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Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

I am a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist with extensive clinical, administrative, and educational experience across the full spectrum of anesthesia practice. My clinical background includes inhalational, total intravenous, and balanced anesthesia techniques for adult and pediatric patients; epidural and spinal anesthesia; and peripheral nerve blocks for acute postoperative pain management. I have practiced in OB, pediatric, cardiac, orthopedic, general surgery, endoscopy, neurosurgery, dental, off-site procedural locations (CT, MRI, cath lab), and office-based anesthesia environments, including rural critical access hospitals, community hospitals, large tertiary centers, and academic medical centers. I have substantial experience conducting systematic chart review and auditing for quality assurance, adverse outcomes, and standard-of-care evaluation. I have lectured on epidural anesthesia, anesthesia-related complications, malignant hyperthermia, and quality assurance/quality improvement with an emphasis on patient safety and risk mitigation. I currently serve as a clinical preceptor for the Excela Health School of Anesthesia for Nurses and the West Virginia University School of Nursing DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program and have more than twenty years of experience educating and supervising nurse anesthesia students. I also bring over eighteen years of Chief CRNA experience, including daily clinical and administrative management of anesthesia providers, operational oversight, and advanced expertise as a super-user and programmer for electronic anesthesia documentation systems. I earned a Master of Health Sciences in Nurse Anesthesia from La Roche College, graduating with a 3.8 GPA. I enjoy teaching and am skilled at translating complex concepts in pharmacology, anesthesia practice, and human physiology into clear, understandable explanations that support accurate understanding of clinical decision-making and standard-of-care considerations. As an expert witness, I have provided opinions for both plaintiff and defense counsel in cases involving anesthesia-related injury and adverse outcomes across multiple physiologic systems. These include: Respiratory and Airway Physiology: Airway assessment and management; mismanaged airways; esophageal intubation; laryngospasm; airway injury; aspiration; end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO₂) monitoring; awareness under anesthesia; and respiratory arrest. Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Physiology: Blood pressure management and mismanagement; hemodynamic instability; hemorrhage; cerebral ischemia; cardiovascular arrest; and anesthesia-related death. Neurologic and Neuraxial Physiology: Epidural anesthesia; spinal anesthesia; epidural hematoma; neurologic injury; local anesthetic systemic toxicity; and complications related to neuraxial techniques. Medication Safety and Pharmacologic Physiology: Medication errors; dosing and administration issues; drug interactions; and systemic effects of anesthetic agents. Musculoskeletal, Injury, and Systems-Based Events: Patient falls; IV infiltration; and communication failures affecting perioperative patient safety.