Healthcare (General) Expert Witnesses: 36

Emin Gharibian, PsyD, is a Clinical Psychologist specializing in Forensic Psychology and Neuropsychology with over 10 years of experience in assessing, treating, and consulting on psychological disorders.

Dr. Gharibian's training and experience have been in psychological and neuropsychological assessments in a variety of clinical settings including private practice, outpatient mental health clinics, psychiatric hospitals, forensic hospitals, and correctional facilities. 

He specializes in providing comprehensive psychological and neuropsychological evaluations for various conditions including dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, complications from a stroke, traumatic brain injury, concussions, learning disabilities, ADHD, and PTSD.

He also specializes in forensic psychological and neuropsychological evaluations for immigration hearings, mental health diversion and mitigation, testamentary capacity, competency to stand trial, personal injury, worker's compensation, and fitness for duty. He provides consultation services to personal injury and worker's compensation attorneys on psychological and neuropsychological-related matters.  He has also testified as an expert and served as a consultant for the defense and prosecution in state and federal court.

In addition to his private practice, he is a forensic psychologist for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He conducts psychological evaluations to evaluate patients for violence risk and determine if they meet the criteria to be committed to a state hospital, write court reports, and testify in court as an expert witness.

Dr. Gharibian is appointed to the Los Angeles Juvenile Court Expert Witness Panel and Adult Criminal Court Expert Witness Panel. He is also a member of the National Academy of Neuropsychology.

Areas of Forensic Expertise:

David A.Sugar, MD, is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon. He has been in practice since 1997. Working as a general Orthopaedic Surgeon, he has treated an extremely wide array of Orthopaedic conditions and injuries.

Dr. Sugar has served as the Managing Partner in a group as large as 11 doctors and worked on the Surgical QI Committee ( currently serves as the Chairman) at the 35th largest hospital in the United States. Dr. Sugar is currently the principal surgeon at Sugar Orthopaedics where they provide surgical and non-surgical treatments for muscular and skeletal problems of all types.

Litigation Support - Dr Sugar has offered expert witness services for attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant for 20 years. His services include independent medical evaluations (IMEs), medical record review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony. Dr. Sugar's cases have a heavy emphasis on Fractures, Knee, Shoulder, Sports Medicine, and Pediatric Orthopaedics.

Areas of Expertise:

Dr. Steven Helfand, PsyD, is a licensed Psychologist with over 25 years of direct Correctional Mental Health and Health Leadership experience. He has overseen the mental health and health service delivery in over 50 small, mid-size, and large scale jail, prison, and juvenile systems in accordance with national and local standards as well as multiple consent decrees and settlement agreements. 

Dr. Helfand holds long term certification as a Certified Correctional Health Professional through the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) where he was a contributor to the inaugural Mental Health Standards and a long standing presenter of those standards. He is a former Board Chair for the Academy of Correctional Health Professionals and has published book chapters and articles related to behavioral treatment (self-injury and management of the disruptive inmate) and management plans, and serves as a consultant and expert witness to address those challenges.

Dr. Helfand has served as Executive Director of Bleuler Psychotherapy Center since 2015 overseeing both the licensed OMH and OASAS programs. He currently consults to NCCHC Resources Inc providing evaluation and technical assistance to several jail systems. He has held the position of Senior Vice President of Operations for Correct Care Solutions, overseeing mental health and health services in city and county jails throughout the east coast. Dr. Helfand is the former: Statewide Director of Mental Health for all Connecticut jails and prisons, Deputy Director / Acting Director of Mental Health at Rikers Island jails, Director of Forensic Mental Health at Nassau County Correctional Center, and Director of Mental Health / Health Service Administrator at the New York City Department of Juvenile Justice.

Litigation Support - Dr. Helfand serves as an expert witness on jail suicide, death, neglect, segregation, and other issues for individual and class action matter. Dr. Helfand also actively consults to several jail systems providing contract monitoring, accreditation preparation, and risk reduction recommendations. He also consults to DHS related to conditions of confinement. He is well respected within the NCCHC community and his approach to case review draws upon his experience and familiarity with national standards and best practices. 

Areas of Expertise:

View Dr. Steven J. Helfand's Consulting Profile.

