WorkCompSchool Faculty Roster

Dr. Alex received his undergraduate degree from Iowa State University and began a career as an exercise physiologist in 1981. Dr. Alex returned to school and graduated from Los Angeles College of Chiropractic and has practiced for over ten years with a primary interest in workers’ compensation. He was an Assistant Professor in the Clinical Sciences Department at Southern California University of Health Sciences. He has had extensive experience in postgraduate teaching in the Rehabilitation and Sports Physician Programs. He has worked with the insurance companies within utilization review, determining medical necessity for chiropractic and developing musculoskeletal injury care protocols. He currently has been involved in the UR for functional restoration treatment within the new guidelines. He underwent training for Masterson Functional Capacity and return to work training. His commitment is to functional restoration of the patient that is safe, effective, evidence-based and efficient for the best possible outcomes.

David E. Bresler, PhD, LAc, Dipl Ac, is a neuroscientist, psychologist, acupuncturist, author, and educator internationally recognized for his pioneering work with people in chronic pain. He was one of the first contemporary American scientists to seriously study and research acupuncture, guided imagery, and other mind/body approaches. In 1973, he founded and directed the UCLA Pain Control Unit, the first multi-disciplinary, university-based chronic pain program utilizing techniques such as acupuncture, biofeedback, and guided imagery. This program was a prototype for many of the complementary and alternative medicine clinics that have since followed.

Dr. Bresler is currently the President of the Academy for Guided Imagery in Malibu, CA. He has served as Associate Clinical Professor in the UCLA Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, and Department of Psychology, Dean of Mind/Body Medicine at the University of Integrated Studies, and Professor at the University of Philosophical Research and the California School of Professional Psychology.

Dr. Bresler has authored or co-authored over 200 scientific papers in the fields of neuroscience, psychology, acupuncture, guided imagery, complementary and alternative medicine, and mind/body medicine, as well as forty-six books and workbooks, including the self-help books Free Yourself from Pain (Simon & Schuster) and Break Your Smoking Habit With Guided Imagery (AlphaBooks).

Dr. Bresler was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership in Pain Treatment by the American Academy of Pain Management, and was appointed by President Clinton to serve as a White House Commissioner on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy.

Dr. Bresler has also served as a consultant to the World Health Organization, the New York Board of Medical Examiners, the California Board of Medical Quality Assurance, the California Industrial Medical Council, the American Medical Association, California Medical and Dental Associations, and numerous other professional and governmental agencies. He has also served as an Executive Coach and creativity trainer for Times Mirror, Disney, Hughes, Rockwell, among others.

Dr. Bresler is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management, a Diplomate of the National Commission for Certification of Acupuncturists, and a Fellow, Diplomate, or member of over twenty professional organizations. He has served on the editorial staff of eight professional journals and is listed in several editions of Who's Who and in The Best Doctors In America. His radio and TV appearances have made him a well-known authority in the field of behavioral medicine, and he's been featured or interviewed in many popular magazines, including Time, Newsweek, Reader's Digest, People, US, Psychology Today, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Ladies Home Journal, Natural Health, and Prevention.

Christopher R. Brigham, MD is the Founder and President of Brigham and Associates, Inc. He is the Senior Contributing Editor for the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Sixth Edition, serves on the Advisory Committee, and was a contributor/author for several chapters, including Upper Extremities, Lower Extremities and Spine. With the Fifth Edition he served on the Advisory Committee and as a contributor. Dr. Brigham is Board-Certified in Occupational Medicine (ABPM), Founding Director of the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners (ABIME), a Certified Independent Medical Examiner (CIME), a Certified Impairment Rater (CIR), a Fellow of the American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians (FAADEP) with Certification in Evaluation of Disability and Impairment Rating (CEDIR), and a Fellow of the American College of Occupational Environmental Medicine (FACOEM), and a graduate of the Washington University School of Medicine – St. Louis. He is the Editor of the AMA publications Guides Newsletter and the Guides Casebook. He is co-author of the text Understanding the AMA Guides in Workers Compensation, has written over one hundred published articles on impairment and disability evaluation and other texts, chaired the Medical Advisory Board for the Medical Disability Advisor, Fourth Edition, is featured in several video, audio and web-based productions in the medicolegal field, and has trained thousands of physicians, attorneys, claims professionals and fact-finders, throughout the US, Canada and internationally. He is an experienced professional speaker. As a clinician with over twenty five years experience, he has performed several thousand independent medical and impairment evaluations, providing him with excellent insight to the complexities of human potential, impairment and disability. As a result of this experience he has consulted for numerous organizations (including governmental jurisdictions).

