Health & Wellbeing Consultants: 27

Dr. William R. Sawyer  is a Professional Toxicologist with a doctorate in toxicology from Indiana University School of Medicine. He has over 32 years of extensive experience in Public Health and Forensic Toxicology. Forensic Environmental & Laboratory Analyses. Through education and experience, Dr. Sawyer has gained extensive expertise in Forensic Petroleum Analyses, Environmental and Clinical Forensic Analyses. 

With over 23 years of laboratory experience and over 14 years experience as a licensed environmental and forensic laboratory director in New York State, he has directed forensic laboratory analyses, sampling protocol and chain-of-custody in criminal and civil matters and has provided petroleum spill assessments to multiple clients including governmental environmental agencies (NYSDEC), Departments of Justice, various State Attorney General Offices (New York, Montana), defense and plaintiff law firms and industry. Petroleum spill and exposure assessment reports have provided an objective determination to within a reasonable degree of scientific certainty. 

Dr. Sawyer is a noted author having written numerous publications, abstracts, treatises and editorials on subjects within his field of expertise. He has also delivered professional presentations on the "Fundamentals of Medical Toxicology" and "Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS)" to such entities as The American Board of Forensic Medicine & The American College of Forensic Examiners among others.

 

Lisa Myers interviews Dr. Sawyer on NBC Nightly News

As a Board Certified Toxicologist, Dr. Sawyer provides impartial toxicological evaluations involving:

Chemical Exposures Petroleum Product Exposures Alcohol Ingestion Intentional Poisons Involved in Homicides Carcinogens

Pharmaceuticals Pyrolysis Products Heavy Metals Organic Chemicals Drugs of Abuse

View Dr. William Sawyer's Expert Witness Profile.

William Santoro, MD is Board Certified in Addiction Medicine and board eligible in Family Medicine. His professional consultant services are utilized by Pharmaceutical companies to educate doctors on why and how to use medication for substance use disorders. Dr. Santoro also gives talks and seminars to groups on all aspects of addiction medicine.

In addition to being the Chief of the Section of Addiction Medicine at Tower Health System, he was the Medical Director at the Reading Hospital & Medical Center detoxification and rehabilitation program for 36 years. He was also the Medical Director for a Methadone Treatment facility for 22 years where he was responsible for all admission physical examinations and for prescribing methadone to approximately 950 opiate dependent patients.

Dr. Santoro is the Addictionist on staff at The Reading Hospital & Medical Center within the Department of Family & Community Medicine. He is consulted by hospitalists to care for patients admitted to the hospital with addiction complicating their condition. Dr. Santoro runs an outpatient program utilizing buprenorphine and naltrexone maintenance for over 300 patients. With a special interest in Sports Medicine, in 2001, he served as a volunteer physician for the U.S. Olympic Training Team in Lake Placid, New York. 

Professional Services:

• Consultant speaker for Forrest Pharmaceuticals. Responsible for teaching physicians about using Campral for alcohol dependence, 2005 to 2007
• Consultant speaker for Indivior (formerly Rickett-Benckiser). Mentoring program to teach physicians how to appropriately use Suboxone and Sublocade  for opioid use disorder, 2005 to present
• Consultant speaker for Pfizer Labs. Responsible for teaching physicians how and why to use Chantix for tobacco addiction, 2007 to present

View William Santoro's Expert Witness Profile.

Expertise: Ms. Wong is a media-experienced expert on intercultural issues and Feng Shui, an award-winning entrepreneur, a nationally-recognized authority on Asian and Asian-American business, as well as a best-selling author. In 1989 she founded her intercultural consulting and corporate training service and Pacific Heritage Books in 1992, both dedicated to "bridging cultures for better business." Since then she has created and secured a niche as a pioneer and an internationally recognized authority on the U.S. Asian market and feng shui.

Seminars: Through consulting, seminars, training, public speaking, writing, and publishing, Ms. Wong facilitates profitability between Asians and non-Asians globally. Her diverse and impressive clientele includes over 100 major residential and commercial developers nationwide as well as Universal Studios, Motorola, COTY, Nordstroms, Ford Motor Company, AT&T, Bank of America, New York Life Insurance, the Limited, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Home Savings of America, United Way, cities, retailers and school districts.