• Neurological Injuries (Brain and Spinal Cord Injury)
• Burns
• Orthopedic Injures
• Amputation
• Chronic Pain
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

• Expert Testimony
• Life Care Planning
• Mini/Preliminary Life Care Plan
• Video Services
• Medical Record Review
• RN Independent Medical Exam
• Medicare Set Aside Trust Analysis
• Medical Bill Auditing
• Questions: Deposition Cross Examining

Robert B. Sklaroff, MD, is medical specialist, Board-Certified in Internal Medicine since 1977 and in Medical Oncology since 1979. Currently a solo practitioner, Dr. Sklaroff has been an Independent Medical Examiner since 2009.

Dr. Sklaroff has testified on the issue of health care before nine governmental bodies including the National Cancer Advisory Board. He has also provided written testimony to the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means regarding FDA Reform and has delivered over 190 lectures on topics within his area of expertise including smoking cessation. A prolific author, Dr. Sklaroff has written numerous articles on issues involving cancer and smoking.

Robert B. Sklaroff, MD, is an Oncology, Hematology, and Internal Medicine specialist who has been retained as an Expert over 500 times. Having worked with the legal industry for over 27 years, Dr. Sklaroff has been qualified by a court to give expert testimony more than 60 times and has given more than 1000 depositions.

Dr. Sklaroff, completed Fellowships at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and at Hahnemann University; he is currently a solo-practitioner, Board-Certified in Internal Medicine since 1977 and in Medical Oncology since 1979. He has been an Independent Medical Examiner since 2009. Dr. Sklaroff offers Expert Witness services for both Plaintiff and Defense on issues involving Causation, Damages and Standards of Care. Selected Areas of Expertise:

View Dr. Sklaroff's Consulting Profile.

Research & Planning Consultants, LP (RPC) has been assisting clients with expert services for over 45 years, including consulting and expert witness testimony for personal injury, healthcare litigation, commercial litigation and Certificate of Need matters. RPC also offers a wide selection of health data. They have served clients across the U.S, from Alaska to Florida and from New England to California. 

A Complete Team of Damages Experts for Personal Injury Litigation

Research & Planning Consultants, LP provides the following services: 

• PERSONAL INJURY - RPC provides comprehensive damages analysis in personal injury litigation. Their expert team has life care planners, vocational evaluators, board-certified physicians, economists and neuropsychologists. 

Areas of Expertise include: Life Care Plans, Loss of Earning Capacity or Support, Present Value of Damages, Medical Bill Analysis, Chargemaster Analysis, Neuropsychological Testing & Traumatic Brain Injury, Vocational Evaluations, IMEs, Section 18.001, Prestanding ED Chargemaster Analysis

• COMMERCIAL LITIGATION- RPC has provided expert analysis on commercial litigation concerning many industries: chemicals, refining, forestry, waste management, pipelines, water resources, oil and gas EDP, fisheries, agriculture, electrical generating plants, transmission lines, telecommunications, and real estate development. Our special expertise in the healthcare industry has proven valuable to business litigators unfamiliar with this complex industry.

Areas of Expertise: Breach of Contract / Commercial Economic Damages, Construction Disputes, Litigation over Non-Competitive Agreements, Environmental Torts and Toxic Torts, Commercial Disparagement, Wrongful Termination

• HEALTHCARE LITIGATION - RPC offers economic, statistical, data and clinical analysis in a wide range of healthcare litigation. They have experience with payment disputes, qui tam litigation, physician-hospital disputes, practice valuations and construction litigation. 

Areas of Expertise: Qui Tam Healthcare Litigation, Medical Staff Disputes, Professional Liability, Payment Disputes, Health Facility Construction Disputes, Freestanding ED Chargemester Analysis

• CERTIFICATE OF NEED - RPC provides Certificate of Need (CON) planning services nationwide. We have over 35 years of experience developing regulatory strategy, preparing applications and testifying in public and administrative hearings.

Areas of Expertise: Satellite Hospitals, New Hospitals, Relocation and Transfer of Beds, Observation Beds, Geriatric Psychiatric Units, Children’s Hospitals, Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation Units, Neonatal Intensive Care Units, Open Heart Surgery Services, Long Term Acute Care Units, Projects that exceed CON Capital Threshold Limits, Projects for Specifically Listed Services, Programs Requiring CON, Hospices, Senior Living Facilities

Ronald T. Luke, JD, PhD, is a principal consultant and President of RPC, LP. Ron joined RPC in 1976 and became its president and principal owner in 1979. He has consulted on projects for health care providers, managed care plans and public agencies in more than 25 states. He also serves as an expert witness in trials, administrative proceedings and legislative hearings.

