I have practiced clinical medicine for more than twenty-five years with a focus on spine pain and pain management, the medical necessity of interventional procedures, and the issues surrounding the use of opioids. I have sought effective and practical alternatives for the treatment of pain and provided information and testimony to various organizations, courts, and legislative bodies to enhance effective and evidence-based knowledge and policy with regard to pain management. This work has exposed me to the broader factors of healthcare delivery, organizational competency, outcomes-based decision-making, and quality improvement.
Subject Matter Expert & Educator
- Provide expert witness testimony resulting in a successful verdict in several multimillion-dollar court cases against pain management and the treatment of pain.
- Provide expert testimony to State Legislature focused on risk factors associated with non-physician administration of certain pain modalities.
- Provide expert consultation for multiple medical groups and organizations to educate staff and providers on interventional pain management helping multiple practices develop policies and procedures on interventional procedures
- Provide expert consultation on the rational prescribing of opioids including opioid contracts, opioid agreements, how to monitor aberrant opioid behavior, when to initiate opioid therapy, and how to implement opioid exit strategies.
- Lead educational seminars for multiple insurance carriers in the State of NE in proper controlled substance management and appropriate use of interventional pain management.
- Regional Expert in Neuromodulation—I have led the implementation of High Frequency Spinal Cord Stimulation in the region and placed the first HF10 stimulator in the state of Nebraska providing improved patient outcomes.
- Make recommendations to multiple third-party payers as Standards Advisor for Interventional Treatment of the Spine regarding appropriate use of interventional treatment for spine pain.
- Author of Clinical Document Prototypes and Patient Education Materials resulting in standardized documents for use within medical practices.
- Keynote Speaker / Presenter—(more than 100 presentations) Nebraska Academy of Physicians Assistants, Nebraska Workers Comp Case Management Annual Conference, Nebraska Nurse Practitioners Conference, Bryan Health Systems Peri-Operative and Labor and Delivery Nurses Meeting, Husker Rehab Annual Pain Conference, Assurity Insurance / Blue Cross Blue Shield / Coventry / Multiple Other Insurance Company Educational Seminars resulting in better industry and professional information for use of interventional pain procedures and administration of controlled substances, particularly opioids.
Operational Management
- Directed institution-wide pain management initiatives for two hospital systems including coordination of education of all providers and employees, policy writing and implementation, and creation of new guidelines for pain management throughout both systems.
- Provided Operations Committee leadership, integrating LEAN Management principles resulting in improved patient workflows and an annual increase in revenues of more than $1M in one year.
- As Operational Efficiency Director, have implemented various strategies resulting in measurably improved patient experience and staff job satisfaction as recorded by ongoing patients and staff satisfaction questionnaires.
- Managed multiple medical practice EMR conversions including paper to electronic and electronic to electronic functions.
- Author of Clinical Document Prototypes and Patient Education Materials resulting in standardized documents for use within medical practices.
Board Certification & Licensure
- Diplomat—American Board of Pain Medicine
- Certified Examiner—American Board of Independent Medical Examiners
- Diplomat—American Board of Anesthesiology
- Competency Certification in Controlled Substance Management
- License to Practice Medicine and Surgery—State of Nebraska
- License to Practice Medicine and Surgery—State of Arizona—Expired
Professional Services
- Medical Director (Current)
Southwest Lincoln Surgery Center
- Medical Practice / Practice Owner (Current)
Innovative Pain and Spine Specialists, PC
- Medical Practice / Practice Owner (2013-2018)
Nebraska Spine + Pain Center
- Medical Practice / Practice Owner (1998-2013)
Nebraska Pain Consultants
- Perform Independent Medical Evaluations for Multiple Insurers (Ongoing)
With focus on spine related pain and other chronic pain syndromes.
- Expert Witness (Ongoing)
Medical record review, written opinion, deposition, and courtroom testimony at district and federal court levels. Area of expertise has included opioid-related death in the post-operative setting, personal injury, and chronic pain management.
- Keynote Speaker / Presenter – Over 100 Presentations (Ongoing)
- Nebraska Academy of Physicians Assistants Conference—“A Bio-Psycho-Social Approach to the Management of Chronic Pain”
- Nebraska Workers Compensation Annual Conference—“Interventional Spine and Pain Medicine”
- Nebraska Nurse Practitioners Conference—“The Pharmacologic Management of Acute and Chronic Pain”
- Husker Rehabilitation Physical Therapy Conference—“Opioids: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly”
- Faculty and Clinical Educator for Medical Device Manufacturing Company (Ongoing)
Nevro Corporation
EDUCATION
- Residency – Anesthesiology 1991 – 1994
University of Nebraska College of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska
- Internship – Family Practice 1990 – 1991
University of Nebraska College of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska
- Doctor of Medicine 1986 – 1990
University of Nebraska College of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska
- Bachelor of Science – Biological Science and English 1982 – 1986
University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Nebraska
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
- American Medical Association
- American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians
- International Spinal Injection Society
- Lancaster Medical Society
- Nebraska Society of Anesthesiologists
- Nebraska Medical Association
- North American Spine Society