Topic & Speaker Descriptions

Tuesday, 7/19

By Robert J. McCunney, MD, MPH, MS

Robert J. McCunney, MD, MPH, MS, is a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Biological Engineering where he participates in clinically related research pertaining to occupational and environmental health hazards. In addition, Dr. McCunney is a staff physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, pulmonary division and medical consultant to the Cabot Corporation. Dr. McCunney received his BS from Drexel University, his MS from the University of Minnesota, and his MD from the Thomas Jefferson University Medical School. Dr. McCunney has written and lectured extensively both nationally and internationally on occupational health, is a past President of ACOEM and is a lecturer in medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is the Editor of all three editions of A Practical Approach to Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the most recent edition of which was published in 2003. Dr. McCunney received the Health Achievement Award from ACOEM in 2004. Questions and Answers

By Paul E. Jones, Esq.

Attorney Paul E. Jones is a partner and trial attorney in the Pikeville, Kentucky workers’ compensation defense firm of Jones, Walters, Turner & Shelton. He received his BA from Eastern Kentucky University and his JD from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law. Attorney Jones has written and lectured extensively on workers’ compensation, occupational diseases, workers’ compensation fraud, and direct and cross-examination of medical experts in workers’ compensation cases. Attorney Jones is a member of the Kentucky Bar Association and the Kentucky Defense Counsel. Questions and Answers

By Kathleen Golden McAndrew MSN, APRN, BC, ANP, COHN-S, FAAOHN

Kathleen Golden McAndrew, MSN, APRN, BC, ANP, COHN-S, FAAOHN, is the Assistant Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs, and Executive Director of University Health Services at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. She received her BS from Columbia Pacific University and her MS from Simmons College. Ms. Golden McAndrew has conducted research, lectured, and written extensively on substance abuse in the workplace. Ms. McAndrew is an Associate Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Instructor. Questions and Answers

By Patrick J. Beecher, MD, MPH

Patrick J. Beecher, MD, MPH, MBA, is currently Group Medical Director, Corporate Medical Operations for General Motors Corporation and former Medical Director for Occupational Health and Safety of Ford Motor Company. He received his BA, BS, and MPH from the University of Washington, his MBA from City University, and his MD from George Washington University Medical School. Dr. Beecher is Board Certified in Occupational and Environmental Medicine and is a Fellow of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Dr. Beecher is a Past President of the Michigan Occupational and Environmental Association. Questions and Answers

Trial Demonstration: The Contested Hearing Loss Case
By Stephen Freifeld, MD - Expert Witness
Jon L. Gelman, Esq. - Plaintiff’s Counsel
Paul E. Jones, Esq. - Defense Counsel

Attorney Paul E. Jones is a partner and trial attorney in the Pikeville, Kentucky workers’ compensation defense firm of Jones, Walters, Turner & Shelton. He received his BA from Eastern Kentucky University and his JD from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law. Attorney Jones has written and lectured extensively on workers’ compensation, occupational diseases, workers’ compensation fraud, and direct and cross-examination of medical experts in workers’ compensation cases. Attorney Jones is a member of the Kentucky Bar Association and the Kentucky Defense Counsel. Questions and Answers

By Mary Lou Wassel, MEd, RN, COHN-S/CM, ARM

Mary Lou Wassel is a Senior Loss Control Representative for Companion Property & Casualty Group, a subsidiary of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the College of Mt. St. Joseph and her Master of Education from George Mason University. She is board certified in occupational health nursing and case management through ABOHN. Ms. Wassel is a Board member and Treasurer for ABOHN and the former Director of Professional Affairs for AAOHN. She holds the designation of Associate in Risk Management from the Insurance Institute of America. Ms. Wassel was the lead author of the chapter on Disability Case Management in the 2nd and 3rd editions of the Core Curriculum in Occupational Health Nursing. She has written and lectured extensively on occupational health, workers’ compensation, and return to work issues. Ms. Wassel is also a retired Captain in U.S. Navy Nurse Corps. In her current position, she works with a variety of employers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia to assist them in improving their workers’ compensation results and return to work outcomes. Questions and Answers

