2022 Mid-Year Virtual Medicolegal Conference Training Courses
Last year, we had a tremendous turnout at our Mid-Year Conference as we held two days of presentations and interactive virtual discussions and panels designed to help our members hone their skills through practical applications, case studies and the latest techniques presented in 15 sessions.
We also welcomed many practitioners who were new to Independent Medical Evaluations with industry experts and veterans answering questions and providing invaluable insights that could help them grow their professional practice.
You can still get access to all the valuable insights shared during the live virtual event. This includes expert presentations, panel discussions, Q&A sessions, and all the speaker slides.
Accreditation
IAIME designates this virtual activity for a maximum of 15.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should only claim the amount of credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in these activities.
Pricing
IAIME Members/Fellows $295
International Members/Fellows $225
Non-Member $395
International Non-Member $295
Active Military $225
Associates $225
*Scholarships available upon request, contact [email protected]
Session 1:
It’s All About the Money!
Michael Weiser, JD - Weiser Consulting
As a specialist in medicolegal reporting for workers’ compensation cases, Michael Weiser brings a wealth of experience to the table. He has over 30 years of experience in working as an Analyst for 3rd party IME vendors, working closely with physicians of all disciplines in the composition of their reports.
In this presentation, Mr. Weiser discusses how money is involved in the administration of Worker’s Compensation Claims. You will learn about the different SPECIES of money support that is available to injured workers. Mr. Weiser will also explain the process behind the allocation of compensation benefits once your report has been received, and emphasize its significance in ensuring that injured workers are able to claim the benefits they are entitled to.
Session 2:
Safe & Effective Alleviation of Pain
David Ring, MD, PhD, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin
David Ring, MD, PhD, a trained hand and orthopedic surgeon, is currently serving as Associate Dean for Comprehensive Care, Professor of Surgery and Perioperative Care, and a Courtesy Professor of Psychiatry and Health Social Work at Dell Medical School. He has dedicated his expertise in patient care, quality and patient safety leadership, and extensive research to develop a comprehensive understanding of how a person’s mindset and circumstances can impact their overall health and well-being.
In this presentation, Dr. Ring talks about how physicians and front line care providers can help injured workers by changing the way they think about pain alleviation and patient recovery. Additionally, he will touch upon how to view alleviation of pain from the perspective and mindset of the injured worker; how to look at the causes of reported injuries and rethink the diagnoses; and how mental health issues affect recovery and how to evaluate an injury.
Session 3:
Workplace Risk Factors for Delayed Recovery
Les Kertay, PhD, ABPP, FIAIME, CMLE
Les Kertay, Ph.D., ABPP is a licensed and board-certified clinical psychologist with expertise in evidence-based treatment, assessment, and medicolegal applications of behavioral health including disability evaluation and workers’ compensation. He is currently SVP of Behavioral Health at Axiom Medical, LLC and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He is also published and has presented extensively on the application of behavioral health in impairment compensation systems.
In this informative presentation by Dr. Kertay, you will learn about the principles behind return to work, risk factors for delayed and failed recovery, and how to consider workplace risk factors when providing evaluation and treatment for injured workers and individuals who may have disability related to the workplace. Dr. Kertay will also discuss why the bio medical model has limited applicability when talking about delayed return to work and recovery options.
Session 4:
Physical Therapy Evaluation & Treatment in the Workers’ Compensation Population
Wanda Evans, PT, DPT, MHS
A physical therapist currently serving as a Senior Specialist in the Health Policy & Payment Department at the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
Lorena Payne, PT, MPA, OCS
A board-certified clinical specialist in Orthopedic Physical Therapy (OCS). She teaches at the University of Montana and has held key leadership roles as a member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and the affiliate component, Academy of Orthopedic Physical Therapy.
Michelle Despres, PT, CEAS II, REAS, CETS
A physical therapist that encourages empowering injured workers to embrace a collaborative role in their recovery with innovative physical therapy. She has multiple appearances on Good Morning America.
In this presentation, Wanda Evans, Lorena Payne, and Michelle Despres will give you an overview and the overall thought process behind the physical therapist evaluation as well as information gathered during the development of the clinical practice guideline for physical therapy services for occupational medicine. Finally they will bring it all together discussing different settings and present a psychological informed approach for physical therapy services.
