Dr. Paul C. Miller is a neurologist practicing at Neurology Consultants of Montgomery in Montgomery, Alabama. Dr. Miller has been a member of  the AANEM for 18 years and  desires to be involved in quality control issues with EMG keeping this the practice of medicine, working on improved insurance reimbursement. 

 

Dr. Benjamin Sucher is a physiatrist who directs EMG labs in a rheumatologic group with several locations in the Phoenix, Arizona area. Dr. Sucher has been a member of the AANEM for 14 years and has dedicated his practice to EDX and Neuromuscular ultrasound. He has also been involved with billing and coding issues for many years.

Dr. Gregory Sahagian is a neurologist working at UCSD as an Assistant Clinical Professor and managing partner of the Neurology Center of Southern California, in San Diego, California. He has been a member of the AANEM for 12 years and is involved in  payor contracting  at his practice. He is disappointed when he sees patients who have had inferior testing by untrained providers and strives to see this practice come to an end.

Dr. Mark Treihaft is a neurologist instructing as a Clinical Professor of Neurology at the University of Colorado Medical Center in Englewood, Colorado.  Dr. Treihaft has been a member of the AANEM for 28 years and is also a member of the Colorado ALS association and the Neuropathy Association. His goal is to provide an avenue for physicians interested in electromyography and NM disorders to have a voice on a national level.

Dr. Enrica Arnaudo is a neurologist practicing as a solo neurologist at Neuromuscular Medicine of Delaware in Newark, Delaware. Dr. Arnaudo has been a member of the AANEM for 12 years and also instructs as a Clinical Professor at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. In her clinical practice, she is a strong advocate of quality EMG care and educates her patients on resource utilization and quality EDX consultations. 

 

Dr. Robert Dehgan is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician from St. Augustine, Florida who is currently the Vice President of Florida’s Society of PM&R. Dr. Dehgan has been a member of the AANEM for 17 years and has a private practice along with serving on the Carrier Advisory Association and being a delegate to Florida’s Medical Association.

Dr. David Hubbell is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician working at the Emory Spine Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Hubbell has been a member of the AANEM for 20 years and feels that serving as a State Liaison he can be a positive voice for physicians in the state of Georgia.

Dr. Coswin Saito is a physiatrist working for the Hawaii Permenante Medical Group in Honolulu, Hawaii. Dr. Saito has been a member of the AANEM for 21 years and done medical records reviews and been an expert witness work for the Kaiser Hawaii and Federal government. Dr. Saito feels insurance companies should be paying for quality EDX studies that help both the clinician and patient with timely diagnosis and treatment.

Dr. Steven Wolf is a neurologist in private practice in Des Plaines, Illinois. Dr. Wolf has been a member of the AANEM for one year as a fellow and has reviewed EMG claims for an independent organization. He has also worked with the Illinois State Attorney General’s Office concerning EMG abuse.

Dr. John Kincaid is a neurologist working at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, Indiana. Dr. Kincaid has been a member of the AANEM for 31 years serving as the association’s delegate to the AMA House of Delegates. In addition, he is a CAC member for the Indiana Medicare carrier and has been consultant to several health insurance companies for reviewing  coverage polices, technologies and billing practices.

Dr. Anandeep Kumar is a physiatrist working for Iowa Health Physicians in Des Moines, Iowa.  Dr. Kumar has been a member of the AANEM for over 10 years and is a legislative committee member for the Iowa Medical Society. He is also a physician peer reviewer for the  Iowa state medical board and is a strong advocate of physician leadership and representation in legislative and reimbursement matters.

Dr. Stephen Kishner is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician at Louisiana State University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Dr. Kishner has been a member of the AANEM for over 25 years and served on 9 committees. He has experience as a consultant for a Medicare Fiscal Intermediary reviewing fraudulent claims  as well as a state liaison for the AAPM&R.

 

Dr. Nancy Ball is a physiatrist with Maine Neurosurgery and Spine in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Dr. Ball has been a member of the AANEM for 23 years and has experience working for an insurance company seeing EMG/NCSs all across the country. She is interested in EDX medicine and compensation for quality consultations by qualified physicians for technical competency and correct billing.

Dr. John E. Wilson is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation fellow at the NeuroDiagnostic Associates of Maryland in Bel Air, Maryland.  Dr. Wilson has been a member of the AANEM for 14 years as well as being a member of the Professional Practice Committee, also serving as chair. He received the AANEM Outstanding Advocate Award in 2007 for his efforts in advocating for quality EDX medicine.

