Healthcare (General) Expert Witnesses

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 a variety of conditions including dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, complications from a stroke, traumatic brain injury, concussions, learning disabilities, ADHD, and PTSD in clinical, civil, and criminal cases. 

In addition to his private practice, Dr. Gharibian is a staff psychologist and medical staff member at Patton State Hospital, a 1,500-bed maximum-security forensic psychiatric hospital housing judicially committed patients under the following commitment types: Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI), Incompetent to Stand Trial, Mentally Disordered Offender, and Mentally Disordered Sex Offender.  

As a forensic psychologist at Patton State Hospital, Dr. Gharibian conducts competency evaluations with criminally committed patients with severe mental illness and cognitive deficits. He routinely conducts psychological evaluations to evaluate patients and determine if they are competent to stand trial, writes court reports, and testifies in court as an expert witness. 

Dr. Gharibian has been appointed to the Los Angeles Juvenile Court Expert Witness Panel. He is also a member of the National Academy of Neuropsychology and the American Psychology and Law Society. 

Areas of Forensic Expertise:

Personal Injury Independent Medical Evaluations Worker's Compensation Fitness for Duty Police Officer Pre-Employment Evaluations Immigration Cases Diminished Capacity Violence Risk Assessments Mitigating Factors in Criminal Cases Civil Capacity (Testamentary Capacity, Undue Influence, Contractual Capacity) Symptom Validity/ Malingering

Forensic Psychology Forensic Neuropsychology Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Concussions Neurocognitive Impairment from Substance Use Complications from stroke Dementia Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Learning Disabilities ADHD Sexual Harassment Discrimination

Timothy P. Luckett, BS, RN, CNOR, CRNFA, CIC, LNC a Legal Nurse Consultant (LNC) gives expert opinions and testimony in all types of medical malpractice cases for both Plaintiff and Defense. Mr. Luckett is a Registered Nurse Expert in Surgery, ICU, Nursing Home Neglect, Outpatient Surgery Center Matters, and Hospital Surgical Matters.

Mr. Luckett has served as a circulating nurse, RR nurse, and as a registry nurse in General Surgery, Orthopedics, Neurosurgery, Gynecology, Vascular and Urology Surgeries. He has given numerous laser safety lectures and is a clinical assistant for the University of California at Los Angeles, Registered Nurse First Assist (RNFA) program. Mr. Luckett has also served as a case consultant and reviews nurse malpractice cases for the California Board of Registered Nursing.

Willeam A. Choby, DMD, MPA, MAGD, FICCMO, DICOI, has over 40 years of experience Dentistry and Oral Surgery. He is a Board Certified Implant Dentist that perfoms both the Surgery and the Restoration of Implant Teeth. A “Master” in the Academy of General Dentistry (MAGD), Dr. Choby has been recognized by other general dentists as a leader and an example to other dentists of the importance of quality continuing dental education to patient care. Masters have accepted the charge to keep abreast of advances in dentistry for the benefit of patients and the betterment of dentistry. Dr. Choby is also a Fellow in the International College of Cranio-Mandibular Orthopedics (FICCMO), earned a Masters of Public Administration (MPA), and is a Diplomate of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (DICOI). He is recognized as One of America's Top Dentists by the Consumers Research Council of America. Litigation Support - Dr. Choby's expertise is frequently called upon for second opinions for quality assurance companies, peer review panels, workmen's compensation disputes, automobile accident claims, dental insurance companies, physicians, attorneys, and other dentists. He has offered his expert opinion in more than 100 dental malpractice cases, inspected over 1,100 dental offices for insurance companies, and performed over 1,000 second opinion case reviews, IMEs and peer reviews. His cases have included issues concerning:

Dental Implant Surgery Dental Implant Restorations Neuromuscular Occlusion Crowns Bridges / Dentures

Root Canals Hard and Soft Tissue Lasers Extractions Cosmetic Dentistry Oral Cancer Treatment

View Dr. Choby's Consulting Profile.

Manonmani Antony, MD, DABA, DABIPP, is triple board-certified in Anesthesiology (ABA), Pain Medicine (ABA), and Interventional Pain Medicine (ABIPP).