Active in the Health Policy Arena, Dr. Luke has been accepted as an expert in Economics, Socioeconomic Impact Analysis, and Policy Analysis by state and federal courts, and state administrative agencies. The types of cases in which he has provided expert testimony include personal injury, contractual disputes, health care payment disputes, construction defects, utility construction permitting, and certificate of need. He has testified on health care matters including market structure, billing fraud and abuse, reasonableness of charges, medical staff credentialing, workers’ compensation fee guidelines, utilization review, physician contracts, and managed care contracts.

Kacy L. Turner, MS, CRC, CVE, CLCP, is a Certified Life Care Planner and Vocational Consultant with RPC. She has over 20 years of experience in Rehabilitation. Ms. Turner has experience writing life care plans for both plaintiff and defense clients. She has experience as a rehabilitation consultant in three states and has been qualified as a testifying expert in state and federal court.  

Ms. Turner has worked on cases in several states as well as the country of Trinidad. To determine the pre-injury and post-injury employability in personal injury cases, she provides vocational testing, transferable skills analysis, job requirements analysis, rehabilitation plans, and definition of reasonable accommodations under the American with Disabilities Act. She is a member of the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals, the Texas Association of Rehabilitation Professionals and Providers of Services, and Vocational Evaluation and Career Assessment Professionals.

Brian Piper, PhD,  is an Economist with RPC specializing in Quantitative Analysis and Modelling. He works on a variety of cases including personal injury and certificate of need. He is experienced in data extraction, management, simulation, and analysis using STATA, SQL, ARC GIS and a variety of other programs. Dr. Piper has taught graduate classes in statistics and econometrics in both MBA and Ph.D. programs.

Dr. Piper is an experienced expert, providing testimony, reports, and affidavits on the issues of economic damages in personal injury litigation, healthcare litigation, False Claims Act litigation, and other commercial litigation. He has testified on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants. 

Dr. Piper specializes in the economics of healthcare. He has been retained by healthcare providers and insurers in payment disputes. He has analyzed the reasonableness of charges and expected payment for past and future medical services for providers, insurers, plaintiffs, and defendants. Besides work in litigation, Dr. Piper has provided analysis of Certificate of Need applications and the economic impacts of proposed legislation.

Sina Rajamand, DO, is a General Neurosurgeon particularly skilled in minimally invasive and Complex Spine Surgery, Including percutaneous lumbar fusions, and minimally invasive brain and spine surgeries. He is affiliated with numerous prestigious medical societies such as the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the American Osteopathic Association.

Dr. Rajamand started Carson Tahoe Medical Center’s Neurosurgery program. His duties and responsibilities include writing and revising procedures and protocols, educating other providers and nursing staff on neuro-critical care and neurosurgical pathologies. He coordinating and organizes capital expenditures for the neurosurgery service line and provides continuous consulting services to inpatient hospitalist service and Emergency Departments.

Dr. Rajamand founded Battle Born Brain and Spine to set a new standard in neurosurgical care for the Northern Nevada and Northern California community, by providing the right care at the right time for the right person in the right way.

Dr. Sina Rajamand on Brain, Spine, and Back Surgery

Litigation Support - Dr. Rajamand is uniquely equipped to provide medical expert testimony with his advanced medical training from Columbia University, Midwestern University and the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. He specializes in microsurgery techniques for neurosurgical procedures and minimally invasive surgery.

In depositions and trials, Dr. Rajamand can serve as a medical expert witness on a wide range of spinal conditions and diseases, including:

• Brain and Spine Tumors
• Carpal Tunnel
• Compression Fractures
• Trigeminal Neuralgia
• Lumbar, Cervical, and Thoracic Spine Conditions

Dr. Pia Quimson-Guevarra is Board-Certified in Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She opines about psychiatric issues in civil litigation, employment matters, and criminal cases. She has extensive experience with diagnosis and treatment of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD and other factors of emotional distress, both as a treating physician and in medical-legal cases. She serves as a forensic consultant, and/or disclosed Expert Witness. She assesses competency and undue influence,  standard of care, and mental status re judgment and clarity of thinking. Applies to civil, probate and CTST criminal matters including criminal responsibility. She is also experienced in treatment of psychotic disorders,  hallucinations, and delusions.

She opines about medication or drug impact on behavior.

Dr. Quimson-Guevarra conducts IMEs and review of medical and legal records. Her assessments are thorough and inform thoughtful and objective expert opinions issued by verbal and written report and testimony. She conducts Independent Medical Evaluations face-to-face in person and by video.