By Sridhar V. Vasudevan, MD

Dr. Sridhar V. Vasudevan is a Clinical Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He received his undergraduate degree from Secunderabad College and his MD from Marathwada University. Dr. Vasudevan has written and lectured extensively on chronic pain and the relationship between impairment and disability in the chronic pain patient. Dr. Vasudevan is the Founder and Past President of the American Board of Pain Medicine and is Past President of the Midwest Pain Society. He is Past President of the American Academy of Pain Medicine and the Wisconsin Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM & R). He serves on the Boards of the American Academy of PM & R, Wankesha County Medical Society, and the Wisconsin State Medical Society Political Action Committee. Questions and Answers

By Sue-Sheila S. Keener

Sue-Sheila S. Keener is the Director of the Department of Human Resource’s Office of Workers’ Compensation for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Ms. Keener graduated magna cum laude from the Virginia Commonwealth University receiving her BS in safety and risk administration. She was selected to be a member of the Honor Society Phi Kappa Phi. She has previously worked as a claims adjuster, claims supervisor, and claims manager in her 30 years of risk management experience. Ms. Keener is responsible for 10,000 - 11,000 claims and $48 million annually in premiums. She lectured at the National Governor’s Association on Workers’ Compensation Best Practices and is consulted for advice on how to reduce workers’ compensation costs by other states. Questions and Answers

By Richard W. Lenkov, Esq.

Richard W. Lenkov, Esquire, is a partner and trial attorney in the Chicago, Illinois law firm of BryceDowney, LLC. He received his BA from McGill University and his JD from Northern Illinois University. Attorney Lenkov is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the DuPage County Bar Association, the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association, the Workers’ Compensation Claims Association and the Defense Research Institute. Attorney Lenkov’s practice areas include workers’ compensation and personal injury defense. Questions and Answers

By Gary F. Ierna, DC

Gary F. Ierna, DC, is a practicing chiropractor at the NeuroMusculoSkeletal Institute in West Hartford, Connecticut. He received his DC from the New York Chiropractic College. Dr. Ierna is the Associate Medical Director of HealthDirect, Inc. and is an Assistant Professor at the NY Chiropractic College, Department of Postgraduate and Continuing Education. Dr. Ierna has written and lectured extensively on chiropractic issues, having presented over 250 clinical and scientific lectures. Questions and Answers

By Jon L. Gelman, Esq.

Attorney Gelman will review the significant impact the Medicare Secondary Payer Act is having on workers’ compensation settlements and resolutions. He will discuss what the parties must do to avoid extensive delay in the disposition of cases and how to avoid penalties, sanctions, and professional liability claims. Attorney Gelman will demonstrate how to become proactive with the rapidly expanding bureaucratic system that CMS (Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services) is "operationalizing" to recoup potentially billions of dollars in conditional payments made to workers’ compensation claimants and Medicare beneficiaries. Attorney Gelman will explain why CMS is mandating approved set-aside arrangements in workers’ compensation claims for future medical care and how to best submit the proposals for quick approval. Attorney Gelman will offer practical suggestions on the new resources that are now available to you so that your responsibilities can be met in this newly emerging and vastly extensive area of the law. Questions and Answers

By Stephen Freifeld, MD

Dr. Freifeld will discuss the use of IMEs, the excellent IME, and the best time to request an Independent Medical Evaluation. He will review most frequent IME mistakes, selecting the appropriate physician, assessing the evaluator, and minimizing the costs and maximizing the value of the IME. Dr. Freifeld will explain how to achieve excellence in the evaluation process with integrity. Questions and Answers

By Nicholas R.S. Hall, PhD

Nicholas R. S. Hall, PhD, is the Director of the Institute for Health and Human Performance and the Director of the Wellness Center at the Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel, Florida. He received his BA in Psychology from the University of Florida and his PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Florida College of Medicine. Dr. Hall is an internationally recognized Psychoneuroimmunologist who has conducted pioneering research delving into the interrelationships between the emotions and health. Since 1972, his National Institute of Health supported research on the mind and body has been featured on numerous television programs including CBS "60 Minutes," the BBC "Nova" series, and the Emmy Award winning series "Healing and the Mind" produced by Bill Moyers for PBS. He has published over 150 research articles and book chapters, and was senior editor of the highly acclaimed book, Mind Body Interactions and Disease which was commissioned by the National Institutes of Health.
Questions and Answers

