Tenth Anniversary
Workers' Compensation and Occupational Medicine Seminar

March 28, 29 & 30, 2001

Wyndham Emerald Plaza, San Diego, California

Wednesday, 3/28

Mr. Minsky will discuss latest developments in disability discrimination on the issue of direct threat. He will explain the standard for establishing a direct threat and such issues as the timing of evidence for establishment of direct threat (i.e., can an employee use later acquired medical evidence to establish non-existence of a direct threat?). Mr. Minsky will review current case law on the subject. Mr. Minsky will offer practical suggestions on how to obtain and avoid summary judgment on direct threat issues.

Larry Minsky, Esquire, is an attorney with the Cerritos, California law firm of Lemaire, Faunce, Pingel & Singer. He received his BA and MA from California State University and his JD from People's College of Law. Mr. Minsky has written and lectured on rights of the disabled worker and is the co-author of the ADA Case Notes in the California State Bar Labor and Employment Law Quarterly. Mr. Minsky represents the plaintiff in the precedent setting ADA/direct threat case of Mario Echazabal v. Chevron USA.

Dr. Melhorn will explain why individuals develop musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace. He will discuss and identify risk factors for the individual and the job. Workplace management will be reviewed that includes education, exercises and medical intervention. Dr. Melhorn will offer practical suggestions on how to reduce the incidence and severity of OSHA 200 events.

Dr. Melhorn is an occupational orthopaedic physician who specialized in the hands and upper extremities. He received his BS from McPherson College and his MD from the University of Kansas. Dr. Melhorn is board certified in orthopedic surgery with added qualifications in surgery of the hand. In addition to his practice of orthopaedics at The Hand Center in Wichita, Kansas, Dr. Melhorn is a Clinical Assistant Professor, Section of Orthopaedics, Department of Surgery University of Kansas School of Medicine - Wichita. He has authored over 80 articles, chapters, and publications about his research of workplace injuries and illnesses. He has lectured extensively on industrial musculoskeletal, upper extremity disorders, and prevention of MSD in the workplace. He is currently the Chairman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons CME course on "Occupational Orthopaedics and Workers' Compensation: A Multidisciplinary Perspective," serves on the Occupational Health Committee for the AAOS, Industrial Injuries and Prevention Committee for the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, Musculoskeletal Chapter Reviewer for the American Medical Association's 5th Edition of Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, previous member of the Ergonomic Committee for the American College of Occupational and Environment Medicine, and is Past President of the Kansas Orthopedic Society.

Ms. McCollom will review case management as a strategy to promote quality outcomes for workers who experience catastrophic injury. She will discuss integration of advanced practice case management for catastrophically injured workers. Ms. McCollom will offer a practical, cost-effective model for implementing catastrophic injury management in workers' compensation.

Patricia McCollom, RN, MS, CRRN, CDMS, CCM, CLCP, is President and Nurse Consultant for LifeCare Economics, LTD., and Management Consulting & Rehabilitation Services, Inc., and is CEO, International Academy of Life Care Planners, Ankeny, Iowa. A graduate of the Master's Program in Rehabilitation, Drake University, Ms. McCollom has extensive experience in care of individuals with head trauma, spinal cord injury, and other catastrophic injury. A Past National President of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses, and the former Chair of the National Task Force on Case Management, she currently is a member of the Commission for Case Manager Certification, serving as chair elect. At the national level, she teaches case management practice and life care planning. The author of many articles on rehabilitation, case management, and life care planning, Ms. McCollom contributed the chapters on Case Management, Burn Rehabilitation, and Cancer Rehabilitation to the 2001 Mosby text Rehabilitation Nursing, 3 Edition and the section on Life Care Planning to the 1997 Advanced Rehabilitation Nursing Practice Core Curriculum, published by ARN. She co-authored the section on Amputations in the Mosby publication, Case Management Clinical Practice Guidelines, and the chapter on life care planning in the upcoming text The Nurse and the Law.

