Hospice & Palliative Expert | Capacity & Fraud

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

As a board-certified physician in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, I have been at the forefront of the field for over two decades. In 2008, I founded and developed WellStar Health System's Palliative Care program, establishing the clinical protocols, ethical frameworks, and documentation standards at a time when only one other program (Emory) existed in the region. Having served as a hospice medical director before Face-to-Face (F2F) documentation was a regulatory requirement, I have experienced the full evolution of hospice oversight. This foundational experience provides me with a unique and historically grounded perspective on the National Standard of Care. I bring extensive clinical experience in leading high-stakes goals-of-care conversations and thoroughly documenting patient wishes. I have firsthand experience with the nuances of family disagreements and the challenges of evaluating the validity of Advance Directives. My forensic expertise lies in determining whether clinical actions align with Informed Consent and Patient Autonomy—particularly in scenarios where surrogate decisions or "Wrongful Living" claims are at issue. I offer expert consultation and testimony regarding: Transitional Failures: Identifying breaches in the standard of care during facility transfers (e.g., Hospital to SNF), specifically involving ignored POLST/DNR orders and involuntary resuscitation. Hospice Fraud & Terminality: Expert analysis of Medical Necessity and eligibility for the Medicare Hospice Benefit. I am skilled at auditing medical records to determine if patients met terminality requirements, especially in non-cancer diagnoses such as Dementia, COPD, and Heart Failure. Capacity Assessments: Clinical evaluation of Testamentary Capacity and vulnerability to Undue Influence in the geriatric and terminally ill populations. I remain an active clinician in the Atlanta area and am experienced with both Epic and Cerner EMR documentation. My clinical background includes advanced pain management and the management of complex oncology symptoms, as well as the trajectories of heart failure, COPD, and dementia. Board Certified: Hospice and Palliative Medicine and Internal Medicine (American Board of Internal Medicine). Fellow - American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) Nationwide Availability: Available for consultation, file review, depositions, and trial testimony across the United States.