Medical Specialists Expert Witnesses: 131

Paul M. Adler, DO, FACEP, MBA, Medical Director for the Ventura County, California, Department of Corrections, has worked in Correctional / Jail / Prison Medicine & COVID-19 Preparation & Response. He has overseen the care of inmates in Jails in California and New York, as well as Prison inmates who have been transferred to county facilities to serve their terms for years in county jails in California. He has also overseen Correctional health car in locked units in Hospitals . Dr. Adler is the President-Elect of The American Correctional Health Services Association of California / Nevada, which represents all clinicians and administrators in Jails/Prisons in California and Nevada. He previously oversaw a County Hospital, County Nursing Home and ran a County Health Department and oversaw Correctional healthcare for the Westchester, New York Jail.

Litigation Support - Dr. Adler has defended Jails and Prisons in Southern California, Idaho, Texas, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, etc. He has been involved in Plaintiff litigation in many states including against Rikers Island, NY and Cook County Jail. Dr. Adler still works as a full-time practicing physician and has helped attorneys and insurance companies in Emergency Medicine, Nursing Home Medicine, Public Health and Hospital Administration since 1985. Dr. Adler is available to review and consult on clinical Correctional/Jail/Prison cases for attorneys for both Plaintiff and Defense.

Services:

• COVID-19 Preparation & Response
• Screen Cases for Merit
• Review, Analyze and interpret Medical Records
• Provide Basic or Comprehensive Written Reports
• Interpret Standards of Care, Deviation and Adherences as they Relate to Correctional Health Care
• Develop Chronological Time Lines
• Policy and Procedure Development

Tanja Johnson, MSN, FNP-C, ENP-C, LNC, is a Board-Certified Nurse Practitioner with over 25 years of experience in healthcare roles from Registered Nurse to Nurse Practitioner. Ms. Johnson earned her Master of Science in Nursing, becoming a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner, a board-certified Emergency Medicine Nurse Practitioner, and then adding a PMHNP postgraduate degree. She has also obtained a Legal Nurse Consultant certificate to further facilitate her ability to contribute to the legal community.

Qualifications: Ms. Johnson has experience working in mental health, long-term care, hospice, medical/surgical care, and emergency medicine for a 20-year span as a registered nurse. The past 8 years have been spent practicing in emergency medicine as a nurse practitioner.

Areas of Expertise:

Litigation Support  - Ms. Johnson is available for both the defense and the plaintiff’s counsel providing a factual synthesis of any issue requiring the medical expertise of a medical care provider. She assists legal teams with navigating medical records and understanding terminology for legal cases such as medical malpractice, personal injury, insurance fraud, and worker’s compensation. Ms. Johnson provides knowledge and insight for care from nursing professionals, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, as well as physician practice.

Advanced Practice Nurse Consulting Services

Joanna Aiken is a Board-Certified Anesthesiologist practicing in the operating rooms and intensive care units at NYU Langone Health, ranked the #1 hospital in New York, and #3 nationally by the US World & News Report. Dr. Aiken functions clinically, and also serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor to the medical students, residents, and fellows affiliated with the New York University Grossman School of Medicine.

Dr. Aiken has participated and presented in both national, and international conferences on issues that include some of her interests: bioethics, surgical and critical care, and quality improvement.

Litigation Support - Dr. Aiken works to cultivate excellence through the art of clinical practice, physician education, and as an expert medical witness. Her services include medical record review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

AMFS is the nation's leading provider of medical expert witnesses. We maintain a network of thousands of actively practicing, board-certified physician medical experts as well as expert witnesses in all other health care related fields. Since 1990 we have provided medical expert witnesses to thousands of attorneys in thousands of cases, including medical malpractice, personal injury, wrongful death, criminal and other matters. Contact AMFS now for a free case analysis with our team of U.S. based Medical Directors.

• 6,000 Medical Experts in 250 Specialties
• Active Practice Physicians with Legal Experience
• Free Attorney Consultations
• Flat fee Initial Case Reviews
• Medical Record Review & Testimony
• Independent Medical Examinations (IME) & Autopsies
• Essential Affidavits & Reporting 
• Medical Record Indexing and Chronology Service
• Investigative Tools for Expert Witness Analysis

For attorney inquiries, please contact us at inquiries@amfs.com

Dr. Adrine S. Adams, CRNA, has been a Registered Nurse for 46 years with experience as a Certified Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN), Certified Post-Anesthesia Nurse (CPAN)  and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).  She retired from the Army Nurse Corps Colonel, after 30 years of service. Additionally, she  has a background in Business Administration, Health Services Administration, and Information Systems.

Dr. Adams is a member of the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC) and enrolled in the Certified Legal Nurse Consultant Certification (CLNC) Program. As a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) in the capacity of a legal nurse consultant (LNC), she is willing to work on behalf of plaintiffs, defendants, and to testify in deposition or in person at trial.  With her board experience and doctoral degree, she has the capability to perform medical research. 