Attorney Thornton will review effective strategies and defenses to raise in a workers' compensation case where the plaintiff is claiming an injury arising from work requiring repetitive motions. He will discuss defenses to raise and methods in defending a claim alleging an injury from repetitive motion. He will also address strategies in minimizing and terminating future liability for a compensable claim. Attorney Thornton will explain the various legal defenses and terminology which can be relied upon in defeating and limiting liability and exposure of such claims. He will also address how to attempt to minimize the cost of compensable repetitive injury cases. Attorney Thornton will offer practical suggestions on how to perform the initial "investigation" into a plaintiff/employee's claims of an injury/condition arising from performing work requiring repetitive motion.

Thomas S. Thornton, III, Esquire, is a member of the firm of Carr, Allison, Pugh, Howard, Oliver & Sisson, practicing in their Birmingham, Alabama office. He is a graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne College and received his JD at Cumberland School of Law of Samford University. Attorney Thornton is a member of the Birmingham Bar Association, Alabama State Bar, American Bar Association, Defense Research Institute, and is a member of the Workers' Compensation section of the State Bar for which he is a co-editor of a bi-annual newsletter updating attorneys on current case law development in workers' compensation. Attorney Thornton has written and lectured extensively on workers' compensation, employment law, and insurance defense.

Ms. Hunt will discuss significant changes in the Workers' Compensation insurance marketplace and describe industry trends. She will explain how these changes will likely affect the employer, employee, and providers. Ms. Hunt will demonstrate how these changes present new service and program opportunities for occupational health and safety professionals. Ms. Hunt will offer practical, proven advice and strategies to employers about how to manage these changes and save money and how occupational health and safety professionals can fill evolving service needs.

Kate Hunt, RN, MPH, is Area Vice President at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. of Minnesota. She consults with employers about how to reduce workers' compensation costs, prevent occupational injuries and illnesses, and manage complex workers' compensation claims. Ms. Hunt is a licensed property and casualty insurance agent. She received a BS degree in Nursing and an MPH degree from the University of Minnesota. In addition, Ms. Hunt is an adjunct clinical professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. Ms. Hunt is a faculty member for the Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety. Ms. Hunt has consulted and trained for the US Army in Europe and for the Harvard Institute for International Development. She has lectured and written extensively on workers' compensation financing.

Dr. Dahlgren will explain the principles and practice of biological monitoring for exposure to chemicals in the workplace. Examples of the value of biological monitoring will be presented. The thesis that biomonitoring for exposure is a necessary supplement to primary prevention of workplace chemical injury from overexposure will be explored. Dr. Dahlgren will demonstrate the value of biomonitoring using historical examples of lead, methylenediamine (MDA), chlorinated solvents, and PCBs. Dr. Dahlgren will offer practical, cost-effective advice on how to make sure the ventilation, engineering, and personal protective devices are working to protect workers from harmful chemical exposure. Sample protocols and real world examples will be presented. Guidelines for choosing consultants and laboratories will be provided.

James G. Dahlgren, MD, is Medical Director of MedRight in Santa Monica, California, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of California, and a lecturer at the UCLA School of Public Health. He received his BA and MD from the University of California and is board certified in internal medicine. Dr. Dahlgren has written and lectured extensively on medical surveillance and biomonitoring and was the editor of Human Toxic Chemical Exposure.

Attorneys Babitsky and Mangraviti will explain why depositions are taken and how to properly prepare for your deposition. They will discuss subpoenas and answering counsel questions in a truthful but artful manner. Attorneys Babitsky and Mangraviti will demonstrate the biggest mistakes deponents make and how to avoid them. Practical advice will be offered to the attendees.