By Carol A. Harnett, MS

Ms. Carol Harnett is a clinical physiologist as well as an Assistant Vice President and the National Disability and Life Practice Leader for The Hartford’s Group Benefits Division. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Chemistry from St. Peter’s College and a Master of Science degree in Physiology and Biophysics from Rutgers University. Ms. Harnett is responsible for disability research, analytic and consultative services, and information dissemination regarding employers’ health, absence and workplace productivity trends. In addition, she leads the Center for Ability, an information resource center for consultants, employers, and Hartford staff. Ms. Harnett speaks extensively on a variety of topics including disability trends, employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, and health and productivity management. Her clinical experience encompasses over ten years in industrial rehabilitation, physical medicine, and sports medicine. Her most recent clinical position was as Administrative Director of the Industrial Rehabilitation Division for the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation. Ms. Harnett’s appointments include Chair, Return to Work Subcommittee of the American Council of Life Insurers; Chair, Workers’ Compensation and Disability Task Force, Institute for Health and Productivity Management; National Advisory Council, Institute for Health and Productivity Management; Executive Board, Disability Management Employer Coalition; National Advisory Committee, Certification of Disability Management Specialists Commission; Disability Management Advisory Board, International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals; and Board of Directors, American College of Sports Medicine Foundation. Questions and Answers

By The Honorable Linda A. Thompson

The Honorable Linda A. Thompson has been an administrative law judge at the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission since March 1992, traveling the state to hold workers’ compensation hearings for more than thirteen years. Before joining the Commission as senior attorney in 1988, she was in the private practice of law in Jackson. She is an adjunct professor at Mississippi College School of Law, teaching workers’ compensation law. She and John R. Bradley, Jr., Professor of Law at the University of Mississippi Law School, coauthored the 305-page chapter on Workers’ Compensation Law in Volume 9 of the Encyclopedia of Mississippi Law (West Group 2002) and are collaborating on a Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Law treatise for publication by West Group in 2005. A native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Judge Thompson completed undergraduate and graduate studies at Vanderbilt University and in 1985 received her law degree from Mississippi College School of Law, where she was production editor of the Law Review. She is currently Past President of the Hinds County Bar Association, an organization of 1,400 lawyers. She has also served as Commissioner of the Mississippi Bar, President of the Mississippi Women Lawyers Association, and Barrister in the Charles Clark Chapter of the American Inns of Court.
Questions and Answers

By Michael Erdil, MD, FACOEM

Michael Erdil, MD, FACOEM, is the Medical Director for Eastern Rehabilitation Network, an affiliate of Hartford Hospital, and an Assistant Professor at the University of Connecticut Health Center. Dr. Erdil is also the Medical Director for Health Direct Inc., an affiliate of AIGCS, in Farmington, CT. He received his BA from CUNY, and his MD from SUNY, is Board Certified in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and is a Fellow of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Dr. Erdil has served as a reviewer for the development of treatment guidelines for the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (Acute Low Back Problems in Adults, 1994), and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines, OEM Press, 1997). Dr. Erdil has co-authored several publications, including Biomechanics of Manual Material Handling and Low Back Pain for Zenz’ Occupational Medicine (1994), and Cumulative Trauma Disorders: Prevention, Evaluation, and Treatment (VNR 1997). Dr. Erdil co-authored the Health Effects Section of the Preamble to the Proposed OSHA Ergonomics Rule (1999). He has been a local and national lecturer on a variety of occupational medicine topics. Questions and Answers

By Arlene Guzik, MSN, ARNP-BC

Arlene Guzik, MSN, ARNP, is the Director of Clinical Services at the Lakeside Occupational Medicine Center in Largo, Florida. She received her BSN from Ohio State University and her MSN from West Virginia University. Ms. Guzik has written and lectured extensively on a wide variety of occupational health issues including corporate health and wellness, alternative health therapies, and reducing workers’ compensation costs. Ms. Guzik is the author of the article WC, FMLA, and ADA: Managing the Maze published in the AAOHN Journal, and is a past President of the Florida State Association of Occupational Health Nurses as well as "Nurse of the Year." Questions and Answers

By Bert J. Fortuna, Jr., Esq.

