosen as one of the trainers for delivering the module on Seating and Mobility.

1993-1994    Developed and managed a $70,000 contract with the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services to provide management support to the Department’s rehabilitation engineering program.  Developed a CQI Plan and a Technical Supervision Plan for the Department.

1991-1994    Reviewer of Scientific Papers submitted to RESNA for presentation at the 1992-1995 Annual

RESNA Conferences and publication in the Conference Proceedings.

1983-1996    Trained and supervised 35 graduate biomedical and rehabilitation engineers enrolled in the University of Virginia’s federally-funded Rehabilitation Engineering Training Program

1989    Co-authored the University of Virginia’s proposal for its third Rehabilitation Long-Term Training Program in Rehabilitation Engineering. Proposal was funded in the fall of 1990. Served as clinical coordinator and educator for the project.  Amount of award exceeded
$300,000.

1988    Developed new strategies to improve the fit and function of the Contour U seating system manufactured by Pin Dot Products. Collaborated with the manufacturer to transfer these strategies to a commercial domain.  These strategies continue to be used.

1986-1988    As an invited speaker, presented rehabilitation engineering services at the University of Virginia to United States congressional aides.

1985-1991    Professional staff member of the RSA-funded Rehabilitation Engineering Training Program and of the NIDRR-funded Rehabilitation Engineering Center on Seating and Wheelchair Design.

1985    Established the Commonwealth’s first comprehensive wheelchair seating program.  This program quickly earned a national reputation for its ability to successfully solve complex seating problems.

1984    Provided the technical lead in a three day study of the feasibility of rehabilitation engineering technologies applied in a total care facility at the Richfield Retirement Communities in Salem, Virginia.

1984    Awarded $15,000 contract from West Virginia’s Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation to introduce rehabilitation engineering technologies to the state and to assess all residents in the state’s MHMR facilities who possess multiple disabilities.

1984    Authored a proposal to establish the nation’s first mobile rehabilitation engineering laboratory. Received $50,000 grant from the Virginia Office of the Secretary of Human Resources for this project.  Successfully developed the mobile laboratory that same year.

SELECT LECTURES
PUBLICATIONS
Available Upon Request

 

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