Steven Babitsky, Esquire, is the President of SEAK, Inc. He was a personal injury trial attorney for twenty years and is the former managing partner of the firm Kistin, Babitsky, Latimer & Beitman. He is the former Editor of the Expert Witness Journal and the seminar leader for the National Expert Witness and Litigation Seminar. Attorney Babitsky is the co-author of the texts How To Excel During Cross-Examination: Techniques For Experts That Work and How To Excel During Depositions: Techniques For Experts That Work. Attorney Babitsky is the co-developer and trainer for the "How to Be an Effective Medical Witness" seminar and the scriptwriter for the videos How To Be An Effective Medical Witness and The Expert Medical Deposition: How To Be An Effective and Ethical Witness. He is also co-author of the text The Comprehensive Forensic Services Manual: The Essential Resources For All Experts.

James J. Mangraviti, Jr., Esquire, is the Vice-President of SEAK, Inc. and is a former trial attorney. He received his BA Summa Cum Laude from Boston College and his JD Cum Laude from Boston College Law School. Attorney Mangraviti is the co-author of the texts How To Excel During Cross-Examination: Techniques For Experts That Work, Understanding the AMA Guides in Workers' Compensation, Litigating Stress Cases in Workers' Compensation, The Independent Medical Evaluation Report: A Step-By-Step Guide With Models, How To Excel During Depositions: Techniques For Experts That Work, The Comprehensive Forensic Services Manual: The Essential Resources For All Experts, and Law School For Experts.

Ms. Marshall will explain the role of the physical therapist in the occupational health system. She will discuss appropriate versus inappropriate physical therapy, what to do about "endless" therapy, effective communication through progress reports, and the role of functional evaluations in returning patients to work. Ms. Marshall will offer practical solutions for maximizing cost-effective physical therapy.

Kimberly A. Marshall, PT, is a partner and physical therapist with California Therapy Solutions in Fountain Valley, California. She received her BS in Physical Therapy from California State University at Long Beach and her MS in Biokinesiology from the University of Southern California. Ms. Marshall is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association's Private Practice Section and has lectured on physical therapy topics. Ms. Marshall is a former Director of Long Beach Sport and Physical Therapy.

Dr. Munday will discuss the types of symptoms one commonly sees in brain injury cases and how one goes about reasonably evaluating these symptoms. He will explain the difficult process of translating symptoms to level of disability. There will be an emphasis on understanding the distinction between brain-related disability and psychiatric disability. Dr. Munday will offer practical, cost-effective advice on how to work up a brain injury case so that one has a full and reasonable picture of the level of disability. What sorts of evaluations or specialists are needed will be discussed. The attendees should come away with knowledge that will allow them to systematically evaluate a brain injury case, and thus better define what sort of medical input is needed.

Claude S. Munday, PhD, is a psychologist in the private practice of clinical psychology and neuropsychology in the Newton Medical Group, in Oakland, California. He received his BA from the University of California - Berkeley, his MS from California State University, and his PhD from the California School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Munday is a board member of the California Society of Industrial Medicine and Surgery and is President of the Brain Injury Association of California. Dr. Munday has been evaluating and treating brain injured individuals as his primary specialty since 1976 and has seen over 6,000 brain-injured individuals during this time.

Functional Restoration for Occupational Musculoskeletal Pain and Disability
By Robert J. Gatchel, PhD
Dallas, TX

Dr. Gatchel will review the basic principles and philosophy of functional restoration. He will discuss how functional restoration has been successfully employed with musculoskeletal pain and disability patients. Dr. Gatchel will illustrate the major components of functional restoration and how they are tailored for each patient. Dr. Gatchel will offer practical, cost-effective suggestions for how to offer functional restoration to treat costly chronic musculoskeletal pain disability disorders.

