Palliative Care Expert Witnesses

Joel I. Shenker, MD, PhD, is Board Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. With over 15 years of experience, Dr. Shenker specializes in Behavioral Neurology, Dementia and the Cognitive Effects of Brain Disease. He is fellowship trained in cognitive neurology, a member of the American Academy of Neurology, American Neurological Association, and the Association of University Professors of Neurology.

Background - Dr. Shenker is a clinician, scientist, speaker, writer, and educator. A passionate teacher, Dr. Shenker helps people understand dementia, aging and memory loss, neurocognitive disorders, and neurological competency. He has written peer reviewed publications and textbooks, taught full college and undergraduate courses, given individual lectures to medical students and resident physicians, mentored and taught students one on one, and cared for patients and their families.

Speaker - Dr. Shenker's expertise has been called upon to deliver lectures to such entities as the Annual Caring for the Frail and Elderly Conference, Alzheimer Association, Palliative Care Conference, and many others. Topics of conversation include Neurocognitive Competency, Parkinson's Disease, Stroke Ethics, Alzheimer's Disease, and Memory Loss.

Litigation Support - Dr. Shenker provides expert witness services to counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defendant. He draws on unique experiences as a PhD cognitive psychologist and MD clinical neurologist to review complex medical cases. Dr. Shenker has performed over 100 independent file reviews.

Areas of Expertise:

• Alzheimer's Disease
• Dementia
• Memory Disorders
• Neurological Diseases
• Neuropsychiatry
• Neuropsychology (Brain Function)

Kirsten Turkington, DNP, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, CEN, CNLCP, AFN-BC is a highly experienced, board certified Family Nurse Practitioner, licensed to practice since 1998. Dr. Turkington received a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree in 2014, a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in 1998, and dual Bachelor degrees (BS -- Psychology & BSN -- Nursing) in 1994. She is the owner, operator of North Scottsdale Health, PLLC. Dr. Turkington is a Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Forensic Medical Expert. She has over 20 years of active clinical experiences as a Registered Professional Nurse and Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and is one of less than 75 board certified Advanced Forensic Nurses internationally. Dr. Turkington's clinical background encompasses adult, adolescent, pediatric, and geriatric cases across Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care and Neurosurgery. 

Medical Record Review Standards of Care / Negligence Life Care Planning (Certified) Healthcare Cost Estimates Client and Staff Education Federal Written Reports

Record Tampering and Inconsistencies Medical Literature Research Medical Events Chronology

View Dr. Turkington's Consulting Profile.

Joel L. Kent, MD, has been quadruple-board certified in Family Medicine, Anesthesiology, Palliative Care, and Pain Management over the arc of his career.

Background: Much of Dr. Kent’s expertise is an artifact of both the clinical and educational leadership roles he has held over the course of his career. He has served as Division Head of Pain Medicine at medical schools between 1997 - 2017; originally at the University of Maryland and subsequently at the University of Rochester. In addition to this clinical leadership role, he also lead the pain medicine educational missions at these institutions from 1997 to 2015. Dr. Kent served as Director of the Pain Medicine Fellowship Training Programs at the University of Maryland form 1997 to 2007 and at the University of Rochester from 2007 - 2015. Both these programs are accredited through the Accreditation Counsel for Graduate Medical Education.

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 opioid. He has served as an expert case reviewer for both the state of Maryland and the state of New York. The vast majority of these case reviews involved resolving concerns regarding the appropriateness of controlled substance prescriptions. In 2014, he provided a series lectures on behalf of the New York State Department of Health which were presented across New York State to educate physicians about the safe use of opioid analgesics in both cancer and non-cancer related pain conditions.

Since July 2017, Dr. Kent has been serving as a content expert on the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Pain Management Advisory Group to the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS). All these accomplishments attest to Dr. Kent’s high level of expertise in the complex and evolving realm of opioid therapy for the management of chronic pain problems.

Litigation Support: Dr. Kent has served as a medical expert witness for nearly 20 years. He has served as an expert witness and case reviewer for the states of both Maryland and New York's Departments of Health. He has provided expert case review and litigation support to health insurance carriers seeking restitution for fraudulent expenses related to opioid therapy. Dr. Kent provides litigation support and expert testimony in plaintiff and defense cases.

Expertise: Dr. Kent has expertise in all areas 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, RSD/CRPS and low back pain.

John H. Fullerton, MD, MRO, CMD, CFP, FACP, AGSF, FAAHPM, FASAM is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, Addiction Medicine and Hospice & Palliative Medicine.

Dr. Fullerton maintains active medical licenses in both California and Florida and holds additional national certificates of added qualifications as a Certified Medical Director (CMD) at multiple levels of care locally and in Home Care (AAHCP).

Dr. Fullerton is a certified Clinical Forensics Expert, who has participated in nationally recognized Elder Abuse Cases, including the cases of "lay caregivers" misguidedly criminally charged with homicide or manslaughter after caring for a loved one at home with advanced dementias. He has been vetted by the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the Office of The Inspector General, and the FBI to perform the duties of a government expert in cases of Criminal Healthcare Fraud. He has served as a key expert witness in the continuing efforts of 'Operation HEAT' and been on the winning side of three criminal convictions.

Over roughly the past 14 years, Dr. Fullerton has provided independent medical expert testimony and clinical forensic medical testimony in more than 200 cases and reviewed over 1,500 files (including Medicare Audits for the Government). He has focused his medical expertise in mostly Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Determinations of Medicare Medical Necessity matters, and Civil & Criminal cases alleging Elder Abuse (including homicide) at either discovery, deposition or at trial testifying for both plaintiff and defense cases, respectively.

Areas of Expertise:

Adult Hospital Medicine Ambulatory Care - Internal Medicine & Geriatrics Geriatric Approaches to Gero-Psychiatry Immuno-Compromised Host 1 Treatment Long Term Care - SNF Sub-Acute Rehabilitation Assisted Living - Secured Dementia Units

LTC / Hospice Medical Directorships Hospice & Palliative Care Units Home Care Elder Abuse Defense Cases Preventable Falls Pressure Wounds / Pain Management Addiction Medicine - Forensic Toxicology / DUI Defense Cases

View Consulting Profile.

Mary Genevieve, MD is a Board-Certified Neurologist with over 20 years of experience in diagnosing, treating, and managing Neurological Disorders at top hospitals throughout the country. She brings her expertise, dedication, and sincere concern to all her patients.

Dr. Genevieve currently practices Neurology at Central Coast Neurology Medical Office, Inc. in San Luis Obispo, California. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Education: MD, George Washington University; MS, Physiology, Georgetown University; BS, Physiology, Michigan State University; BS, Anthropology, Michigan State University.

Litigation Support - Dr. Genevieve provides expert witness services to counsel representing both plaintiff and defendant. She has extensive experience being deposed, testifying and writing expert witness reports. Dr. Genevieve treats various neurological problems including:

Adult Neurology Concussion Personal Injuries Traumatic Brain Injury Neck, Lower Back Injuries Hospice End of Life Care Migraines / Headache

Dementia Multiple Sclerosis Parkinson's Disease Spinal Core Injuries Alzheimer's Disease Palliative Care