She is a Certified Forensic Evaluator in Oregon.

Dr. Quimson-Guevarra's clinical practice in Portland is Quimson Behavioral Health, providing psychiatric patient care, medication management, and psychotherapy, for patients who suffer from mental disorders, e.g., Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Disord & PTSD and medication management. She continues to use her expertise in psychopharmacology to treat mental health conditions in the context of medicolegal medically complex cases.

Prior to expanding her private practice, she was a psychiatrist at Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare, in an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team, a method to deliver an intensive level of services to patients in the local community. Her patients consisted of individuals who suffer from severe and persistent mental illness.  At Cascadia, she also treated patients with a history that includes forensic medical-legal issues.

Previously, Dr. Quimson-Guevarra treated patients who suffered from anxiety, mood, and psychotic disorders at Cedar Hills Hospital, Multnomah County Detention Center, Washington County Jail, Snake River Correctional Institute, and the Portland Veteran's Administration. 

Dr. Quimson-Guevarra has served as a forensic consultant for the Washington County Mental Health Court in Oregon. She also has worked in the forensic evaluation service department at the Oregon State Hospital where she performed forensic evaluations.

Leonard J. Weiss, MD, is a Forensic Psychiatrist with unparalleled qualifications, Board-Certified physician in 5 distinct and complementary disciplines applied to Medical-Legal questions:

Dr. Weiss has more than 40 years of experience as a physician. He has been in practice for over 20 years as a Board-Certified Psychiatrist, Forensic Psychiatrist, and Addiction Psychiatry specialist, preceded by more than two decades in Internal Medicine.

As an Addiction Psychiatry specialist, Dr. Weiss developed and served as Chief of the first Dual Diagnosis (Addiction) program at Michael Reese Hospital of the University of Chicago. He has served as the Medical Director of Austin Lakes Hospital.

Before pursuing his interest in psychiatry, Dr. Weiss practiced Internal Medicine in Michigan, where he maintains a Medical License. He has treated patients in psychiatric practice in Chicago and Atlanta. In 2013 he relocated to Austin, Texas, where he has a private clinical psychiatric practice, Psychiatry Austin.

Dr. Weiss graduated from Wayne State University Medical School and MIT (Mathematics), with residency training in Internal Medicine, Fellowship in Clinical Nutrition, and Psychiatry at, respectively, the University of Michigan Henry Ford Hospital, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York (Fellow) and Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago.

Litigation Support: Dr. Weiss has special training and experience in the application of psychiatric knowledge to legal issues and works in areas where Mental Health and the Legal System overlap, such as Medical Malpractice and Standard of Care. He offers objective evaluations and psychiatric consultation in a wide variety of legal matters, including expert testimony, as well as clinical work with perpetrators and victims.

Dr. Weiss provides IMEs and expert opinions on mental health questions via written reports, deposition, or courtroom testimony. He works with attorneys, courts, and other parties involved in actual or potential litigation. His research and assessment and his clinical practice cover areas such as:

Areas of Expertise:

Georgia J. Persky RN, MBA, PhD, CLNC, CNOR is a Columbia University trained nurse researcher with over 40 years of broad Clinical Nursing experience and 25 years of senior leadership in Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Home Health organizations. She also has 20 years of Surgical Nursing and Operating Room experience. Dr. Persky has expertise in the micro issues in nursing for adult patient care and the broad management, quality, and regulatory issues in hospitals. 

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

Litigation 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. She has testifying experience in malpractice and personal injury cases, as well as, with human resource and employee discrimination with an ability to attest to standards of care in clinical litigation. Dr. Persky's services are available to attorneys for the plaintiff and defense seeking an expert in nursing and patient care with a strong understanding of how heath care organizations work.

Areas of Expertise:

View Dr. Persky's Consulting Profile.

Panorama Consulting Group specializes in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems and has multiple testifying experts for failed software litigation. This high-profile firm is called upon to investigate the feasibility of litigation, provide software expert witness testimony, and build background reporting for some of the industry’s highest-profile software lawsuits. They have worked with organizations ranging from multi-national conglomerates to boutique and large law firms, as well as state offices of the Attorney General.

As independent enterprise software experts, Panorama Consulting Group has hands-on experience with hundreds of software vendors. Their firm is not tied to a single law firm or software vendor, allowing them to focus on all types of clients and industries. 

Bill Baumann on Expert Witness Testimony

Listen to Panorama Consulting Group's podcast episode: What Would Your Failed Enterprise Software Implementation Say if it Could Talk?

