2022 Speakers

Cintya Alves Gray is a Certified Case Manager at Partners Healthcare System. Cintya is a Registered Nurse by trade with experience in primary and urgent care. Cintya started her career in the world of workers compensation as a telephonic medical case manager with Travelers Insurance where she worked with injured employees throughout New England. Cintya transitioned to field case management with Coventry healthcare where she traveled throughout MA and RI to meet with injured employees and treating providers. Cintya is currently enjoying her role within a self-insured self-administered employer and daily interactions with injured employees from multiple Mass General Brigham entities.

Lisa Anastos MA, Esq. began her career in the insurance industry in 1993. She has worn a number of hats from case manager and forensic expert, operations management, to sales. She is currently the New England Account Executive for CorVel Corporation where she develops new business relationships in the TPA and managed care space for workers’ compensation, liability, and auto injury management. Lisa is a graduate of UMass Boston, Umass Lowell, and the Massachusetts School of Law. She is a licensed attorney and holds workers’ compensation adjuster licenses in NH, ME, and CT. Lisa sits on the NH Adjusters Association Board and the NH Department of Labor Vocational Advisory Board. In her spare time, Lisa is all about outdoor activities, exercise, Boston Bruins hockey, puzzling, and making memories with her cherished family.

Cynthia Bourbeau, President and Founder of Medical and Life Care Consulting Services, Inc. (MLCC), has worked as a Massachusetts Registered Nurse, Certified Rehabilitation Nurse, Certified Nurse Case Manager and Certified Nurse Life Care Planner® for over three decades.

Founded in 2001, MLCC provides Life Care Planning, Medicare Set-Asides, Legal Nurse Consulting and more throughout the United States and internationally. MLCC also provides case management services throughout the Northeast Region of the United States, and a wide range of care consultation for catastrophic injuries.
Cynthia is a member of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses, the American Association of Nurse Life Can Planners (AANLCP®), The International Association of Rehab Partners, and the Case Management Society of America. She is also a Board Member of Certified Nurse Life Care Planner (CNLCP®) Certification Board.a.

Helen is a Senior Neuro Physical Therapist in the Boston Medical Center Outpatient Physical Therapy Department on its main campus in the South End of Boston. She is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy. She is also LSVT BIG certified for patients with Parkinson’s and a certified lymphedema therapist.

Prior to working at Boston Medical Center, Helen worked at Newbridge on the Charles for 5 years in their inpatient rehabilitation and outpatient rehabilitation departments, with special focus on patient’s with Parkinson’s. She is a graduate of the MGH Institute of Health Professions.

Dr. Jessica Camplese DC, MS. Dr. Camplese is the owner and chiropractor at New England Sports Therapy in Woburn, MA. She has been providing sports chiropractic care for over 10 years. Prior to being a chiropractor she helped athletes as a strength and conditioning coach focusing on non-traditional movements and exercises for optimal sports performance. She provides all of her patients with the same care high level athletes receive, despite their ages or activity level. In addition to treating patients, she consults for Pro Workforce Performance, a company that helps mitigate risk and increase worker function in the workplace. Dr. Camplese is an athlete herself, she actively competes and trains Brazilian jiu jitsu at a very high level.

Barbara Corey, PT graduated from the University of New England with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy in 1990 and has been practicing for 30 years. Barbara worked for Southcoast Health in Dartmouth, Massachusetts for 20 years as the coordinator of their Work Conditioning Program, performing Work Tolerance Screens, Functional Capacity Evaluations, and treating a wide variety of work related injured patients. She has worked closely with physicians, nurse case managers and employers to assist patients back to gainful employment as quickly as possible. Barbara has also served as a resource utilizing advanced knowledge in physical demand levels, proper body mechanics, job/work simulation tasks, ergonomic assessment, safe material handling and proper posture. Barbara is currently working per diem at Boston Medical Center with an outpatient orthopedic population.

Carol is the Director of Case Management with Occupational Resource Network. She is a Certified as a Rehabilitation Registered Nurse, Case Manager and Life Care Planner. She has been a Community Resource Consultant to the Mass Brain Injury Association and a Site Coordinator and Presenter for the Brains at Risk Program. Carol has over 25 years of case management experience with individuals who have sustained traumatic and catastrophic injuries including: Traumatic Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, Amputations, Burns, and Orthopedic Injuries.