Background Experience - Dr. Adams is actively practicing at numerous outstanding facilities, including level 1 trauma units. She is experienced in numerous clinical settings with proficiency of several Anesthesia Health Informatics Systems, including EPIC and Cerner.  

In August 1996, Dr. Adams received a Master in Nurse Anesthesia degree with extensive didactic and clinical experience from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Graduate School. She has knowledgeable in anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, and pharmacology as they relate to anesthesia. With over 24 years of experience as a CRNA clinical practitioner, Ms. Adams is competent with a variety of anesthetic agents and techniques for numerous types of surgical and obstetrical procedures, both general and regional anesthesia, IV sedation, and monitored anesthesia care. 

Dr. Adams possesses the skills necessary to deliver anesthesia care to patients of all ages, including infant, pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric population. With several years of highly responsible clinical experience in the military, numerous critical care capacities, level 1 trauma facilities, and excellent training in nurse anesthesia, I can contribute to your organization. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Adams is available to extend her anesthesia clinical experience as a consultant and an expert witness. Her services include medical record review for standard of care, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed. Cases have been related to (but not limited to) the following surgical procedures:

General, Ophthalmologic, Otolaryngologic, Oral and Dental, Vascular, Thoracic, Cardiovascular, Plastic / Reconstructive, Neurological, Orthopedic, Podiatric, Urologic, Gastroenterological, Gynecologic, Obstetric, and Pediatrics.

Areas of Expertise:

Monica M. Argumedo, MD, is a Board-Certified Forensic and Clinical Psychiatrist (ABPN). Dr. Argumedo has testified about her forensic opinions in more than 40 cases in open court. In psychiatric practice for more than 15 years, Dr. Argumedo teaches at Rush University Medical School/Rush University Medical Center as Assistant Professor in Psychiatry. She teaches psychiatry residents in topics related to psychiatry and the law, and psychiatry in medicine. She also interviews prospective medical students through her role on the Medical Admissions Committee.

Dr. Argumedo works with Employers in cases where mental health/psychiatric concerns about an employee require an objective and unbiased Fitness for Duty Evaluation and report. She also consults in employment matters and litigation and serves as a disclosed expert witness. Her work addresses fitness for duty (FFD) in a litigated environment, Wrongful Termination, and Psychiatric Disability. Additional experience includes FFD of peace officers and first responders.

Services - Forensic Psychiatry, Medico-Legal evaluations, medical complications, review of records, written reports, deposition testimony, trial testimony, consultation to attorneys addressing psychiatric issues relevant in a case, opposing counsel expert reports or expert qualifications, assisting with cross-examination questions, and lines of inquiry.

Areas of Expertise:

Avrum R. Goldstein, DMD, FRCD(c) is Board Certified in Periodontics, both in Canada, as a Fellow of the Royal College of Dentists, as well as in the United States, as a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontics. Dr. Goldstein has over 40 years of experience in his field. Dr. Goldstein has excellent academic credentials, including 15 years as an Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale University School of Medicine. He is currently an Adjunct Faculty member at Nova Southeastern University. He has placed thousands of dental implants during his career and is currently licensed in New York. Dr. Goldstein has been offering litigation support services to attorneys for over 25 years. He is an excellent writer, an articulate speaker and an experienced teacher. He understands both patients and dentists. Areas of Expertise:

View Dr. Goldstein's Consulting Profile.

Janet L.Taylor,  BSN, CEN, CFRN, NREMT-B, is a Nurse with over 20 years of experience, the majority of which has been spent in Emergency Medical Service / Emergency Room and Critical Care Transport. Ms. Taylor has experience in all levels of EMS and Critical Care transport, from types of scenes to inter-facility transports. She has worked in various areas including ER, Medical / Surgical, Labor and Delivery, Intensive Care Unit, and Outpatient.

A Certified Flight Nurse, Ms. Taylor works with Life Flight Eagle, a non-profit organization that provides life-saving helicopter transport for critically ill and injured patients in Kansas and Missouri communities surrounding Kansas City.  

Consulting Services - Ms. Taylor also works as a consultant, researching current evidence-based practices to update current policies for patient care. She writes modules for online education and her employer's education department. She consults independently with a small rural hospital in creating customized education modules to improve their staff education offerings.

Ms Taylor has been chosen to speak at various EMS conferences all over the nation, offering up to date content for continuing education and improving patient care. She is also employed by University of Maryland Baltimore County as an adjunct instructor.

Litigation Support - Ms. Taylor is an EMS / ER, Critical Care Transport Subject Matter Expert providing chart review, standard of care, and deposition services. She is available to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant.