Dr. Antony completed medical school at University of Peradeniya and later finished her residency at Texas Tech University, where she was awarded the Outstanding Resident Award. Dr. Antony was trained to perform advanced pain procedures utilizing cutting-edge technology during her Pain Management Fellowship at the University of Maryland. She currently lectures on Opioid Risk Management for the Medical Society of Delaware and the Delaware State Medical Board.

Dr. Antony's personal philosophy as a physician motivates her to explore every treatment option possible in order to avoid invasive surgeries and Opioid drug abuse in chronic pain patients. With great success, she uses Interventional Spinal / Joint Procedures along with Physical Therapy as alternative pain-management therapies to supplement patients' pharmacological regimens.

Litigation Support - Dr. Antony provides expert witness services for cases involving Interventional Pain Management and Opioid Risk Management. She has performed numerous Independent Medical Reviews (IMEs) and has testified in court approximately 25 times. Dr. Antony's services are available to counsel representing plaintiff and defendant and include Workers Compensation Review, Auto injury Review, Depositions, Narrative Reports, and Peer Reviews.

Areas of Expertise:

Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection Cervical Facet Joint Injection Cervical Medial Branch Block Cervical Medial Branch Neurotomy Diagnostic Ultrasound Fluoroscopic-Guided Hip Injection Fluroscopically-Guided Spinal Injection Ganglion Impar Block Implantable Peripheral Neurostimulator Intercostal Nerve Block Lumbar Discography Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection Lumbar Facet Joint Injection Lumbar Selective Nerve Root Block

Lumbar Sympathetic Block Lumbar Transforaminal Injection Myofascial Trigger Point Injection Neuromodulation Neurostimulation Peripheral Nerve Block Piriformis Injection Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection (PRP) Sacroiliac Joint Injection Spinal Cord Stimulation Stellate Ganglion Block Thoracic Epidural Steroid Injection Thoracic Facet Joint Injection Total Disc Replacement

Ms. Roughan is a Rehabilitation Nurse Specialist who functions in the capacity of case manager, life care planner and expert witness. Her company, Roughan & Associates at LINC, is a nationally recognized Case Management and Medical/Legal Consulting service. It has been in existence since 1987, providing coordination of patient care; construction of Life Care Plans; and, consultative services to both the defense and plaintiff bar on simple and complex cases alike. Ms. Roughan has experience with diagnoses involving both children and adults and are knowledgeable in current treatment philosophies, identification of appropriate resources.

Diagnoses include, but are not limited to:

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

Services Include:

• 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:

Breast Cancer Rectal Cancer Colon Cancer Leukemia Non-Lymphocytic Leukemia

Bone Metastases Chemotherapy Administration Pump Infusions Hematology Tobacco - Smoking Cessation

View Dr. Sklaroff's Consulting Profile.

Cynthia (Cyndy) Minnery RN, BSN has over 30 years of experience caring for the elderly within Acute Care, Skilled Nursing, and Assisted Living Facilities. Ms. Minnery has worked as a Director of Quality Compliance in Skilled Nursing and Home Health Care. She now owns Residential Care Facilities and is familiar with the Standards of Care expected of caregivers in these settings.

Ms. Minnery has years of experience and training in care of the elderly and common disorders like Alzheimer’s Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, and other Geriatric Syndromes. She currently serves on the San Diego Dementia Consortium board of directors and Clinical advisory committee.

Cyndy Minnery has been an expert witness for elder abuse cases within Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE) since 2012. Her reputation for providing exceptional care as an RCFE owner/administrator is well known within San Diego county, caring for residents with the highest level of compassion. Ms. Minnery provides medical record review and other services to attorneys for Plaintiff and Defense.

Areas of Expertise:

Residential Care for Elderly Assisted Living Nursing Homes Title 22 Regulatory Compliance Standards of Care

Elder Abuse Bedsores Wound Care Falls Medication Management

View Cyndy Minnery's Consulting Profile.

Raymond P. Mooney, PAC, DFAAPA, is a Physician Assistant with over 40 years of experience in Family Practice, Emergency Medicine, Urgent Care and Corrections Medicine. Mr. Mooney has recently retired from his family medicine practice however, he continues his involvement in correctional medicine.