Hyla Cass M.D graduated from the University of Toronto School of Medicine, interned at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, and completed a psychiatric residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center/UCLA School of Medicine. She was an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA School of Medicine until 2005, and is in private clinical practice in Pacific Palisades, CA.


Dr. Cass is author of several popular books--Natural Highs, 8 Weeks to Vibrant Health, and her latest, Supplement Your Prescription. She is a member of the Advisory Board of Health Sciences Institute, Taste for Life Magazine, Total Health Magazine, and California Citizens for Health. She consults to the supplement industry regarding formulations, and has developed several under her own label.


Incorporating nutritional principles and natural health techniques in her practice for more than 20 years, she is one of the nation's foremost authors and speakers on the subject of integrative medicine. She regularly appears on radio, television, including the View, the CBS Evening News and MSNBC. She is quoted as an expert in the field in publications such as the Los Angeles Times, The Toronto Star, Cosmopolitan, Time Magazine, and People Magazine. For more information, see her website www.drcass.com.

Jamie Charter, consultant, trainer and author, has been providing employment and litigation consulting services for 23 years through Charter and Company employment resource consultants in Soquel, California. Areas of specialization include development and implementation of disability management programs, case management, EEOC/FEHA/ADA consultation, return-to-work facilitation, CalPers job description services, job analyses, conducting training seminars for employer groups on sexual harassment prevention and discrimination and litigation /expert witness services in Forensics.

Jamie has assisted numerous City, County, school district and small employers with compliance matters, resulting in a positive and proactive outcome.

Jamie holds a Masters Degree in Counseling, is certified as a Professional in Disability Management, (CPDM) and is a State of California Independent Vocational Evaluator (IVE). Ms. Charter is active in the Forensics and Disability Management chapters of the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals and the California Association of Rehabilitation and Reemployment Professionals, is in the NCHRA, the Santa Cruz County Bar Association, the Employer Advisory Council and COSIPA.

Jamie, in her role as a faculty member of the WorkCompSchool, is developing curriculum for courses in employment related areas, including harassment, discrimination, and other subjects of importance affecting the workplace. Ms. Charter is also a faculty member of HRResource.com.

Jamie is also a prolific and accomplished writer and editor, with many published articles in employment related issues on the workcompcentral newsletter and in other wide-reaching media arenas.

Additionally, Ms. Charter is a principal in the Vocational Consulting Consortium, a professional statewide group providing consulting services in the areas of labor law compliance, expert witness services and resources to employers, the legal community and the insurance industry.

www.employerresourceconsultants.com

David John DePaolo, JD, MBA, is the president and CEO of workcompcentral.com, Inc., the parent company to WorkCompCentral, WorkCompSchool, WorkCompForums, WorkCompJobs, WorkCompAds, WorkCompStore, and a number of workers' compensation industry related media properties. DePaolo is a California licensed attorney (#116735) and has been practicing workers' compensation law since 1985. Besides workcompcentral.com, Inc., which DePaolo founded in 2000, he has been the managing partner of a major workers' compensation law firm, has provided expert consulting services and is routinely sought to present to institutions and organizations on the mechanics of workers' compensation law, workers' compensation policies, and the industry.

 Mr. DePaolo is President of AJDePaolo.com, a full-service industrial education and program management firm in Southern California.  Mr. DePaolo specializes in industrial and occupational safety, risk management, hazardous/waste material programs, and workers' compensation programs. Mr. DePaolo holds an Advanced Safety Certificate from the National Safety Council and various certifications for the U.S. Department of Labor, including the OSHA General Industry Safety and Health Certificate.

Dee Ella Dorey is a Workers' Compensation Defense Attorney serving self insured employers and industrial insurance carriers in the Southern California geographical area.  Her firm has a  focus on the management of complex cases which require a multi-discipline approach, proactive coaching, teamwork, aggressive representation, and office automation and telecommunications. Her offices are in Thousand Oaks California.  Prior to her admission to the California Bar she was in Claims Administration with Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, and then California Casualty Indemnity Exchange.  In addition to her law degree she has earned Bachelor of Science, Speech Pathology and Audiology Magna Cum Laude.