Robert J. Gatchel, PhD, is currently the Elizabeth H. Penn Professor of Clinical Psychology, and Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Rehabilitation Science at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. He received his BA from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1969, and his PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Gatchel is a Diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology. He has conducted extensive research on the assessment and treatment of chronic low back pain disability. He authored and edited over 170 scientific articles, 48 chapters, and 18 books, including: Functional Restoration for Painful Spinal Disorders: The Sports Medicine Approach, Contemporary Conservative Care for Painful Spinal Disorders, and Occupational Musculoskeletal Disorders: Function, Outcome, and Evidence. He was a past winner of the Volvo Award for Research on Chronic Low Back Pain presented by the International Society for the Study of Lumbar Spine, as well as a Research Award from the North American Spine Society. He is also a recipient of two consecutive Research Scientist Development Awards from the National Institutes of Health.

Attorney McDonald will discuss the legal rights and responsibilities that management has in dealing with employees who have mental disorders. Attorney McDonald will explain how the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to mental disabilities, what are the limits of an employer's duty to "reasonably accommodate" a mentally disordered employee, and how and when an employer should exercise its right to require "fitness for duty" mental examination. Attorney McDonald will offer practical suggestions for dealing with referrals to an EAP, incidents of harassment and discrimination, and "victim-like" attitudes and threats and violence in the workplace.

James J. McDonald, Jr., is a partner in the Irvine, California office of the national law firm of Fisher & Phillips LLP, where he practices labor and employment law representing management. He received his law degree cum laude from Georgetown University and he is a member of the California and Georgia Bars. He is editor of the book Mental and Emotional Injuries in Employment Litigation (Bureau of National Affairs, 1994), and author of its 2000 Cumulative Supplement. He writes the "Lex Mentis" column for the Employee Relations Law Journal, and he is the author of such articles as "Job Stress and the ADA," "Mental Disabilities Under the ADA: A Management Rights Approach," and "Personality Disorders in the Workplace: How They May Contribute to Claims of Employment Law Violations." He teaches labor and employment law at the University of California at Irvine and lectures widely on psychological issues in employment law. He is a member of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the American Bar Association, Division 41 (Psychology and the Law) of the American Psychological Association, the American College of Forensic Psychiatry, the Society for Human Resources Management, and the Defense Research Institute.

Internet technology is rapidly transforming the disability management and medicolegal fields. Dr. Brigham will explore its profound impact on communications, data exchange, information management, research, resource access, graphic presentation, application of best practices approaches, and education. All professionals involved in these fields must master these tools, or else be left behind in the twentieth century. Dr. Brigham will dynamically demonstrate cutting-edge approaches and provide a view of the future - a future that is occurring now. He will provide practical suggestions on how to utilize this technology to improve the quality and efficiency of your work.

Christopher R. Brigham, MD, MMS, FACOEM, FAADEP, CIME, is President of eMedicoLegal, Inc., (an international Internet organization based in Denver), and Brigham and Associates, Inc. He is regarded as the world's leading trainer on independent medical and impairment evaluations. Dr. Brigham was the founder of the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the AMA Guides Newsletter and the AMA Guides Casebook. Dr. Brigham is a highly regarded speaker who has written several texts and has been featured in several audio and videotape programs. He received his MD from Washington University in St. Louis, is board certified in occupational medicine, and has a distinguished background in the computer sciences.

Dr. Richeimer will cover three areas of pain management: Nerve Blocks, Medications, & Functional Rehabilitation. He will review the use of nerve blocks, how and why they are done, the expected outcomes, and the possible complications. He will discuss medications: opioids, anti-seizure medications, and anti-depressants. Dr. Richeimer will offer practical suggestions on the appropriate and cost-effective use of physical, occupational, and psychological therapies for chronic pain patients.

Steven H. Richeimer, MD, is the Medical Director of the Richeimer Pain Institute in Santa Monica, California. He is triple boarded in Anesthesiology, Psychiatry, and Pain Management. He received his BS from Stanford, his MD from UC San Francisco, completed his residencies at UCLA, and his Pain Management Fellowship at Harvard Medical School. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California at Davis, the former Director of the Pain Treatment Center at UC Davis, and former Assistant Clinical Professor at the UCLA Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Richeimer has written and lectured extensively on chronic pain management.