Background Experience: Since 2000, Mr. Mooney has been employed by a solo family practice physician. His clinical responsibilities include performing complete history and physical examinations, management of patients from childhood to geriatrics, and minor office surgeries. Administrative duties involve authorizing patient prescription refills, reviewing all incoming laboratory reports, radiology studies and clinical mail concerning patients and directing 

Mr. Mooney is also employed part-time as an independent contractor to staff the Emergency Room / Urgent Care Clinic at Dwane Waters Hospital of the Southern Michigan Prison. He is responsible for the evaluation and management of prisoners presenting for emergent as well as minor illnesses including trauma, cardiac events, respiratory distress, AIDS related illnesses, diabetes, etc. His duties also include the triage of calls from the remaining facilities in the Michigan prison system to determine the urgent nature of inmate complaints and appropriate disposition.

Litigation Support:  With a diverse background as a Physician Assistant, Mr. Mooney has been providing the legal industry with his expert opinion for 20 yeras. He is available to objectively evaluate cases for alleged medical negligence or a deviation in the standard of care. 

Services: 

Initial Attorney Conferences (No Charge ) Review / Prepare Affidavits of Merit for Medical Negligence Claims Assisting with Disvovery Strategy

Preparation of Expert Opinion Video Deposition Travel for Trial

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:

Nursing/Hospital Standards of Care Nursing Home and Skilled Nursing Surgical and Perioperative Nursing Quality and Risk Management Fall and Pressure Ulcer Prevention

Hospital Policy and Procedure Medication Safety Medical Device Safety Hospital Administration State, Federal, Joint Commission Regulatory Compliance

View Dr. Persky's Consulting Profile.

Justina E. Ogbuokiri, BSc, RPh, PharmD, FASCP, is currently an associate professor of Clinical Pharmacy at Xavier College of Pharmacy and the Consultant Clinical Pharmacist at the HIV Outpatient Clinic of the Medical Center of Louisiana in New Orleans. She has over 30 years of experience in her field of expertise.

Dr. Ogbuokiri serves as a researcher and consultant to the World Health Organization Tropical Diseases Research Programme in Onchocerciasis, a clinical pharmacy specialist and consultant to the HIV Outpatient Program, and Co-principal investigator to the National Minority AIDS Education and Training Center. She also offers technical support and consultant to the HIV / AIDS pharmaceutical industry and Health Resources Service Administration (HRSA) in the area of HIV / AIDS, mental disorders, and other co-morbidities.

Dr. Ogbuokiri has provided medication management services in HIV / AIDS to the HIV Outpatient Program (HOP) in New Orleans, with a patient load of 3,000-plus registered patients, the largest HIV ambulatory care clinic in the Southeastern Region of the United States. She has served as a reviewer to the Annals of Pharmacotherapy for over 2o years and technical consultant to the HIV / AIDS Bureau of the HRSA.

Litigation Support - Dr. Ogbuokiri offers technical defense and support for litigation and serves as an expert witness in major trials when necessary. She served as the expert witness for the Dow Breast Implant Case of 1997 where she offered technical advice on the role of the medications that the patient (clients) who had received the implants were prescribed. Her services are available to attorneys representing both Plaintiff and Defense.

Areas of Litigation Expertise:

Pharmacy / Medication Outcome Medication Personal Injury Medical Malpractice

Drugs in Pregnancy Drug Interactions HIV / AIDS Drugs

View Dr. Ogbuokiri's Consulting Profile.

Dr. Patricia J. Bartzak, DNP, RN, CMSRN, is a skilled hospital nurse clinician with 18 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 50 cases in 5 years, written several reports, and been deposed about 8 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 nurse educator, nurse researcher, professional journal column editor and leadership initiatives through active participation in professional nursing organizations.  Currently serving a second term as an elected Regional Coordinator for Sigma Theta Tau, the nursing honor society.

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. 

Currently co-chairing the American Nurse's Association (ANA) Scope & Standards of Practice (4th edition), a document that guides nursing practice for the country's 4 milllion nurses.

Nurse educator for several years from undergraduate through the doctoral level including courses in medical-surgical nursing, pathophysiology, psychiatric nursing, nursing research and pharmacology, simulation and 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, burn nursing and telemetry. 

View Dr. Bartzak's Consulting Profile.