Attorney Bert J. Fortuna, Jr., is a partner and trial attorney with the Grand Rapids, Michigan, law firm of Miller, Johnson, Snell & Cummiskey, PLC. He received his BA from Drake University and his JD from Drake University Law School. Attorney Fortuna concentrates his practice in the defense and trial of workers’ compensation and employment and labor law matters and has done so for the past 25 years. Attorney Fortuna is a frequent lecturer on the topic of Workers’ Compensation Law before the Bar Association, and business and employer groups. Questions and Answers

By Patricia Strasser, PhD, RN, COHN-S/CM

Patricia B. Strasser, PhD, RN, COHN-S/CM, is the owner of Partners in BusinessHealth Solutions, Inc., a Toledo, Ohio health consulting service specializing in occupational health program development and evaluation. In addition, she is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing. Dr. Strasser received her BSN from the University of Toledo, her MSN from the Medical College of Ohio, and her PhD in Nursing Science from the University of Michigan. Dr. Strasser has written and lectured extensively on occupational health and case management issues. She has received case management certification from the American Board of Occupational Health Nurses. Questions and Answers

By Richard D. Tuschman, Esq.

Attorney Richard D. Tuschman is a partner and a trial attorney in the Miami, Florida office of Epstein Becker & Green, PC, a general practice law firm with more than 370 attorneys in 12 offices throughout the United States. He received his BA from Franklin & Marshall College and his JD, with honors, from the George Washington University Law School. Attorney Tuschman has devoted his legal career to defending management in employment-related litigation and counseling management on a wide range of employment-related issues. Attorney Tuschman also drafts employee handbooks, employment agreements, releases, settlement agreements, and opinion letters. Attorney Tuschman has written and lectured extensively on employment law matters and has been quoted widely in industry publications. Questions and Answers

By Anthony J. Dorto, MD, FAAPMR, FAADEP

Anthony J. Dorto, MD, FAAPMR, FAADEP, is the Medical Director of the Disability Assessment Center, P.A. in Miami, Florida. He received his MD degrees from Centro De Estudios Universitarios Xochicalco (CEUX), and from the Board of Regents of the University of New York. He did one year of general surgery at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, Brooklyn, N.Y. and did his three (3) year residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Center, NY, NY. He is board certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and is a "Credentialed Pain Practitioner." He is the past president of the American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians (AADEP), and is certified by the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners (ABIME) and is Certified in Evaluation of Disability and Impairment Rating by AADEP. Dr. Dorto has lectured on the local, state, and national levels regarding disability assessment, impairment rating, physiatry, rehabilitation, and symptom magnification and malingering. He was a contributor to the AMA Guides, 5th Edition, (Musculoskeletal Committee). He has contributed to the AMA Guides, 5th Edition "Impairment Calculator" software program. Dr. Dorto has authored numerous articles dealing with issues of disability, impairment rating, and quality of life. Questions and Answers

By Jane Derebery, MD, FACOEM

Jane Derebery, MD, FACOEM, is Vice President of Medical Affairs, Southern Region, Concentra Health Services, and also serves as chairman of the Concentra Occupational Health Research Institute. She received her medical degree from the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine, and is a Diplomat of the American Board of Preventive/Occupational Medicine. She resides in Austin, Texas. Dr. Derebery has written, lectured, and consulted extensively on both occupational low back pain and on work-related upper extremity disorders. She is co-editor of the recently published book, Low Back Pain: An Evidence-based, Biopsychosocial Model for Clinical Management. She has previously served on the adhoc committee of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons on Occupational Upper Extremity Disorders. Questions and Answers

By Nicolaas P. Pronk, PhD, FACSM, FAWHP

Nicolaas P. Pronk, PhD, is Vice President of the HealthPartners Center for Health Promotion in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is also a Research Investigator in the HealthPartners Research Foundation. Dr. Pronk has a broad background in exercise science and behavioral medicine. He has published extensively in the areas of obesity, exercise and physical activity, behavior change, and the integration of health risk management strategies in population health initiatives. He currently serves on the Editorial Boards for ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal, Disease Management & Health Outcomes, and the e-journal Preventing Chronic Disease. Dr. Pronk is one of ten members of Clinical Obesity Research Panel (CORP) of NIDDK at the National Institutes of Health, a role in which he advises NIH on matters related to obesity research. He is also a member of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. He serves on committees and task forces on worksite health promotion, health care delivery and health promotion issues for the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the former Association of Worksite Health Promotion (AWHP). Dr. Pronk received his PhD in Exercise Physiology in 1992 from Texas A&M University, and completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Behavioral Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Questions and Answers

By Andrew E. Greenberg, Esq.