Litigation Support: The experts at Panorama Consulting Group work for both plaintiffs and defendants, software vendors and system integrators, and their customers. Their differentiator is using a team-based approach to provide expertise beyond just the testifying expert, which is cost-effective and efficient for their clients. They have multiple software expert witnesses available for provision of reports, depositions, and testimonies.

Allegations Addressed:

View Panorama Consulting Group's Consulting Profile.

Dr. Patricia J. Bartzak, DNP, RN, CMSRN, TCRN, CNRN is a skilled hospital nurse clinician with 19 years of direct nursing care of patients with infectious diseases and trauma patients, including injuries and diseases related to neurologic, cardiac, renal, renal transplant, spinal, orthopedic and acute and chronic pain and oncologic diagnoses.  Located on the east coast with current nursing licenses both in Massachusetts and California. Has reviewed more than 60 cases in 6 years, written several reports, and been deposed about a dozen times in person and video. Currently working in a hospital designated as level-1 trauma center.

Continued active contributions to the field of nursing as staff nurse, nurse researcher, professional journal column editor and leadership initiatives through active participation in professional nursing organizations.  Served 2 terms as an elected Regional Coordinator for Sigma Theta Tau, the nursing honor society. Currently, serving on the Board of Directors for the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses. 

Direct care experience with complex airways, cervical instability, multi-drain management, invasive monitoring, complex wounds, pain management and surgical interventions from many services: orthopedics, neurology, general surgery, thoracics, infectious disease and gastrointestinal medicine. 

Co-chaired the American Nurse's Association (ANA) Scope & Standards of Practice (4th edition, 2021), a document that guides nursing practice for the country's 4 million nurses and Chair of Nursing Research in a level-1 trauma center. 

Nurse educator for several years from undergraduate through the doctoral level including clinical rotations.

Column writer for Nursing Evidence-Based Practice column, having published dozens of articles on safe bedside nursing care. Peer reviewer for the Journal of Trauma Nursing.

Served as a nurse voting members of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) with current Collaborative Institutional Training (CITI) certification.

Professional nursing certifications in medical-surgical nursing, trauma nursing, neuroscience nursing and telemetry. 

View Dr. Bartzak's Consulting Profile.

Mustafa A. Mufti, MD, is a board certified general Adult Psychiatrist and Forensic Psychiatrist.  Presently, he serves as the Director of the Psychiatry Residency Training Program at Chrisitiana Care.  Prior to this he served as the Clinical Director of Forensic Services at Delaware Psychiatric Center.   During his time as the Clinical Director of Forensic Services, he oversaw Delaware’s only maximum-security forensic psychiatric service center. 

After graduating from medical school, Dr. Mufti worked as a clinical researcher at Emory University School of Medicine. As a researcher he worked on studies related to post traumatic stress disorder, depression and cardiovascular disease, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and deep brain stimulation. 

Dr. Mufti completed his residency training at the Delaware Psychiatric Center and went on to complete a fellowship in forensic psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. His work has been published in numerous reputable journals and he has presented at conferences nationally and internationally. In addition to his clinical and administrative responsibilities, Dr. Mufti is actively involved in the teaching of medical students, future psychiatrists, and forensic fellows in training.

Litigation Support - Dr. Mufti provides expert witness services for attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant. His services include medical record review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

• Competency to Stand Trial
• Mental State at the Time of the Offense
• Mental State for Death Penalty
• Disability
• Malpractice
• Testamentary Capacity
• Terrorism / Radicalization

View Dr. Mustafa A. Mufti's Consulting Profile.

Milliman’s Tampa Office provides a variety of Health Insurance, Health Care services, and Pharma consulting services to law firms, health plans, insurance companies, HMO’s, Blue Cross/Blue Shield plans, hospitals and other providers, employers and government agencies. Stuart Rachlin and other staff are experienced actuaries and related consultants.  

We provide support to our clients with all types of health related services including Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug plans (MAPD), Part D plans (PDP), ACA plans, medical, dental, long-term care, Medicare supplement & critical illness.

We assist clients nationwide with forensic actuarial work, rate filings, regulatory compliance, reserve projections, valuations, employee benefit analysis and design, mergers and acquisitions, claim cost analysis, and fee schedule analysis.

These health care services are used in litigation relating to:

• Life care planning
• Contract development and fee schedule analysis
• Pricing & Underwriting
• Senior Services
• New benefit plan design