Attorney Cossi will explain under what circumstances an employer has the right to make medical inquiries and gather medical information from employees under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act when an employee requests reasonable accommodation or a leave of absence due to a medical condition. He will demonstrate when the right to gather medical information on an employee under the ADA conflicts with the FMLA. Attorney Cossi will discuss the right to require fitness for duty exams under the ADA and FMLA and how they differ under each law. Attorney Cossi will offer practical advice on how to obtain medical certifications, recertifications, cure deficiencies in certifications, obtain second and third medical opinions and how they differ from fitness for duty exams. Attendees will be able to immediately apply the information to their workplace situations.

David A. Cossi, Esquire, received his BS from Western Michigan University and his JD from Hamline University School of Law. Cossi is a partner in The General Counsel Ltd. law firm and Director of the Effective Employment Practices Institute. He is certified by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy to teach lawyers trail skills and has served as an adjunct professor at William Mitchell College of Law in their trial advocacy program. He is presently an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Minnesota, in the division of Occupational Health and Safety in the School of Public Health where he teaches classes on the ADA and FMLA to graduate students. He has been twice named as a "Super Lawyer" by Law and Politics magazine in the field of Employment Law. Attorney Cossi has had more than twenty years of providing legal advice to business clients. His extensive litigation and risk management experience enables him to readily communicate effective methods for reducing the risk of employee lawsuits. He is the author of the 1999 Employment Law Compliance Manual, Medical Inquiries and Exams in the Workplace, and co-author of FMLA Alert and Work and Family: Policy and Program Options Affecting Occupational Health. He has lectured extensively on employment related issues.

Dr. Scott will discuss accurate diagnosis, the use of DSM-IV, and understanding the context of the illness as a prerequisite for assessing psychiatric injury, diagnosis, and prognosis. She will review the interview data that needs to be elicited and the specific interview skills that should be employed. Dr. Scott will explain the role of clinical standardized tests, and for areas of functional impairment, and will offer practical suggestions for assessing prognosis and impairment.

Marcia Scott is the Vice-President of Medical Services Prudential Group Life and Disability Insurance. She received her BA and her MD from the University of California. Dr. Scott has written and lectured extensively on psychiatric injury, disability, and impairment evaluation. She is a former Chair of the American Psychiatric Association - Occupational Psychiatry and a member of the American Psychiatric Association's Task Force on Psychiatry in Industry. She is the author of Psychiatric Assessment in Disability, AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, and Psychiatric Assessment in Injury and Disability, AMA Guides Newsletter.

Attorney Libien will discuss the initial intake, file review, investigation, and surveillance in an industrial low back claim. He will explain the significance of objective and subjective diagnostic test results on the fact finder as well as crucial non-organic findings. Attorney Libien will demonstrate how to critically look at prior and current medical records and will discuss the influence of compensation on recovery in low back cases. Attorney Libien will offer practical, cost-effective strategies to investigate, settle, defend, and win the industrial low back claim.

James R. Libien, Esquire, is a partner in the San Francisco workers' compensation law firm of Parente, Libien, & Christopher. He received his BA from the University of California at Berkeley and his JD from the University of San Francisco. Attorney Libien is a California Certified Workers' Compensation Specialist and Judge Pro Tem at the Santa Rosa Workers' Compensation Appeals Board. Attorney Libien is Past President of the California Workers' Compensation Defense Attorney's Association. Attorney Libien is a frequent lecturer on workers' compensation and related issues.

Dr. Serxner will discuss the rationale for worksite health promotion, identify key elements of effective program design, and review key studies documenting the impact of worksite health promotion. He will explain the challenges and opportunities in worksite health promotion and the findings of outcome studies. Dr. Serxner will demonstrate how program evaluation studies have shown a return-on-investment. Dr. Serxner will offer practical, cost-effective suggestions for how to design effective programs that address a variety of populations and levels of resources.