Attorney Andrew E. Greenberg is a partner in the Norristown, Pennsylvania law firm, The Chartwell Law Offices, where he defends workers’ compensation claims. He received his BA from Indiana University and his JD from Syracuse University College of Law. A former Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney, he has extensive litigation experience and is a recognized authority in the field of workers’ compensation law. In collaboration with Workers’ Compensation Judge David B. Torrey, he is the co-author of the well-recognized Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation: Law and Practice, a four-volume authoritative treatise on Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Law published and updated annually by West Publishing Company. He was a commentator on the "Medical Cost Containment" Regulations promulgated pursuant to Act 44 of 1993. He worked with the Workers’ Compensation Rules Committee that revised the Special Rules of Practice and Procedure before judges in 1999-2000 and has consulted for the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation on various issues over the past two years. Attorney Greenberg is a member of the Defense Research Institute. Questions and Answers

By Ronald W. Porter, PT, CEAS

Ronald W. Porter, PT, CEAS, is a recognized expert in the field of Occupational Safety and Health, and Ergonomics. In the past 20 years, since becoming Director of the Back School of Atlanta, in Atlanta, Georgia, he has instructed over 500 workshops and seminars on Musculoskeletal Disorder Prevention and Ergonomics Awareness to physical and occupational therapists, medical doctors, occupational health nurses, and industrial health and safety professionals. Mr. Porter has worked with over 200 industries, including, E.I. Du Pont, Shell Oil, International Paper, Cingular Wireless, and the United States Navy, on development and implementation of ergonomics programs for individual plant sites and corporate-wide. He frequently speaks at various safety and health association conferences. Mr. Porter received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and his Graduate Degree in Physical Therapy from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and the American Society of Safety Engineers. Questions and Answer

By David C. Fisher, PhD, LP, ABPP

Dr. David C. Fisher is President and co-founder of PsyBar located in Minneapolis, where he oversees a network of over 1,200 forensic psychiatrists and psychologists. He received his BA from the University of Minnesota and his MA and PhD in Psychology from the University of Montana. He has a Diplomate in Clinical Psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology. Dr. Fisher has lectured and written extensively about psychiatric and psychological assessment in workers’ compensation cases. He also has authored the nation’s only on-line accredited advanced training program for psychologists and psychiatrists performing Independent Medical Evaluations. Questions and Answers

By Bridget A. Neuson, Esq.

Bridget A. Neuson, RN, JD, is an employment and workers’ compensation lawyer with offices in Glenview, Illinois. Attorney Neuson received her BSN in Nursing from Loyola University and her JD with high honors from the Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, where she was a member of the Law Review. Attorney Neuson is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, ABA, and The American Association of Nurse Attorneys. Attorney Neuson has written and lectured on employment law, the legal risks of managing an aging workforce, and the ADA, FMLA, HIPAA, and Workers’ Compensation. Ms. Neuson is a co-author of "Recent Developments in Employment Law," Tort and Insurance Law Journal, Vol. 37, No. 2, 2002. Questions and Answers

By Melody Rasmor, RN, MS, COHN-S, ANP

Melody Rasmor, RN, MS, COHN-S, ANP, is a certified Adult Nurse Practitioner and Occupational Health Nurse with twenty years of experience. Currently, she is employed as an Assistant Clinical Professor at Washington State University. Ms. Rasmor received her BSN from Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Washington in 1977 and her Master’s of Science from University of Portland in 1982. She has consulted with many companies such as Levi Strauss & Company, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Bemis Bag, Inc., and Tetra-Pak. Ms. Rasmor has published two articles in AAOHN Journal on Health Assessment for the Occupational Health Nurse. In 1990, and 2004 she served as a deployed Nurse Practitioner in the US Army during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. She currently holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Additionally, she has taught at the undergraduate and graduate level for University of Portland and Oregon Health Sciences University. Ms. Rasmor has served as the President of the Oregon Nurses’ Association, Nurse Practitioner Organization in 1993-1995. Ms. Rasmor received the Oregon Nurses’ Association Teaching and Leadership Award for the Portland Metropolitan Area (1992) and the Meritorious Service Award in the US Army Reserves (2004). Questions and Answers

By Niki T. Ingram, Esq.