Media Appearances: Ms. Wong has appeared on OPRAH, LIVE Regis and Kelly (5/1/01), CBS Sunday Morning, CNN Headline News, Discovery & Learning Channels, TIME (7/3/00), NBC, FOX TV, featured in New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, John Naisbitt's Trend Letter, API, The Atlantic, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Trade and Culture, Seattle Times, Asian Week, and over 300 print, Internet & broadcast features.

Publications: Best-selling Feng Shui Dos and Taboos, Feng Shui Dos & Taboos for Love, 2003 Feng Shui Page-a-Day Calendar, Night of the Red Moon (1994), a historical fiction based on the 1871 Los Angeles Chinatown massacre and favorably reviewed in Los Angeles Times, Asian Week, Seattle's International Examiner, and nominated for Beatty Award for children's literature.

The Baby Boomer's 4-Minute Bible: Enduring Values to Live By (1998).

Been There, Done That: 16 Secrets of Success for Entrepreneurs (1997).

The Wind-Water Wheel: A Feng Shui Tool for Transforming Your Life (1996).

The Practical Feng Shui Chart Kit (1992)

She has served as advisor to Random House and wrote the foreword for Feng Shui: Arranging Your Home to Change Your Life, contributed to the Feng Shui Anthology. Ms. Wong's landmark TARGET: The U.S. Asian Market, A Practical Guide to Doing Business, (1993) was the first book about designing, marketing, and selling to Asians in a culturally-sensitive way for profitability, and won 1995 Best Business Book of the Year Award from Bookdealers World.

Awards: A member of Rotary International and 2001-2002 President, Palos Verdes Sunset Rotary Club, she now holds a special appointment for Rotary Image and Protocol for the 46 clubs of Rotary District 5280 which will host the 2008 Rotary International Convention in Los Angeles. Ms. Wong has been honored as one of the "Outstanding L.A. Businesswomen of the Year" by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). Merrill Lynch and Ernst and Young cosponsored Ms. Wong for INC. magazine's prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year Award. She is also the winner of the IRWIN Award, So. Calif. Book Publicist of the Year and many other awards and recognition from numerous cities and organizations.

William B. Stetson, MD specializes in Sports Medicine with an expertise in Arthroscopic and Reconstructive Surgery of the shoulder, knee, elbow and ankle. He has first hand knowledge of athletic injuries and the desire that all of us have to “get back in the game”. He is an associate clinical professor of orthopedic surgery at the USC Keck School of Medicine and is the team physician on the USA Men’s and Women’s volleyball teams and was with both teams in London, England for the 2012 Summer Olympics. 

Dr. Stetson utilizes leading edge diagnostic solutions to assess and repair knee injuries, shoulder injuries, elbow injuries, and conditions relating to Arthritis . State-of-the-art, minimally invasive surgery techniques such as arthroscopic surgery means faster recovery times.

Areas of Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Specialization:

Knee Arthroscopy Shoulder Arthroscopy Rotator Cuff Repair ACL Reconstruction Treatment of Arthritis

Knee Ligament Reconstruction Recurrent Shoulder Dislocation Shoulder Impingement / Bursitis Meniscus Repair and Meniscectomy Elbow Arthroscopy

Dr. Stetson has traveled extensively throughout the world teaching and lecturing about shoulder arthroscopy and recently returned from Romania and Beijing, China where he lectured about the latest techniques of shoulder arthroscopy. He has started a non-profit organization, Operation Arthroscopy, whose mission is to bring orthopaedic surgery and arthroscopy to countries and communities in need.

View Dr. Stetson's Expert Witness Profile.

Ted W. Simon, PhD, DABT, is an award winning Environmental Toxicologist and Scientist. His expertise is in toxicology, risk assessment, mathematical modeling, statistics, neuroscience, and environmental / ecological health issues.