Seth Adam Serxner, PhD, MPH, is the Vice President of Research for the StayWell Company in San Bruno, California. He received his BA, MPH, and PhD from the University of California. Dr. Serxner has written and lectured extensively on health assessment and promotion in the workplace. Dr. Serxner is a board member of the Health Enhancement Research Organization and a reviewer with the American Journal of Health Promotion.

Attorney Tanick will present, in an effective format, how to recognize potential problems in the disseminating of data and how to avoid exposure to lawsuits for wrongful disclosure of such information. He will explain legal developments in connection with confidential employment related data and medical information. Attorney Tanick will demonstrate ways that care providers can get into trouble by wrongful dissemination of data. Attorney Tanick will offer practical, cost-effective strategies on how to minimize or avoid legal liability for improper divulgence of employment related and medical data about individuals.

Marshall H. Tanick, Esquire, is a partner in the Minneapolis Law Firm of Mansfield, Tanick & Cohen, PA, in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. He received his BA from the University of Minnesota and his JD from Stanford Law School. Attorney Tanick has written and lectured extensively and litigated cases involving privacy, confidentiality, and the wrongful dissemination of information. Attorney Tanick concentrates his practice in personal injury, employment law, defamation, and privacy cases.

Ms. Healy will review the challenges and considerations for employee health and safety in the "new" work environment of telecommuting. She will discuss the benefits of telecommuting, and employee and employer responsibilities. Ms. Healy will explain the unique workplace hazards and risk control strategies. Ms. Healy will offer practical, cost-effective advice on how to proactively plan to minimize the risks and associated costs of workers' compensation claims and access sample policies and procedures via the internet.

Merrie L. Healy, RN, MPH, is Vice President, Senior Consultant Employment Risk Services for Marsh Risk Consulting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She received her BSN from the University of Wisconsin and her MPH from the University of Minnesota. Ms. Healy was the recipient of the Minnesota Occupational Health Nurse of the Year Award and is a member of the AAOHN Board of Directors. Ms. Healy has lectured extensively on occupational health issues and is the author of Telecommuting - Occupational Health Considerations for Employer Health and Safety.

Dr. Letz will discuss the science of causation analysis and will offer a practical guide for the evaluation of toxic exposure and other complex occupational claims. He will review how to utilize medical toxicological and industrial hygiene resources in a cost-effective, efficient manner. Dr. Letz will demonstrate how to utilize a causation algorithm to evaluate toxic exposure and other complex occupational claims.

Gideon Letz, MD, MPH, is the Medical Director of the California State Compensation Insurance Fund, an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California San Francisco, and a part time physician with Kaiser Permanente. Dr. Letz received his BA from UCLA, his MD from the University of California San Francisco, and his MPH from the University of California at Berkeley. Dr. Letz is a current member of WOEMA and the CMA committee on workers' compensation. Dr. Letz's current research interests include risk factors for delayed recovery after industrial injury and interventions to facilitate successful return to work.

Attorney Marks will discuss investigation, evaluation, preparation, settlement, and trial of a contested workers' compensation case. He will offer practical, cost-effective advice to employers, insurers, and self-insurers defending these claims. Attorney Marks will review the ten biggest mistakes employers, insurers, and self-insurers make in defending cases and explain how to avoid them.

Michael A. Marks, Esquire, is the managing litigation partner of the San Francisco law firm of Finnegan, Marks & Hampton, which specializes in insurance defense, emphasizing employment related issues. He received his BA from the University of Pacific Raymond College and his JD from the University of Pacific McGeorge School of Law. Attorney Marks has been a prolific author, teacher, and speaker on workers' compensation and employment related matters. He is a certified specialist in workers' compensation by the State Bar of California and is a lecturer in occupational and environmental medicine at the University of California San Francisco.