Session 5:
Attorney’s Perspective on IME’s
Daniel Bugbee, ESQ
Daniel Bugbee attended law school at the University of Washington. After several years at large Seattle based law firms, he founded his own law firm in 2015. As part of his litigation practice, Dan regularly represents expert witnesses, and serves as outside counsel for expert witness panels. He is a frequent speaker on topics concerning expert witnesses and third-party discovery.
In this presentation, Dan Bugbee will give his perspective as an attorney and advisor to the medicolegal community and IMEs. Additionally, he will touch upon how to know when you need to bring in your own advisor when you encounter different situations as an expert witness; how to understand the roles of the Attorney, Examiner, Panels, Judge, and the Jury during litigation and the different interests of the people you may interact with; and how to develop relationships with legal advisors to help you deal with challenging situations.
Session 6:
Upper Extremity Complicated Cases
Gary Pushkin, MD, (ORS), FIAIME, CMLE
Dr. Pushkin is a Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon. He has held leadership positions in the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, North American Spine Society, Baltimore County Medical Association, the Maryland State Medical Society, and the Boy Scouts of America. He currently serves on the Joint Committee on Worker’s Compensation Benefit and Insurance Oversight. He is an IAIME Fellow and a current member of the Board of Directors.
In this presentation, Dr. Pushkin reviews how to determine impairment in the upper extremity and define diagnoses in all of it’s primary categories and classes as well as give you practical examples. He’ll also review the steps in determining impairment and impairment classes, the Principles of assessment related to diagnosis, how to assess grave modifiers or non key factors, and steps for Calculating an IR.
Session 7:
Spine Nomenclature: Practical Application for the IME
Diana Kraemer, MD, FAANS, FIAIME, CMLE
Dr. Kraemer is a board-certified neurosurgeon. She completed her training in neurosurgery at Duke University and a Fellowship in Epilepsy Surgery at Yale University. She has done basic science and clinical research in Epilepsy and Epilepsy Surgery. She is the current President IAIME.
In this training session, Dr. Kraemer will present on the many aspects of spinal nomenclature and how physicians can better diagnose and more accurately assess spinal issues during their evaluations. She will also discuss the difference between disc protrusion and extrusion and why it’s so important for physicians and psychologists so they can better understand lower back pain and chronic pain. As well as, the differences between disk sequestration and bulging disk and disk degeneration and the factors that can affect diagnosis.
Session 9:
Catastrophic Injury: Life Care Planning
Garson Caruso, MD, MPH, CLCP, FACOEM, FIAIME
Dr. Caruso is a board-certified occupational physician in consulting practice in central Pennsylvania. He performs medical direction in workers compensation and short-term disability, and complex file and case review; provides clinical oversight of onsite worker health and wellness clinics; and serves as an expert witness in occupational medicine, life expectancy determination, and life care planning.
In this presentation, Dr. Caruso will give an overview of Life Care Planning for Medical Evaluators so you can better care for and meet the needs of your patients with catastrophic injuries and severe chronic medical conditions. In this training you will learn what is Life Care Planning including roles and objectives for the IME professional; the Life Care Planning process; the opportunities for involvement by advanced health care practitioners – including chiropractors, nurse practitioners, physicians, and psychologists as consultants, expert witnesses and planners; and how to train and get certified as a Life Care Planner.
Session 10:
Chiropractic Records & Their Content
James Myers, DC, FIAIME, CMLE
Dr. Myers started performing Independent Medical Evaluations in 2013. He is a member of several state and national associations, including IAIME and the Chiropractic Forensic Council. Within the chiropractic forensic environment, he has the opportunity to promote a culture of evidence-based medicine to his profession while standing for truth and good health care.
In this presentation, Dr. Myers will give you an overview on chiropractic care and share how he writes his reports when reviewing chiropractic records. He will also discuss the science of manual manipulation; chiropractic law; and a summary of chiropractic guidelines.
Session 11:
Report Writing & Causation Analysis: Practical Examples
Fabrice Czarnecki, MD, MA, MPH, FACOEM, FAAFP, FIAIME, CMLE
Dr. Czarnecki is the Chief Medical Officer for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), US Department of Homeland Security. He is actively involved in writing medical guidelines for safety-sensitive occupations, as vice-chair of the ACOEM Task Group on Medical Guidance for Law Enforcement Officers, and as a member of the Emergency Responders Occupational Health Technical Committee of the National Fire Protection Association.