Debra Dyleski-Najjar, Esq., is president and founder of the Najjar Employment Law Group, P.C. with offices located in Boston and North Andover. She founded NELGPC in April 2008 as a labor, employment and benefits boutique law firm with big law experience providing strategic legal advice, backed by litigation expertise, for employers.  NELGPC works to keep employers ahead of the curve, not only complying with the law but strategically designing best practices for long range management of the workplace and risk mitigation.   Ms. Najjar is recognized in Best Lawyers for Labor Law – Management, and has received the highest AV rating from  Martindale-Hubbell.  She has practiced employment law for over thirty-five (35) years.  Before establishing NELGPC, she was an equity partner in the Boston office of a 250-attorney regional law firm, with offices in Boston, Providence and Concord.  In addition to defending employers in state, federal and agency litigation, she is a frequent author, lecturer, counselor, and trainer on workplace issues including compliance with state and federal laws.  Due to Ms. Najjar’s significant professional accomplishments, in 2007, she was nominated by her peers and inducted as a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and served as Chair of the First Circuit Credentialing Committee for many years.   She has been recognized as a New England Super Lawyer, a recognition bestowed on the top 5% of attorneys, every year since 2005.  She is a member of the Lawrence Partnership Advisory Board, served on the Corporate Board of the Merrimack Valley YMCA and served on the Board of Directors of the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center (2015-2017).  She is an active member of the New Hampshire Bar Association, moderating the annual Labor and Employment State Conference. She also serves as the Government Affairs Director for the Massachusetts SHRM State Council, and as the Legislative Director of the Greater Merrimack Valley Human Resource Association.  She is a graduate of Wellesley College, magna cum laude Durant Scholar, and Boston University School of Law, summa cum laude, third in her class and an Editor of the Law Review. She is admitted to practice before the state and federal courts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, as well as the United States Supreme Court, and is a credentialed member of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA).

Fay has worked as a registered nurse for over 30 years. She has gained valuable experience in many areas of nursing, including acute care, surgical care, occupational health, research, mental health, public health, and primary care. Before joining the VT RETAIN team, Fay worked for 15 years as a Certified Case Manager, assisting with care coordination for Workers’ Compensation. Fay is a strong leader with a passion for providing quality health care and coordination.

Outside of work, Fay is active in her community. She participates in volunteer service for Fire and Rescue, local schools, and the Red Cross. Outside of her work and volunteer activities, Fay enjoys time with her family and animals (a team of oxen, horses and three active pups!) on her farm in Northern Vermont.

Languages: English and French.

Dr. Gellis is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and an attending in the Center for Pain and Spine at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC), working exclusively in the field of pain management. She serves as the Director of Geisel Medical Student Pain Medicine Rotation and Chair of the Fellowship Clinical Competency Committee.  She is a lecturer for the Geisel Medical School and the Thayer School of Engineering, teaching the pharmacology of pain and technology in pain respectively.  Her clinical focus is on individuals with challenging pain conditions emphasizing a multidisciplinary and multimodal approach. She has a particular interest in the benefits of early management of neuropathic pain and complex regional pain syndrome. This includes the utilization of non-opioid pharmacologic approaches, interventional or non-interventional pain procedures, complementary medicine, and enhanced self-care. 

Prior to coming to DHMC ten years ago, Dr. Gellis worked in the private practice setting. She completed her medical degree at the University of Vermont College of Medicine, residency in Anesthesiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Clinical Fellowship at Harvard Medical School. She ran a ketamine infusion suite in her private practice and at DHMC. In addition to being board certified in Pain Management and Anesthesiology, Dr. Gellis is an acupuncturist and certified mindfulness instructor.

Dr. Hartshorn is a Harvard fellowship-trained Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in Shoulder Surgery currently practicing at Ortho.Boston, a private practice located in Needham, MA. He has authored book chapters, published articles in the peer-reviewed literature, and serves as a course instructor at national conferences. His approach to care is centered around getting to know each patient and to provide tailored, thoughtful recommendations based on specific expectations and demands. Dr. Hartshorn’s practice involves both primary and minimally-invasive procedures as well as complex, revision procedures. He is conservative in nature and prefers non-surgical options when possible.

