CAREER PREPARATION:

Education:

Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana – Biology/Nursing 1976-79
Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas – BSN, Nursing 1981
Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri – Masters in Business Management

Certifications:

BLS (Basic Life Support) 1975-Current year
ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) 1982-Current year
CNAA (Certified Nurse Administrator, Advanced) 1988
CLNC (Certified Legal Nurse Consultant) 1995
CCM (Certified Case Manager) 1997-Current
CNLCP (Certified Nurse Life Care Planner) 1999-Current

Summary of Qualifications:

25 years in the healthcare field (22 years as a hospital based nurse) Often worked more than one position.

• 5 years Critical Care (Neuro, Open Heart and Burn Specialty)
• 10 years as Nursing Supervisor (both shift and unit)
• 17 years in Rehabilitation Nursing (12 years as case manager and 10years as a Catastrophic Life Care Planner)
• 2 years in Med/Surg , Radiology, Rehabilitation Acute Care Nursing.
• 5 years as Vice President of Patient Services
• 5 years as a Healthcare Educator in Private Corporation

Licensure:

Kansas (Original License), Louisiana, Alabama, California, Hawaii

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

1992-Current:
Medical - Legal Case Strategies, Independent Nurse Case Manager, Nurse Consultant, Nurse Life Care Planner. (Honolulu, Hawaii – 1992-1997) (Sacramento, California 1997-Current)
This firm offers Catastrophic Case Management services for Workers Compensation, Personal Injury and Elderly Clients. It includes Life Care Planning and Cost Analysis for insurance settlements, reserve setting, and litigation. MLCS offers Legal Nurse Consulting for personal injury, medical malpractice, product liability and workers compensation both for defense and plaintiff. In 2001, added Mediation and Medicare set-aside allocation services.

1998-2000
RSKco (Division of CNA Insurance Company) (Sacramento, California)
Field Case Manager which coordinated and facilitated medical case management for workers compensation and Personal Injury claimants as an agent for the above insurance company. Served as the Western Division Life Care Planner for California, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Nevada and Arizona.
Typical Life Care plans were developed for Spinal Cord Injuries, Acute Brain Injuries, Burns, Amputations, HIV++ and RSD.

1991-Current
Diverse Strategies (Honolulu, Hawaii)
This corporation produces educational seminars for Registered Nurses, Nursing Managers and other Medical Personnel. Published Newsletters such as Nursing Financial News and Legal Nurse Notes. Consulted with various occupational health programs in setting up and reviewing employee health programs. Consultant with physician offices to review billing and client practices. Consulted with Case Management private practices to improve case management workloads and marketing practices.

1995-1997
Health Resources, Inc.(Honolulu, Hawaii)
Home Health Supervisor and Marketing Director;
Evaluated and assessed staff who provided healthcare for clients, assessed for needs. Provided Advanced IV Therapy, such as Groshones, PICC Lines, TPN and Antibiotic therapies. Triaged Care as needed. As Marketing Director improved financial and fiscal base for home care and employee education program.

1992-1998
Kaiser Hospital, (Moanalua, Hawaii)
Assistant Director of Nursing, responsible for staffing, coordinating activities of staff, and ensuring appropriate healthcare for patients on the 11-7 shift. Worked 2 years as a Diagnostic Imaging Specialist in Angio, Cat Scan, and MRI. Responsible for 20-25 IV starts daily.

1992-1994
St Francis Medical Center (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Telemetry Nurse Manager responsible for full management of the Telemetry department. This is a step down cardiac floor. Patients had high acuity, often ventilators, multiple lines, burn patients. Position often required interpretation of standards, policies/procedures and their development when needed. Leadership responsibilities included core designing care maps, reducing LOS, and reduced budget by 20% each year without reducing quality of nursing care. Successful passed JCAHO with 97% rating.

1990-1992
Chico Community Hospital (Chico, California)
Worked .5 position as house supervisor on 11-7 shift and .5 position as Charge Nurse in Intensive Care Unit. Cared for critical patients ensuring standards of care, ACLS protocol for cardiac, burn, neuro and multiple trauma patients. Patients had high acuity. Worked overtime in Psych, Rehab and Neuro Rehab units.

1988-1990
Oroville Hospital (Oroville, California)
Night Supervisor and ICU staff Nurse.

1987-1988
Southeast Alabama Medical Center (Dothan, Alabama)
Assistant Director of Nursing
Responsible for ICU, CCU, Telemetry, Emergency Room, Maternal Child areas, Orthopedics and Rehabilitation units.

1984-1987
Catahoula Memorial Hospital (Jonesville, Louisiana)
Assistant Administrator – Patient Care
Responsible for Nursing, Emergency Room, Surgery, Outpatient Services, Purchasing, Central Supply, Dietary and Pharmacy Departments.

1981-1982
St. Francis Medical Center (Alexandria, Louisiana)
Registered Nurse one year in the Open Heart Unit and one year as the Assistant Director of Nursing.

1980
Hadley Regional Medical Center (Hays, Kansas)
Charge Nurse on Medical/ Surgical Unit specializing in COPD/Respiratory Disease, rehabilitation, orthopedics and pediatrics

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Publications:

Nursing Field Notes: Quarterly Newsletter/Workers Compensation for Claims Adjusters, Attorneys
Nursing Notes: Quarterly Newsletter for Attorneys, Paralegal and Legal Assistants
Nursing Ticklers, Vol I & II: Collection of Nursing and Medical Puzzles
“ RSD/Regional Chronic Pain Syndrome” Journal of Care Management – August, 2000
“ RSD/Preparation of Life Care Plans” Journal of Nurse Life Care Planners – 2001
“ Expert Witnessing, Are you Ready” (Daulbert Challenges) , Journal of Nurse Life Care Planners – 2001
“ I am going to Court on this One” (Preparation for Depo), Journal of Nurse Life Care Planners – 2002
“ Arachnoiditis” Journal of Nurse Life Care Planners-2003,
“ Medicare Set Asides and Attorneys”, 2003

Presentations:

Guest Speaker (University of Alabama – Montgomery), “Legalities of Charting”, “Legal Nursing”.
Consumer Lawyers Association (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Acquired Brain Injuries, Burn Injuries, Tampering in the Medical Charts, Life Care Planning and the litigation in the files, Evaluating the Medical Charts, Looking for deviations
Diverse Strategies
EKG Dynamics and interpretation, Critical Care / Spinal Cord Injuries, Acquired Brain Injuries
Burn Injuries, Preparing for JCHAO, Critical Care Nursing
University of Florida – Mediproseminars – Faculty Speaker
Medicare Set Asides
Placer County Attorneys Association
Life Care Planning
Women Attorneys of Sacramento
Alternative Medicine in the Workplace

Organizations:

CNA (California Nurses Association)
AANLCP (American Association of Nurse Life Care Planners) Editorial Board
SacCMSA (Sacramento Chapter of Case Management Society of America) Vice President 2002,
President 2003
WIWC (Women in Workers Comp)
Listserv Moderator (Norcalcasemanagers) and (Lifecareplanners)