Dr. Simon has over 10 years of experience as a toxicologist employed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He served as EPA’s senior toxicologist in the waste management division working on risk and soil cleanup.

Teaching Experience - Since 2001, Dr. Simon has served as an Instructor / Adjunct Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, at the University of Georgia.

Public Speaker - Well published, including the author of a textbook on toxicology and environmental risk assessment, Dr. Simon has extensive national and international public speaking experience. Since 1996, he has been delivering seminars and lectures to universities and national institutes on many subjects within his area of expertise. In 2016, he delivered a lectures on “Bayesian Methods for Application of Uncertainty Factors,” to the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, and “Quantitative Prediction of Phenotypic Change from High Throughput Assay Results,” to the EPA's Workshop on In Vitro to In Vivo Extrapolation, Research Triangle Park, NC.

Litigation Support - Dr. Simon has over 15 years of experience offering expert witness services to counsel representing both plaintiff and defendant. He has been retained over 20 times since 2000 for cases involving environmental risk, drug and alcohol cases, DUI, accidental poisoning, and intellectual property. Dr. Simon has particular expertise in dioxin-like chemicals and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). His services include consulting, reports, deposition, and trial testimony when necessary.

Areas of Expertise:

Dioxins PCBs Drugs Alcohol Poisoning DUI / DWI Water Contamination Soil Contamination Environmental Risk Assessment

Environmental Toxicology Carcinogenicity Food Contamination Pesticides Fracking Lead Marijuana Polychlorinated Biphenyls Intellectual Property

Georgia J. Persky RN, MBA, PhD, CLNC, is a seasoned nurse with over 40 years of broad Clinical Nursing experience and 25 years of Senior Leadership in Healthcare Organizations. She has expertise in the micro issues in direct patient care and the broad Management, Quality, State, Federal, and Joint Commission regulatory issues in hospitals and long term care facilities. Dr. Persky provides private consulting for hospitals that want to improve patient care quality and satisfaction. A national speaker and author, her services are in demand for engagements on healthcare issues. 

Litigation Consulting Support - As a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant and Quality Reviewer, Dr. Persky has investigated hundreds of Malpractice and Injury cases as a quality reviewer and can assist in legal case review with chronologies, timelines, and evidence based reports. Dr. Persky's services are available to attorneys for plaintiff and defense seeking an expert in nursing and patient care with a strong understanding of how hospitals and nursing homes work. 

Facility Consulting Services:

• Provide hospital and nursing leadership and support in turnaround or acute regulatory situations
• Assess, plan, implement and evaluate Patient Care Services structure, processes and patient satisfaction initiatives
• Mentor nursing leadership team or screen and recruit new leadership
• Recommend strategies and tactics to improve efficiency or effectiveness in nursing and hospital operations
• Assess Perioperative Services and improve volume and patient flow
• Provide focused plan and implementation to address regulatory and accreditation issues and prepare leaders and staff for regulatory visits
• Develop Nursing, Operational and Strategic plan for handoff to new leadership team

Background Experience - Dr. Persky has served as Vice-President of Nursing and Patient Care Services for 25 years and most recently, New York Presbyterian Hospital at Columbia University Medical Center. For nine years, she was responsible for Risk and Quality Management and Patient Satisfaction for a 750 bed academic hospital. She directed a $200 million budget with 33 patient services units and Care Management, Respiratory Therapy, Social Work and Admitting Departments with 9 direct reports and 2,000 patient care employees. 

View Dr. Persky's Expert Witness Profile.

Armond Kotikian, DDS, MD, FACS, is double board certified in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. In the clinic setting, Dr. Kotikian routinely performs IV sedations for complex cases including:

Impacted Wisdom Teeth Dental Implants Bone Grafting Dento-alveolar Surgery

Reconstructive Jaw Surgery Facial Trauma Oral Pathology - Tumor Excisions Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Dr. Kotikian is focused on patient care. He has been an expert witness on over 125 malpractice cases, given depositions on over 65 cases and testified at court over the past seven years.  He has been retained on nerve injury cases, wrong tooth extraction cases, wrongful death/anesthesia complications, dental implant complications, head and neck infection cases, misdiagnosed pathology, jaw fracture due to extraction cases, TMJ and all aspects of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. 