Dr. Peter Warinner is a neurologist working for the CNS Multispecialty Clinic in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Dr. Warinner has been a member of the AANEM for 10 years and a primary concern of his is poor quality and possibly fraudulent EDX studies and billing. He feels these are harmful to patients and may lead to delays in appropriate diagnosis and treatments.

Dr. Mary Kneiser is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician at Ability Assessments in St. Claire Shores, Michigan. Dr. Kneiser has been a member of the AANEM for 17 years and was one of the first physicians to take the ABEM MOC exam in 2002. She has served as an oral examiner for the ABPMR for the past four years and brings a unique perspective on the technical side of testing with her engineering degree.

Dr. Kneiser has been educating claims adjusters since 2003. While the sources of fraudulent studies may change over the years, Kneiser’s message hasn’t: “It is important that we as physicians have open lines of communication with adjusters,” she explained. “Adjusters have a variety of experience levels and backgrounds, and when we are dealing with them we have to recognize that.” Kneiser hopes her audiences learn a sense of how to tell a quality study from a poor one. “We have to take the time to educate adjusters so they continue to value EDX studies in diagnosing patients,” she said. “In the workers’ compensation and automobile insurance areas, the current system puts adjusters in the key role of determining payment for services, and if we ignore that, it is at our patients’ peril.” Willing to venture into the evolving world of educational technology, Kneiser spoke with adjusters from AAA of Michigan last year through its first webcast. Participants tuned in from several states. She also recently spoke with the Michigan Academy of PMR and will be speaking at the Michigan Occupational Medicine Annual meeting this fall. Kneiser has served as a State Liaison since 2009, when the program began. She finds that the State Liaison Program provides a network of physicians focused on challenges in their state and that meeting allows them to problem solve together. “To be able to network with physicians with similar interests regarding quality issues is a piece that has been long overdue,” she said. “Our practices are so widely varied, but we have similar problems that allow us to help each other.” 06/10

Dr. Daniel Phillips is a neurologist with NEI of St. Louis in Chesterfield, Missouri. Dr. Phillips has been a member of the AANEM for 21 years and has been an active member of the State Liaison Committee with the organization for several years.

Dr. Michele Arnold is a physiatrist working at Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Dr. Arnold has been a member of the AANEM for 9 years and had been active in lobbying in Washington D.C. for the American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association to protect patient access to inpatient rehabilitation.

Dr. Leo Germin is a neurologist working at Clinical    Neurology Specialists in Henderson, Nevada. Dr. Germin has been a member of the AANEM for 14 years. He is concerned about the increase in the number of  mobile diagnostic techs performing EDX studies only without EMG.  Dr. Germin believes that payers need education about the indications for EDX studies.

 

Dr. Alexander Pendino is a neurologist in Hamilton, New Jersey. Dr. Pendino has been a fellow member of the AANEM for 16 years and has served on the Carrier Advisory Committee as a peer reviewer. He is currently serving on the Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee and has personally testified on behalf of the Neurological  Association of New Jersey at the state legislature.

Through the efforts of the AANEM’s State Liaison in New Jersey, Dr. Alexander Pendino, Highmark Medicare Services has corrected the Maximum Number of Studies Table included within its local coverage determination. Highmark was notified during the comment period in February that the table it included was not accurate and should be modified. The modifications were not included when the new policy was released earlier this year. Pendino spoke with Dr. Eileen Moynihan, Medical Director at Highmark Medicare, and discussed the inaccuracy. Ultimately, Pendino’s persistence resulted in a recent correction of the table. 12/09

Dr. Joseph Carcione is a neurologist in Yonkers, New York. Dr. Carcione has been a member of the AANEM for 20 years and in his single-specialty practice for over 16 years. He has been involved with the special investigations unit of a major national healthcare company, assisting in the adjudication and prosecution of over 30 million dollars worth of fraudulent claims.

Dr. Robert Yapundich is a neurologist with the Neurology Associates in Hickory, North Carolina.  Dr. Yapundich has been a member of the AANEM for 14 years and is a Past President of the North Carolina Neurological Society. He has also served as a neurology representative of the state’s Carrier Advisory Committee and looks to use his experience and connections to    advance the AANEM’s agenda for quality EDX medicine.

Dr. David Shuster is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician at Electrodiagnostic Medicine Consultation in Dayton, Ohio. Dr. Shuster has been a member of the AANEM for almost 20 years.  He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine and Restorative Care at Wright State University, Boonshoft School of Medicine.