Rene Thomas Folse JD, Ph.D. is both an attorney at law and a licensed psychologist in California. He has practiced Workers Compensation since 1974 as the founding partner of the Miller & Folse defense firm. During that period he represented most major Calfornia insurance carriers and many self insured entities.

He has lectured nationally on many topics including forensic psychology which is his area of special interest. He also advocates for special needs children.

Judge Pamela Foust graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and earned her law degree from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law where she graduated cum laude in 1978. She was admitted to the Bar in the same year and practiced workers’ compensation law until 1985 when she was appointed a Workers’ Compensation Judge.

Judge Foust is the author of a reference book on lien issues, California Lien Claims in Workers’ Compensation Cases, 4th Edition, 2002: James Publishing, and a contributing author of California Workers’ Compensation Practice, 4th Edition, 2000, published by the Continuing Education of the Bar. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of West Los Angeles School of Law.

Judge Foust has written numerous articles on workers’ compensation issues, particularly those involving lien claims and other topics of interest to medical providers, and has been a frequent speaker on educational programs

Dr. Gean is currently the Regional Medical Director, Liberty Mutual Insurance in Glendale California. He is Board Certified on Occupational Medicine. He is a fellow of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) and the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM). He is a member of the American College of Physicians (ACP), the Western Occupational & Envrionmental Medical Association (WOEMA), the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), the AMA and California Medical Association (CMA). He is certified as a Medical Review Officer (MRO)- MROCC


Dr Gean is an Associate Clinical Professor, Volunteer Faculty at the University of California at Irvine. Dr. Gean received his BS from the University of California, his MD from the University of Santo Thomas, and his MS and MBA from the University of California at Irvine. Dr. Gean has had extensive experience in the areas of Independent Medical Exams, short term disability, long term disability and family and medical leave disability. Dr. Gean is a physician-executive and medical director with strong insurance industry experience.

After graduating from UCLA School of Law where he participated in the Moot Court Honors Program, Harold Greene began his career in workers' compensation in 1963 with State Compensation Insurance Fund.  In 1964, Harold opened his own law practice representing injured workers in workers' compensation matters.  In 1974, Harold became one of the first State Bar Certified Workers' Compensation Law Specialists.  He has served on the Board of Governors of the California Applicants' Attorneys Association, and on the Executive Committee of the Workers' Compensation Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association.

Harold Greene is the "founding father" of the Workers' Compensation Law Section of the State Bar of California. Prior to there being a "Section" for workers' compensation, there was only a Standing Committee on workers' compensation with the State Bar. Harold, as Chair of the Committee, convinced the Board of Governors to elevate the Committee to Section status. Harold was active on the Committee from 1985-87 when it became a Section, and then he was active on the Executive Committee of the Section and ultimately Chair from 1989-92. He has also served as an Advisor to the Executive Committee from 1987-89 and again in 1992-93.  From 1994 to the present time, he has been an instructor at the annual workers' compensation law program given at the Sections Education Institute.
 
Harold was also part of the select committee which created the Judge Pro Tem program for the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board during a time when a hiring freeze and judicial attrition threatened the system.

Harold remains active in his practice. Over the years, he has specialized in representing injured stunt men and women, law enforcement and fire fighting personnel and state correctional officers.  When not representing injured workers, Harold works with his wife Francine in organizing Malibu's annual Chumash Day native American Pow Wow, chairs the Native American Cultural Resources Advisory Committee for the City of Malibu and presides over his local homeowners association.

Dr. Steven Gray is currently the California Pharmacy Regulatory Compliance and Professional Affairs Leader for an integrated care organization. His daily responsibilities include pharmacy Government and Public relations that involve both initiative and reactive programs. He also provides oversight for pharmacy compliance with local, State and Federal regulatory requirements. These duties keep him very attentive to the State Board of Pharmacy, DEA, HIPAA and many other areas of law as they apply to pharmacy or the use of pharmaceuticals in pharmacy, clinics, medical offices, hospitals and other facilities and practices.

Steve is active in several State and national pharmacy organizations, including the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, the American Pharmacists Association, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the California Pharmacists Association, and the American Society for Pharmacy Law. Steve is also a member of the State Bar of California.

