Patient Transfer Protocol Expert Witnesses in Florida

This expert is a board certified professional ergonomist and an internationally recognized expert in patient care ergonomics. She provides safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) consultation and training related to equipment requirements, safe patient handling techniques, program implementation and maintenance, ergonomic design in health care facilities, and cost/benefit analysis. She researched, developed, implemented, and sustained the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) national SPHM Program in 153 VA facilities, bringing national recognition to the VA Program while she also provided consultation to the other governmental and non-governmental entities, and international organizations. She led the American Nurses Association (ANA) team to develop the Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Standards, now included in National Legislation. Her expertise and tenacity led to the incorporation of safe patient handling design criteria in the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) 2010 National Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities. She assisted in the development of the Safety Risk Assessment (SRA) that was included in the 2014 FGI national Design Guidelines. She also serves as an advisory board member for the University of South Florida NIOSH Sunshine Environmental Resource Center. She was the recipient of the 2011 "Advocacy Award for Improved Caregiver Safety" and the NIOSH National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) "Partnering Award for Worker Health and Safety" in 2006.

This highly qualified expert has 30+ years in EMS. He earned AS degrees in fire science technology and medical services technology from Indian River Community College. He is a certified EMT, paramedic, and firefighter. He has served as an EMT at Lifeline Ambulance Service Inc. and as a Paramedic at Emergency Medical Consultants Inc. before joining the Indian River County EMS unit in Vero Beach, Florida. There, he served as an EMS paramedic, an EMS lieutenant paramedic, EMS captain paramedic and finally as EMS deputy chief. He was previously on the Florida EMS Advisory Council and still holds positions on several state committees. He currently serves as battalion chief of training and QA/QI for a county fire rescue unit in Floria. In this role he is responsible for QA/QI of all EMS reports, training all EMS employees, and updating the unit's medical guidelines. He also currently serves on the NAEMT Board of Directors as a regional director and has presented on EMS related topics at CLINCON, IAFC-Fire Rescue Med, and APCO. He is a member of the National Fire Protection Association participates as a member of their Emergency Medical Services Committee and their Ambulances Committee.

This expert has extensive experience in psychiatric pharmacy. He completed his BS in biology and chemistry and his PharmD from the University of Wyoming. He then completed two residencies in pharmacy and ambulatory care from the VA Black Hills Healthcare System. Board-certified as an ambulatory care pharmacist, pharmacotherapy specialist, and psychiatric pharmacist, this expert is active in his field as a member of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, the Academy of Integrative Pain Management, and the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists. He previously served as a pharmacist at the VA Black Hills Healthcare System and as a clinical assistant professor of pharmacy at the South Dakota State University. He was also a clinical pharmacy specialist t the VA Black Hills Healthcare System and the Sheridan VA Medical Center. This expert currently works as a consultant for a biotech company and as the associate chief and pharmacy specialist at a VA medical center in Florida.