Specialties & Experience General Specialties: Psychiatry, Telepsychiatry, TeleHealth, Correctional Healthcare Specialty Focus: Prisons & Jails, Wrongful Death, Suicide, Deliberate Indifference, Medical Malpractice, Gross Negligence, Addiction, Nursing Homes, Geriatric Psychiatry, Violence,  Telepsychiatry, Overdose, Involuntary Hospitalization Education: MD, Northwestern University; Residency, Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati; Fellowship, Child/Adolescent, University of Cincinnati Years in Practice: 30+

Additional Information:

• Board Certified actively practicing psychiatrist.  Northwestern Educated 
• Vast experience in disability and file review.
• Special interest in Telepsychiatry.  
• 30+ years of diverse clinical experience including telepsychiatry, locum tenens, private practice (treated over 20,000 outpatients and admitted over 10,000 patients to hospitals), correctional healthcare (Folsom and Pelican Bay State Prisons) and nursing homes.  
• Served as a psychiatric consultant to over 40 nursing homes.
• Experienced expert witness case reviewer.
• Experienced Independent Medical Examiner.
• President and Founder - MasteringTeleHealth.com (online training for clinicians and therapists)
• Licensed in California & Illinois  

View Dr. Fred Moss' Consulting Profile.

Milliman’s Tampa Office provides Health Insurance, Health Care and Employee Benefit Consulting to law firms, insurance companies, hospitals, HMO’s, Blue Cross/Blue Shield plans, employers and government agencies. Our staff is experienced with 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, demutualizations, claim cost analysis, and utilization management programs.

These health care services are used in litigation relating to:

• Pricing & Underwriting
• Senior Services
• Contract Development and Negotiations
• New Plan Design

mdi Consultants, Inc - Experts in FDA regulatory affairs, quality assurance and ISO 9000 certification. With 6 years in the FDA and 26 years consulting to the industry, mdi Consultants, Inc. has been an invited Speaker worldwide on FDA regulations and policies and has obtained FDA expert status as third party auditors.

OUR APPROACH

We utilize the following three part approach to providing high quality services to our clients:

Unsurpassed consultant experience – we identify and recruit only top quality consultants with deep industry knowledge to provide the most complete and insightful advice to our clients

Up-to-date systems and processes – we have highly defined systems (e.g. manuals, training programs, technical files) and processes (e.g. audit methodologies, 510(k) submission, validations) that are constantly refined and kept current across the ever changing regulatory environment

Involvement in regulation development – we stay ahead of policies by participating in the development of regulation (e.g. HACCP, Scientific Advisor to U.S. Congressmen)

Mary Wickens, JD, CFE, CHC has over 35 years experience in the Healthcare Insurance, Managed Care, and Compliance Industry. Her experience includes advising and counseling health care providers, insurers, government contractors, and others in compliance, ethics, fraud and abuse, Medicare, Medicaid and Federal Employees Plan, managed care, and other matters. Background Experience - Ms. Wickens is a former compliance officer for a major health insurer and former legal and compliance specialist for a CMS Medicare Program Safeguard Contractor. Also a former operations director for government programs (Medicare Part C, Medi-gap, and FEHBP) for a major HMO, she is experienced with government audits and investigations, commercial audits, as well as self-reporting and internal investigations. Ms. Wickens has decades of experience as in house counsel to HMOs and health insurers. She has drafted, developed, negotiated, and implemented numerous healthcare provider-payor contracts, and developed and implemented codes of conduct, ethics programs, compliance programs and numerous corrective action plans. Litigation Support - Mary Wickens provides litigation support, including skilled expert services, reports and testimony in federal False Claims Act cases, arbitrations, and provider-payer disputes. She is an experienced testifying expert, responsive to the needs of counsel, with excellent report writing skills. Ms. Wickens' services are available to counsel representing both plaintiff and defendant. Areas of Expertise:

Medicare False Claims Act (FCA) Health Insurance HMO Medicare Advantage Provider / Payor Disputes Claims Audits and Appeals Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans (FEHBP)

Medicare Part D Government Audits DME Home Health Care Hospice Managed Care Contracting Anti-Kickback Compliance Self-disclosures

View Mary Wickens' Consulting Profile.