Steve received is PharmD degree from the University of Southern California and his Juris Doctorate in law from Northrup University. He also holds healthcare executive leadership program certifications from the University of Southern California and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Steve’s pharmacy career covers over 30 years beginning in the US Army and covering many types of pharmacy practice including community, hospital, IV solution specialty, manufacturing and repackaging, wholesaling, residency program administration, drug benefit design and administration, and more.

Bruce Hector, M.D., has practiced family medicine in Southern California since 1974. In 1995 he was among the first physicians to receive certification by the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners (ABIME), the only board dedicated to examinations and testing, including using the AMA Guides 5th Edition. Since 1991 Dr. Hector has been Medical Director of the Parthenia Medical Group and is responsible for all training. Dr. Hector has served as Chairman of the American Back Society's committee on Industrial Injury and Illness and has also represented the California Medical Association before the Department of Workers' Compensation and California State Senate as their AMA Guides 5th Edition "guru".

Dr. Klass is Board certified in pain management, she is also holds a Board certification as a forensic examiner. She has been on the faculty of the American Academy of Pain Management, and has served as a site reviewer for certification of facilities. She has taught classes at Lutheran University. She has taken the Care Center thru JACHO and Medicare certification. Recently, under Dr. Klass’s direction, Care Center was named as a preferred provider of Liberty Mutual for Functional Restoration/ Chronic Pain network. There are only two facilities in S. California, Care Center being one, able to pass the rigid inspections, interviews of Liberty Mutual Group to become one of their preferred for Pain Management Functional Restoration. She has recently been named as outstanding businesswomen and nominated to a special White House committee for small business issues. She has been active in the field of workers compensation since 1989 and has seen many changes. With change came the need for further education. She has trained at many of the carriers such as Octagon-UCLA to Republic Indemnity. She has worked in education of nurse case managers thru CMSA, RNS, Rehab West, IntraCorp, and Corvel. She is a member of ACOEM. She has developed a strong comprehension of ACOEM guidelines as well as ODG, Millman and Colorado pain guidelines. She has ongoing contact with members of the special MTU guideline committee within the area of chronic pain and functional restoration programs. Dr Klass is certified in: medical reimbursement Medical Coding, and has completed Workers Compensation Bill Review. She has even undergone the federal training in Buprenorphine even though she is unable to write the scripts, for her knowledge and education. She has studied Matheson Techniques for Functional Evaluation and Treatment, undergone training in the use of the BTE, and undertaken advanced studies in pain management both for physical and emotional components to chronic pain through John Hopkins, Harvard, and UCLA. She has appeared on multiple televisions and radio shows providing information on Chronic pain and its treatment thru functional restoration.

Cynthia Koppany (Cyndi) has over 25 years in the insurance industry as a Workers' Compensation specialist. She has extensive Claims Management experience with carriers, TPA's and self-insured's overseeing staff, budgets, operations, and internal communications. Cyndi has developed and delivered numerous workers' compensation training programs for Claims Professionals, including a national certification training program. Cyndi has also worked as an Independent Consultant and Advisor to the Workers' Compensation industry developing business practices, delivering and monitoring Claims and Management training, mentoring and continuing education programs.

Cyndi Koppany, Director of Education & Business Practices Email: cyndi@workcompcentral.com

William J. Koppany is an Associate Attorney in the Los Angeles office of Tobin Lucks, LLP. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern University School of Law in 1980. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from California State University, Los Angeles and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. Mr. Koppany has worked as a supervising attorney for Fremont Compensation Insurance Company and for Farmers Insurance Group. With a background in both civil litigation and workers' compensation, Mr. Koppany brings over 25 years of litigation experience to the firm. His specialty is in the defense of psychiatric workers' compensation claims, S & W claims, 132(a) claims, and in all other aspects of workers' compensation and employment law matters. Mr. Koppany has been certified as a specialist in Workers' Compensation Law by the State Bar of California. Mr. Koppany is a participating member of the Employer's Fraud Task Force, and is currently the Secretary of the Workers' Compensation Claims Association. He presently has been called upon to act as a Judge Pro Tem for the Los Angeles Superior Court. Mr. Koppany is also a member of the Louisiana Bar Association.

Lisa Meadows has been a workers' compensation claims professional since 1992. She specializes in medical bill review. Her experience includes claims and management positions with insurance carriers, self insured entities and third party administrators. She has been responsible for training claims staff with respect to processing medical bills for payment. Her hands on, real world experience is a great asset for the course topics she teaches here at WorkCompSchool.