Dr. Kotikian routinely lectures on subjects related to his field at both the local and national level. Topics include his areas of specialization such as Oral and Maxillofacial Trauma, Infections, Oral Pathology Resection and Reconstruction, Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients (surgical and non-surgical), and Craniofacial Anomalies (orthognathic surgery / corrective jaw surgery).

Dr. Kotikian has been featured in the LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Glendale Newspress and many other local newspapers for his work in the field of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He has also been featured on CNN Headline News local edition and the Diane Sawyer Nightly News on ABC.Dr. Kotikian is a member of numerous organizations, including the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, California Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and the Southern California Orofacial Academy. 

View Dr. Kotikian's Expert Witness Profile.

Non-Surgical Orthopaedics, P.C. was established in 1993. Specializing in Spine Care and Pain Management, the practice has developed into one of the premier non-surgical orthopaedic practices in the southeast, and an industry leader for the non-invasive treatment of back and neck pain. Non-Surgical Orthopaedics P.C. offers a wide variety of Non-Surgical options to Treat Pain and Musculoskeletal Injuries. Their goal is to eliminate pain with a strong emphasis on injury prevention and rehabilitation. Services include:

• Pain Management
• Orthopaedic & Sports Injuries
• Workers’ Compensation
• Auto Injuries
• IME's & Disability Evaluations

Video: Non-Surgical Orthopaedics, P.C. | The Overview

Arnold J. Weil, MD has over 29 years of experience specializing in Non-Surgical Orthopaedics and Pain Management. A Diplomat of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Chief Executive Officer of Non-Surgical Orthopaedics, P.C., one of the premier orthopaedic practices in the metro Atlanta area. 

Dr. Weil's practice focuses on conservative, non-surgical care of orthopaedic injuries, including the spine and extremities, with emphasis on spine rehabilitation, functional restoration, pain management, and ergonomic modifications. He treats patients with back and neck pain and a variety of other orthopaedic conditions. Focusing on acute and chronic pain management through an advanced Non-Surgical approach, 

Dr. Weil has become one of the leading experts on Spine Care and Disability Management. Dr. Weil has been a Clinical Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. An active lecturer, Dr. Weil speaks nationally and internationally on the nonsurgical management of back and neck pain as well as new advances in pain management. He also provides practice management to small-medium sized medical practices.

View Dr. Weil's Expert Witness Profile.

Dr. Robert H. Odell, Jr., MD, PhD, owner and Medical Director of Neuropathy and Pain Centers of America in Las Vegas, NV, is a Stanford and UCLA trained Anesthesiologist and Pain Management Physician. As a fellow of the Medical Scientist Training Program, he received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Stanford University in 1974 and his MD degree from Stanford in 1976. He completed his residency in anesthesiology at UCLA, and served as chief resident at Harbor/UCLA Medical Center in 1982. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Anesthesiology (1983), American Academy of Pain Management (2001) and the American Board of Pain Medicine (2007) and a Fellow of Interventional Pain Practice of the World Institute of Pain (2008).

Dr. Odell has extensive experience with a wide variety of non-interventional and interventional Acute and Chronic Pain Management techniques, including Vertebral Axial Decompression and Electroanalgesia. Treatment utilizes the Combined Electrochemical Block (CEB), which combines the clinical benefits of these Electronic Signal Treatment (EST) devices with interventional pain management techniques to produce dramatic patient outcomes in a wide variety of Refractory Neuropathic Pain States, including Low Back Pain, Diabetic Neuropathy, Idiopathic Neuropathy, Failed Spine Fusion Syndrome and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Over the last several years, Dr. Odell has been working with some advanced electromedical devices which produce salutary effects for some of the most refractory pain management challenges. He is the first author on three significant papers in the Electromedicine and Pain Management literature. The first, "Electroanalgesic Nerve Block: Theory and Case Reports" appeared in Practical Pain Management in 2006. The cornerstone of treatment at New Vision is the use of local anesthesia along with the Electroanalgesia block. This technique is outlined in Dr. Odell ‘s third paper, "New Device Combines Electrical Currents and Local Anesthetic for Pain Management," Practical Pain Management (2011). Dr. Odell has also been invited to deliver presentations in his field of expertise throughout the United States.