Attorney Niki T. Ingram is a shareholder and trial attorney in the regional defense law firm of Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin. She received her BA from Smith College and her JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Attorney Ingram has written and lectured frequently on workers’ compensation issues and is chairperson of the Workers’ Compensation and Employment Liability Law Committee of the Tort and Insurance Practice Section of the American Bar Association, past co-chairperson of the ABA’s Workers’ Compensation and Employment Liability Law Committee of TIPS, and past co-chairperson of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Workers’ Compensation Section. Attorney Ingram is the author of numerous articles dealing with workers’ compensation topics. She has lectured frequently on workers’ compensation issues at the request of the Pennsylvania Defense Institute, The National Business Institute, Defense Research Institute, the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association, and local business groups. She has also spoken at the American Bar Association’s national conference, as well as ATLA’s national conference. Attorney Ingram currently serves on the editorial board of The Philadelphia Lawyer, a quarterly publication of the Philadelphia Bar Association. Attorney Ingram’s area of practice is litigation of workers’ compensation cases. Questions and Answers

By Gordon S. Smith, MD, MPH

Gordon S. Smith, MD, MPH, is a senior research scientist, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, and teaches injury epidemiology and prevention at the Harvard School of Public Health. Before coming to Liberty Mutual, Dr. Smith directed the Occupational Injury Prevention Training Program at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland, where he is now an Adjunct Associate Professor. Dr. Smith received his medical degree from the University of Otago Medical School in New Zealand and his MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health. His areas of expertise include injury epidemiology, occupational injury research, alcohol research, and injury surveillance systems. He has done extensive work in the occupational injury area, both nationally and internationally, and has published more than 130 peer-reviewed articles, as well as a book, Injury Prevention: An International Perspective. He has received widespread recognition for his methodological expertise in injury research and has written and lectured extensively on injury prevention and how employees get injured at work. Questions and Answers

By Jane Derebery, MD, FACOEM

Dr. Derebery will discuss upper extremity disorders and complaints that are commonly and often inappropriately attributed to workplace repetitive activity. The discussion will provide cost-effective, practical management strategies for dealing with upper extremity disorders. Dr. Derebery will discuss how strong cultural beliefs and influences play predominant roles in shaping expectations about the ability of repetitive physical activity to cause musculoskeletal disorders. She will review findings on causation regarding specific diagnoses such as carpal tunnel syndrome and regional pain syndromes. Dr. Derebery will present an analysis of outcome data as well as evidence-based research findings that support that a treatment strategy focusing predominantly on patient issues rather than physical job factors will result in substantially better outcomes. Questions and Answers

By Arlene Guzik, MSN, ARNP-BC

Ms. Guzik will discuss mechanism of injury and work-relatedness of common occupational conditions. This fun-filled presentation will offer a variety of clinical pearls for application in the occupational health setting, including a review of common system-specific conditions and treatment modalities. Ms. Guzik will illustrate how to conduct the initial evaluation of these conditions and recommend appropriate cost-effective diagnostic care and treatment. The intended outcome of this session is to enhance the clinical knowledge of occupational health nurses, adjusters and workers’ compensation managers. Questions and Answers

By Arthur V. Lambert, Esq.

Attorney Arthur V. Lambert is a member of the firm in the Labor and Employment and National Litigation practice groups in Epstein Becker Green Wickliff & Hall’s Dallas, Texas office. He received his BA from the State University of New York and his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. Attorney Lambert is a board certified member of the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in the area of Labor and Employment Law. Attorney Lambert regularly counsels employers on issues ranging from hiring, firing and disciplinary policies, to family leave, reasonable accommodation and compensation. Attorney Lambert frequently speaks at business and professional conferences on various employment-related topics. Questions and Answers