Robert Prentice Nickell is the founder and chairman of Nickell Group Pharmacy Services, which owns and operates a variety of companies specializing in pharmaceutical
compounding, Medical Compounding™, mail order pharmacy, research and development, consulting, staffing, and community nutritional programs.

Mr. Nickell holds many composition and methodology pending patents for compounded drug formulations and has been instrumental in the development of VoJo Mints™, Pregame™ Vitamins, Stan’s Rodeo Ointment™, and Ketorub™.

Robert was selected as the first ever pharmacist to the USA Olympic Medical Team and participated in the Athens Summer Games in 2004. This selection was based upon his experience since 1995, as the founder of SportPharm™, the team pharmacy to over 70% of all professional sports teams in the US, including, NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB.

From 1995 to 2004, Robert was the lead course instructor for pharmaceutical compounding at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy, teaching beginning, advanced and FDA regulatory affairs. At the University of the Pacific
School of Pharmacy, Robert is currently instrumental in launching the first ever Entrepreneur Pharmaceutical Dual Degree Program in the US, with the first class scheduled to graduate in 2011.

Robert has lectured, and authored many articles in various sports medicine journals, and academic books with regards to pharmacy regulations, science, and drug management.

Dale O'Brien has been involved in Workers’ Compensation Claims for many decades. His experience includes Vice President of Claims and Managed Care for Superior National (300 Member Claim Department), work in insurance marketing, and Chief Operating Officer for Health Net Plus.  He is an energetic and humorous teacher and educator.

Richard Owen received his B.S. from University of California, Berkeley, and his JD from University of California, Davis. He has specialized in workers' compensation law since 1985. He is a supervising attorney with State Compensation Insurance Fund in its Glendale legal office. He has been a California State Bar Certified Specialist in workers' compensation law since 1992. Mr. Owen previously served on the Executive Committee in 1989-92. He has served as an arbitrator and mediator in workers' compensation matters. Since 1994, he has been the co-instructor of the basic workers' compensation law class at the State Bar's annual Sections Education Institute. He is the author of Finding Your Way Through SB 899, Workers' Compensation Quarterly, State Bar of California, Vol. 17, No. 1 (2004), co-author with Steve Siemers, Workers' Compensation Section Proposes Division of Workers' Compensation Mediation Program, Workers' Compensation Quarterly, Vol. 20, No. 4 (2007), and author of The Development of Arbitration as a Dispute Resolution Tool in California Workers' Compensation, Workers' Compensation Quarterly, Vol. 21, No. 1 (2008).

Mr. Stein is President of GreyHawk Enterprises and a professional educator and program specialist on Risk Management and Business Continuity Planning. He presently is working on the establishment of a North American Business Continuity Plan (BCP) for a Fortune 100 company.  This effort will establish a program to improve business programs, processes, and protect the company’s core business functions and revenues.

Raffi Svadjian is an adjunct assistant professor of pharmacy and a pharmacist at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy’s Medical Plaza Pharmacy, 1 of 2 pharmacies owned and operated by the school. Dr.Svadjian earned his B.S from USC in 1997 and a Pharm.D, and MBA from USC in 2003. Apart from managing the daily operations of the pharmacy, Dr.Svadjian also coordinates two elective courses in community pharmacy business management, as well as being the coordinator of the first year compounding course.

Dr. Svadjian areas of expertise are: Prescription compounding, community pharmacy business management, and the use of technology in community pharmacy.

An innovative professional, Dr. Rod Walters has enjoyed a storied carrier as a collegiate athletic trainer. Most recently, Walters has provided outstanding consultations and is a much sough after public speaker through Walters Inc. - Consultants in Sports Medicine.

A member of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA), he served on NATA's Board of Directors from 1997 - 2003. He received the NATA's Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award in 2003 and was inducted into the NATA's Hall of Fame in 2005. He was Recognized as a recipient of the Pioneer Award in 2006 with the North Carolina Athletic Trainers Association. He is a member of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.

A native of Fayetteville, N.C., Walters worked in the field of athletic training for 28 years. He received his undergraduate and Masters' degrees at Appalachian State University. He received his doctoral degree in physical education from Middle Tennessee State University.

Walters was head athletic trainer at Lenoir~Rhyne College (N.C.) for five years before joining the staff at Appalachian and moved to the University of South Carolina in 1990, a member of the nation's top athletic league in the Southeastern Conference. Walters served South Carolina for seventeen years.