View Expert Witness Profile.

Michael Levittan, Ph.D. is an Expert Witness, Psychotherapist, Media Consultant, and Lecturer at UCLA Extension and California Graduate Institute. Dr. Levittan works as an expert witness on cases involving domestic violence, child abuse, post-traumatic stress, anger issues, child custody, school violence. He is director of a certified Domestic Violence/Anger Management program and has numerous articles published on violence and abuse.

Dr. Levittan presents at UCLA, National Alliance on Mental Illness, L.A. Superior Court, U.S. Marines, Hillsides Children's Home, Loyola Marymount Univ, International Conference on Violence, Abuse, Trauma, California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, Grief & Loss Conference, The Maple Center, Womens Shelters.

Dr. Levittan's website: www.michaellevittan.com.

Medivence is a company providing Medical Demonstrative Evidence for the legal profession. Medivence produces visually memorable multimedia presentations which provide a compelling platform for attorneys and their experts to succinctly present their case.

Medivence Principal, Marc Glickstein, MD, FACR, has over 27 years of active clinical involvement in Neuroradiology, as well as General Radiology including MRI, Mammography, CT, and Ultrasound. He is a graduate of Yale University School of Medicine, and completed his diagnostic radiology training at the University of Pennsylvania. A background in photography, as well as having authored multiple scholarly journal articles, has also contributed to Dr. Glickstein's abilities and interest in this area.

Medivence Services and Benefits:

• Web-based conferencing allows direct personal consultation of cases and work product without having to leave the office
• Presentations are created by a board certified physician who provides additional expert opinion/input included as part of the case
• Compelling presentations, designed to educate both the jury as well as opposing counsel, may lead to favorable verdicts and faster, more favorable settlements

View Dr. Glickstein's Expert Witness Profile.

Joel L. Kent, MD, is an expert in all realms of Pain Medicine and has focused expertise in the prescribing and oversight of opioid analgesics. His specialties include acute and chronic pain management, opioid analgesics, interventional pain management therapies, spinal cord stimulation, intrathecal drug delivery, RSD/CRPS and low back pain.

Dr. Kent has provided expert case reviews and testimony for over twenty years.  The majority of his expert work has focused on the standard of care in the practice of Pain Medicine and the use of opioid analgesics.  Dr. Kent has provided expert case opinions in Federal and State civil courts.  He has provided defense support to the US Department of Justice in two cases.  He has served as an expert witness and case reviewer for both Maryland and New York State.  Dr. Kent assisted the District Attorney of New Jersey in prosecuting a case of unlawful prescribing of controlled substances.  He has provided expert case review and litigation support to health insurance carriers seeking restitution for fraudulent expenses related to opioid therapy.  

Over the course of his career, Dr. Kent has developed particular expertise surrounding the use of opioid analgesics.  He has provided over 50 lectures to other physicians regarding the safe and proper use of these medications.   He has been recognized as an expert in both State and Federal Court in cases related to opioid therapy.  He has served on advisory boards helping craft regulatory policies related to opioid medication.  All these accomplishments attest to Dr. Kent’s high level of expertise in the complex and evolving realm of opioid therapy. 

Primary area of expertise: Pain Medicine

Expert consulting experience:

• Authored over 50 expert case reports
• Participated in over 25 depositions
• Testimony experience in civil trials and professional hearings
• Provides litigation support and expert testimony in plaintiff and defense cases

Professional experience:

• Over 25 years of experience in Pain Medicine
• Triple Board Certified
• Practice Director of University Multi-Disciplinary Pain Management Practices from 1998 to 2017
• Program Director of a Multi-Disciplinary Pain Management Fellowship Training Programs from 1998 to 2015
• Professor of Anesthesiology, Palliative Care, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at University of Rochester School of Medicine
• Lectures extensively and published 

Kevin Kucko, MAPT, ATC is a licensed Physical Therapist with over 23 years of experience. His specialty areas include Work-injury Reduction, Outpatient Services Development, and Physical Rehabilitation. 