Areas of Expertise:  

Steven A. Bernstein, DPM, FACFAS, FASPS, is a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine who specializes in Foot and Ankle Surgery. Dr. Bernstein is Chief of Foot and Ankle Services and Podiatric Surgery at Hudson Regional Hospital, Secaucus NJ.  Dr. Bernstein's main office is in Fort Lee, NJ however sees patients in NY as well,  at Citimed, Complete Medical Care Injury Doctors serving Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and New York, New York. He reviews cases from all over the country. Dr. Bernstein is well versed in all types of Forensic Medical Legal cases. He also served as an Expert Medical Advisor (EMA) in the Division of Workman Compensation for the State of Florida for a period of seven years.

Litigation Support - Dr. Bernstein has over 30 years of experience performing Independent Medical Examinations (IMEs) and 2nd Opinions for cases involving Trauma and Reconstructive Foot and Ankle Surgery. He has provided over 1,000 IMEs and been deposed and/or testified approximately 500 times for attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant. Dr. Bernstein offers litigation support services in New Jersey, New York, and Florida and the rest of the country.

Areas of Expertise:

Gerald W. Smetana, MD, Board Certified in Internal Medicine, is a General Internist with over 36 years of experience in an academic primary care practice at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He is also a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School where he has taught internal medicine to medical house staff and also teaches extensively to practicing clinicians in continuing medical education settings. Dr. Smetana is a Master of the American College of Physicians.

Practicing in an outpatient setting, Dr. Smetana cares for a panel of patients that is weighted towards those with multiple chronic illnesses and high disease complexity. In addition to all aspects of office based general internal medicine, his areas of interest include Preoperative Medical Evaluation, Hypertension, and Headache.

Dr. Smetana has been repeatedly selected as a Best Doctor in a national survey and has received a national award for scholarship in medical education. He publishes in the peer reviewed medical literature and medical texts, has edited textbooks, and has helped to develop national guidelines on topics in internal medicine. He has been invited to deliver seminars and presentations on various topics within his area of expertise nationally and internationally.

Litigation Support - Dr. Smetana reviews cases for both plaintiffs and defendants and has testified at deposition and at trial as an expert on numerous occasions in most states in the eastern United States. He has reviewed medical malpractice cases over the past 20 years both for plaintiffs and doctors. Dr. Smetana also consults for risk management insurers. His record review and medicolegal consultation services are available throughout the United States.

Michael Blumenkrantz, MD, FACP, FACN, CNSP, dFASN has over 40 years of experience specializing in Internal Medicine and Nephrology. Dr. Blumenkrantz is an internationally recognized expert in Internal Medicine, Dialysis, Kidney Disease, Total Parenteral Nutrition, and Nutrition. Achieving the rank of Associate Professor of Medicine (in residence) at UCLA, he has been in private practice for the past 30 years. Dr. Blumenkrantz is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology.

Litigation Support - Dr. Blumenkrantz has been offering litigation support services to counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defense for 15 years. Approximately 40% of his cases involve renal issues and the remainder are in the field of internal medicine. Dr. Blumenkrantz has been involved in 350 cases in the past 15 years and has been deposed approximately 120 times. He has testified at 30 trials and arbitrations.

Areas of Expertise:

View Dr. Blumenkrantz's Consulting Profile.

BRIAN R. PISULA, MD, FAAEM - EMERGENCY MEDICINE SPECIALIST

Specialty Focus: EMTALA, transfer, care / assessment of prisoners, sepsis, heart attack / MI, trauma, airway, pulmonary embolism, stroke, meningitis, pneumonia, fracture, dislocation, COVID-19, ectopic pregnancy, testicular torsion, aortic dissection, allergic reaction, AMA, capacity, PA/NP supervision, spinal abscess

Education: Emergency Medicine Residency Training, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; Medical Doctorate , University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry; Bachelors of Science , University of Wisconsin-Madison

Dr. Brian R. Pisula on COVID-19 Vaccinations

Additional Information: Practicing full-time in Emergency Medicine for over 9 years. Has evaluated over 30,000 patients in the Emergency Department setting.  Board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine. Experience in multiple practice settings including level-one trauma centers, academic institutions, and low-resource facilities without broad specialty support. 

Professorships in Emergency Medicine at Mercer University and Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. Has over 2,500 hours of teaching experience with medical students and residents.  Administrative experience including current committee memberships in trauma, medical quality, and surgical quality. Current medical license in Georgia and expert witness certificate in Florida. 

Experience as an expert witness:

1. Retained in 30 cases since May of 2022
2. Worked with both plaintiff and defense 
3. Provided testimony at deposition

Dr. Pisula is focused on delivering high quality, objective, and thorough work in a timely and professional manner. He is available for consultation, chart review, deposition, ADR, and testimony for plaintiff or defense in medical malpractice claims.