Dr. Timothy Pettingell is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Dr. Pettingell has been a member of the AANEM for 12 years and has done chart review and worked to educate nurse reviewers on proper performance of EDX studies. He is board certified by ABPMR, ABPMR subspecialty pain management and ABIME.

Pettingell’s greatest concern in Oklahoma is “fraud and overutilization.” Pettingell, a physiatrist in Broken Arrow, kicked off a speaking tour that will end later this summer, educating case managers and adjusters about the value of quality EDX medicine. Pettingell reviews EDX medicine, the types of providers that should be performing and interpreting these studies, requirements of good quality studies, and parameters to identify fraudulent studies. He is targeting multiple insurers with the series, including the Case Management Society of America -- both the Tulsa and Oklahoma City chapters -- CompChoice, CompSource, WorkNET, Gemani, and AIG. His first engagement was with case managers at CBR Insurance, an Oklahoma workers’ compensation insurer. 06/10

In addition to Pettingell’s work educating case managers, he also has focused his efforts on the US Department of Labor. Initially, he was approached to provide a permanent impairment rating, and he conducted a full review of the injured workers’ records. Over the course of the review, Pettingell was frustrated by the degree of overutilization and the lack of scrutiny by the Department.

“Injured workers within the US Postal Service are a large share of the population that is overseen by the Department, but it seems that once a provider is approved, there is no further oversight as to the quality of the services,” Pettingell said. He continues working to make inroads into the Department of Labor and its EDX policies. Pettingell feels the State Liaison Program is necessary and valuable. “Physicians must protect their patients and ensure that the community and payers only accept quality studies,” he affirmed.

Dr. Peter Grant is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician in Medford, Oregon. Dr. Grant has been a member of the AANEM for over 25 years and has served on the Board of Directors and is currently the Secretary/Treasurer. He currently chairs the Finance Committee and is also a member of the Executive Committee. In addition to his work in the fraud area, he was the founding chair of the Accreditation Committee.

 

Dr. Benjamin Warfel is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physiatrist located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Dr. Warfel has been a member of the AANEM for 18 years and has served on the Professional Practice Committee. He is currently on the Course Selection Committee and Podcast Committee.  He looks to use the tools of the State Liaison Committee to ensure the viability of quality EDX testing.

Dr. Richard Gordon is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician in Isle of Palms, South Carolina. Dr. Gordon has been a member of the AANEM for over 14 years and has been an active advocate to affect change in the areas of EDX medicine.  He has mailed several hundred informational packets to physicians, insurance companies and associations in an effort to educate and inform.

 

Dr. George Lee is a neurologist and neurophysiologist practicing in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Lee has been a member of the AANEM for 5 years. He believes that physicians must be able and willing to address payor concerns and requests for assistance in drafting coverage policies. He is in the early stages of contacting payors and believes his training on the State Liaison Committee will help him to be more effective.

 

Dr. Goran Jezic is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician in Houston, Texas. Dr. Jezic has been a member of the AANEM for 13 years and is a diplomate of the ABEM. He has maintained a dedicated EDX lab since 1996. He believes EDX medicine must be restricted to trained and credentialed physicians.

Dr. Robin Ockey is a  Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician in Orem, Utah. Dr. Ockey has been a member of the AANEM for over 15 years and specializes in pain management in his practice. He hopes to use the training in the State Liaison Program to promote higher quality of care for patients undergoing electrodiagnostic studies.

 

Dr. Douglas Wayne is a physiatrist practicing in Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Wayne has been a member of the AANEM for 26 years and has focused on an all EDX practice. He serves as a Carrier Advisory Committee member and has previously been an advisor to several work comp carriers. He is currently the Chair of the Medical Practice Committee for AAPMR and been a state liaison for the AANEM since its beginning.

Dr. Mohammad Saeed is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician in Tacoma, Washington. Dr. Saeed has been a member of the AANEM for 33 years and has served on six committees. He is currently a senior partner in the Electrodiagnosis & Rehabilitation Associates of Tacoma. He serves on the Utilization and Quality Assurance Committee at Northwest Physicians Network as well as consultant for the State of WA.

Dr. Scott Hardin is a physiatrist practicing at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Dr. Hardin has been a member of the AANEM for 14 years and is keenly interested in making sure those who write our laws and make coverage determinations do so based upon accurate knowledge of the specific topic. He is striving to gain a targeted effort toward payer education and looks to be part of a solution.