Background Experience - Mr. Kucko began his career as an athletic trainer working with athletes from college through the NFL. He quickly focused on accelerating recovery times while rehabilitating orthopedic injuries. In 1995, he completed his Masters’ degree in Physical Therapy. Since that time, he has served as Department Director at various rehabilitation facilities throughout the east. 

Litigation Support - With over 13 years of experience performing Functional Capacity Evaluations, Mr. Kucko has helped hundreds of clients resolve cases with the best possible outcome. He provides services to attorneys representing both Plaintiff and Defense. Kevin Kucko offers meticulous review of medical records in preparation for trial and depositions. For cases where therapy and physical rehabilitation are involved, he sets the foundation by explaining medical conditions and interventions in a clear and concise manner that jurors understand. Mr. Kucko has been deposed and/or testified 14 times since 2010. 

Areas of Expertise:

Physical Therapy Physical Rehabilitation TMJ Dysfunction Peripheral Neuropathy

Sports Performance Neck and Back Pain Headaches Shoulder and Knee Rehab

Joseph W. Burke, MD, board certified, actively participating Diagnostic Radiologist with over 18 years of experience. Dr. Burke has practiced for the last 16 years at Reading Health system which has one of the busiest Emergency Departments on the East Coast and is a Level 2 Trauma Center.

Dr. Burke is a frequent presenter at weekly Tumor, Trauma, Thoracic, and Gastrointestinal Conferences. He served as Chief of the Ultrasound department for several years and currently sits on his group Board of Directors. He offers teaching services, educating radiology technology students, medical students, and residents.

Litigation Support - Dr. Burke provided Medical-Legal forensic case review for attorneys in numerous cases. He has extensive experience in the interpretation of Neurologic and Body Imaging studies and has read in excess of 250,000 images including MRIs, X-Rays, CT Scans, and ultrasounds. Dr. Burke's services are available to counsel representing plaintiff and defendant and include medical record review, written reports, deposition, arbitration, and trial testimony as needed.

Radiology and Diagnostic Radiology Areas of Expertise:

Neurologic Imaging Spine Imaging Vascular Imaging Trauma Radiology Emergent Radiology Body and Neurologic CT Pulmonary Imaging

Gastrointestinal Imagining Genitourinary Imaging Gynecologic Imaging CT Scan MRI Ultrasound X-ray

Current Memberships and Affiliations:

• American Medical Association
• Pennsylvania Medical Society
• American College of Radiology
• Radiological Society of North America
• Eastern Radiological Society
• Pennsylvania Radiological Society

Jeffrey A. Sugar, MD has been a practicing Psychiatrist for over 25 years. Board certified both in Child and General Psychiatry, Dr. Sugar is the Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Trauma Program at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles, CA.

Dr. Sugar is Attending Psychiatrist in both Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Adult Psychiatry Outpatient Clinics at USC. He teaches child and general psychiatrists-in-training and medical students on topics ranging from Trauma, Adversity, and Dissociation to Psychotherapy theory and methods.

Dr. Sugar was the founding director of the Hathaway Children’s Clinical Research Institute where he performed funded research on the effects of interpersonal child trauma. Dr. Sugar has presented at national and international meetings on child and adolescent Trauma and Dissociation.

Consulting Services Include:

• Effects of Trauma and Adversity on Child Development
• Chronic Physical, Sexual or Emotional Abuse
• Psychological Trauma in the Workplace
• Date Rape / Internet Seduction
• Post-Traumatic Loss, Grief and Depression
• Psychological Effects of Injury to the Body or Brain
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Professional Organizations:

American Psychiatric Association Southern California Psychiatric Society American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Southern California Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies American Society of Clinical Hypnosis

View Dr. Sugar's Expert Witness Profile.