Mr. Peterson will explain the benefits of Critical Claims Management with a three step process: 1. Develop a proactive, structured plan, 2. Early intervention tactics, and 3. Team roles. He will demonstrate how to identify critical claims, utilize the delphi technique, and prioritize resources. Mr. Peterson will discuss actual case studies from the transportation and hospitality industries. Mr. Peterson will offer practical suggestions on how to prioritize critical claims, strategies for handling claims, useful services for resolving critical claims, and warning signs.

Norman A. Peterson is President of Norman A. Peterson & Associates (NPA), an Ashland, Oregon based workers' compensation consulting firm. Mr. Peterson received his BA from Southern Oregon University, his MPA from San Jose College, and his ABD from the University of Oregon. Mr. Peterson is a former rehabilitation consultant and vocational counselor who has lectured extensively on cultural claims management and transitional work. To date, NPA has developed over 6,000 modified transitional work assignments in over 50 industries.

Dr. Haiduven will discuss the importance of understanding risk perception and behavioral concepts in order for the occupational health professional to promote safety behaviors in workers. She will explain the components of risk perception and how they influence behavior. She will review one model of behavior (the PRECEDE/PROCEED Model) that has been used to study safety behaviors in several different occupational settings. Dr. Haiduven will summarize major findings from occupational studies using this model. She will offer practical advice for occupational health professionals on how to use knowledge of risk perception and behavioral concepts to promote safety behaviors in the work setting.

Donna Jean Haiduven, RN, PhD, CIC, has worked in the field of infection control since 1983. She received her BSN from the University of South Florida, her MSN from the University of Miami, and her PhD from the University of California at San Francisco. Dr. Haiduven has lectured, presented papers, and written extensively on occupational health and infection control issues. Dr. Haiduven is a member of the editorial boards of the American Journal of Infection Control and Infection Control Today as well as a manuscript reviewer for several infection control journals.

Dr. Harris will present the results of an innovative statistical and clinical analysis comparing workers' compensation and group health costs and lost time in several states. These studies reveal the actual drivers/costs and raise interesting questions about the quality of care. He will compare the results of current techniques used to manage medical care and disability, and compare their results to accepted practice guidelines. Dr. Harris will then present proven ways to ensure that workers receive cost-effective care and recover function. The results may surprise you.

Jeffrey S. Harris, MD, MPH, MBA, is the CEO of Med-Fx, LLC, which provides data and clinical analysis and software tools for workers' compensation and auto injuries. He is also President of J. Harris Associates, Inc., in Mill Valley, California, which offers strategic health management and quality improvement services to insurers, employers, and providers. He holds a BS from Yale University, an MD from the University of New Mexico, an MPH in Medical Care Organization from the University of Michigan and an Executive MBA in General Management from Vanderbilt University. He is board certified in occupational medicine, preventive medicine, emergency medicine, independent medical examinations, and medical quality and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Practice, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and the American College of Medical Quality. Dr. Harris is also Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine/Occupational Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and the University of Utah. He is the author or editor of numerous texts and articles, including Employee Health Care Costs, Strategic Health Management, the OEM Manual of Health and Safety, Integrated Health Management, and the ACOEM Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines.

Dr. Gillen will discuss functional limitations in a sample of mildly to moderately injured workers at four time periods following their injuries. Pain, fatigue, and sleeplessness will also be discussed. She will review two measures of functional limitations, the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and the Short Form-36 (SF-36), as well as discuss family/friend care giving following the workers' injury. Dr. Gillen will explain strengths and limitations of this study, as well as future projects in this area. Dr. Gillen will offer practical suggestions on how to assess functional limitations in activities of daily living.

Marion Gillen, RN, MPH, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the University of California San Francisco School of Nursing. She received her BSN from Rutgers, her MPH from Johns Hopkins, and her PhD from the University of California San Francisco. Dr. Gillen has lectured and written extensively on occupational health issues. Dr. Gillen has conducted extensive research on occupational injury, injury control, and prevention and disability associated with work-related injuries.