In this presentation, Dr. Czarnecki will share with you how he writes his reports for causation analysis and some of the lessons he has learned serving as a medical evaluator including: the Six Step method to determine the work-relatedness of a disease and the importance of having a source or set of criteria you’re going to use in your analysis.
Session 12:
Report Writing: Panel Discussion
Fabrice Czarnecki, MD, MA, MPH, FACOEM, FAAFP, FIAIME, CMLE
Dr. Czarnecki is the Chief Medical Officer for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), US Department of Homeland Security. He is actively involved in writing medical guidelines for safety-sensitive occupations, as vice-chair of the ACOEM Task Group on Medical Guidance for Law Enforcement Officers, and as a member of the Emergency Responders Occupational Health Technical Committee of the National Fire Protection Association.
Chris Brigham, MD, MMS, FACOEM, FIAIME, CIME, CMLE
Dr. Brigham is Board-Certified in Occupational Medicine. He is a Founding Director of the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners, a Fellow of the American College of Occupational Environmental Medicine, and a Fellow of the International Academy of Independent Medical Evaluators.
In this panel discussion on report writing, Dr. Czarnecki, Dr. Brigham, and Dr. Xeller share what they’ve learned about report writing and how you can improve the quality of your reports.
Charles Xeller MD, FIAIME
Dr. Xeller is an orthopedic surgeon with over 35 years in clinical practice. He is a Past President of IAIME. He has performed thousands of IMEs and QMEs, and teaches on the accurate and ethical performance of medicolegal evaluations. He is fluent in the 3th, 4th, 5th, and 6th editions of the AMA Guides, frequently teach other clinicians how to perform impairment ratings.
Session 13:
Deposition Skills: It’s Your Time to Shine!
Charles Xeller, MD, FIAIME
Dr. Xeller is an orthopedic surgeon with over 35 years in clinical practice. He is a Past President of IAIME. He has performed thousands of IMEs and QMEs, and teaches on the accurate and ethical performance of medicolegal evaluations. He is fluent in the 3th, 4th, 5th, and 6th editions of the AMA Guides, frequently teach other clinicians how to perform impairment ratings.
In this lecture, Dr. Xeller will give you an introduction to basic deposition skills and share his insights on providing the best advice and information as an expert during a deposition. You’ll discover your main role and function in the deposition, the basic points of depositions and the most important principles, the true goal of the deposition, and the best way to communicate and explain medical terms to lay audiences including jurors, judges and attorneys.
Session 14:
Complicated Spine Case Studies & Discussion
Diana Kraemer, MD, FAANS, FIAIME, CMLE
Dr. Kraemer is a board-certified neurosurgeon. She completed her training in neurosurgery at Duke University and a Fellowship in Epilepsy Surgery at Yale University. She has done basic science and clinical research in Epilepsy and Epilepsy Surgery. She is the current President IAIME.
This course addresses the challenges faced by the examiner when confronted by challenging spinal injuries. In this lecture, Dr Kraemer will touch on topics such as, do prior spinal degenerative changes predict new imaging findings after injury; how does one accurately evaluate severe injury such as spinal cord injury; and what the ethics are of disclosing important incidental findings found during an examination.
Session 15:
Using Web-based Resources to Enhance Quality & Efficiency of Evaluations
Chris Brigham, MD, MMS, FACOEM, FIAIME, CIME, CMLE
Dr. Brigham is Board-Certified in Occupational Medicine. He is a Founding Director of the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners, a Fellow of the American College of Occupational Environmental Medicine, and a Fellow of the International Academy of Independent Medical Evaluators. He is also Editor of the AMA Guides Newsletter and Casebook, and Senior Contributing Editor for the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Sixth Edition.
In this lecture, Dr. Brigham will share how to use web based tools to enhance the quality, efficiency, profitability, and success of your practice. You will learn how web based tools and other technologies can dramatically enhance the success of your medicolegal practice; how to identify at least five resources that will have a significant impact on your practice, boost performance, and help you make more money; and the five keys to your success when providing high quality medicolegal services.