Dr. Taylor A. Horst is a board certified orthopaedic surgeon with a CAQ in Hand & Upper Extremity Surgery. He earned his BA in Chemistry at Tufts University before completing his medical degree at the Tufts University School of Medicine. He trained at the Medical University of South Carolina where he served as Chief Resident his final year and then returned to Boston for his fellowship in Hand & Upper Extremity at the Massachusetts General Hospital. His surgical interests include issues affecting the hand, wrist and elbow as well as bone and soft tissue trauma in the upper extremity.

Dr. Andrew Jawa is the open shoulder specialist at Boston Sports & Shoulder Center, a large privademic practice. As the open shoulder specialist, Dr. Jawa performs over 300 shoulder arthroplasties a year at both the New England Baptist Hospital and Boston Outpatient Surgical Suites.

Through rigorous surgical and academic efforts, Dr. Jawa has become a regional and national leader in shoulder arthroplasty.  He is the head of the shoulder section of the New England Shoulder and Elbow Society, and an active member of the prestigious American Shoulder and Elbow Society (ASES) and the Association of Clinical Elbow and Shoulder Surgeons (ACESS). Within ASES, he heads the Complications of RSA Research group that aims to elucidate the etiologies of major complications following RSA. As an assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, faculty in the Harvard Shoulder Fellowship Program, New England Baptist Sports Fellowship and the Tufts Orthopedic Residency, Dr. Jawa has won numerous resident and fellow teaching awards for best instruction by an attending surgeon. He has been voted into “Boston’s Top Doctors” every year from 2017 to present. Additionally, he has published over 80 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, regularly presents at national conferences, and is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery.

Dr. Jawa also pushes the field of shoulder arthroplasty forward through his insight as a designer. He holds 3 patents, and is one of the lead designers for Ignite Orthopedics and Depuy- Synthes on multiple projects including a radial head replacement and a total shoulder arthroplasty system.

Dr. Kimball joined the New England Baptist Hospital in 2001 as an orthopedic hand surgeon. During this time he was a staff member of the Occupational Medicine Center. Dr. Kimball is a board certified member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He completed a Hand and Microvascular Surgery fellowship following residency and has a Subspecialty Certificate in Surgery of the Hand. Dr. Kimball is a clinical assistant professor in the Tufts Medical Center – New England Baptist combined hand fellowship. In addition, he is active in regional and national hand surgery societies.

Ann Marie is a nationally Certified Rehabilitation Counselor who has been providing vocational rehabilitation services to adults with disabilities in both non-profit and the private sector since 2000. Prior to joining Occupational Resource Network, she was a Vocational Evaluator and the Assistant Director of Job Training and Employment for Easter Seals Massachusetts where she specialized in vocational assessments, testing and job placement, as well as job coaching with traumatically injured adults. She brings this expertise to her work as a vocational consultant facilitating employment for adults who have sustained injuries as well as in providing labor market surveys and expert testimony at the Industrial Accident Board. Ann Marie is qualified to provide services in Massachusetts and through the Office of Workers Compensation, the New Hampshire Department of Labor,  and as an expert at the Social Security Administration.   

Shaunna is a Senior Physical Therapist in the Outpatient Department of Rehab Therapies at Boston Medical Center. She has worked at Boston Medical Center for more than 15 years, treating patients with various complex orthopedic injuries, mentoring staff physical therapists and providing evidenced-based clinical competency training to fellow physical therapists and students. Shaunna attained a doctoral degree in physical therapy from the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions (MGH IHP), after which she began working at Boston Medical Center. During this time, she developed a passion for orthopedics and sports injuries. She furthered her education by completing a residency program in orthopedics and manual therapy at the MGH IHP, to become an advanced practitioner. Upon completion of this program, she passed the specialist exam and became a board certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist.

A graduate of Northeastern University, Karen is a clinician that specializes in outpatient orthopedic practice.  Karen spent the first 10 years of her clinical practice working at Teamwork PT, a local private practice in Quincy, MA.  Joining the Boston Medical Center in 2010, Karen has focused her attention on continued practice and advancing her focus on operational leadership.  In 2017, she became a fellow of the Massachusetts Health Leadership College Alumni.  She works to expand the opportunity for the therapy services to have greater impact on clinical outcomes across the many subspecialties.  In 2019, she graduated from Arcadia University, PA with a doctoral degree in Physical Therapy.  In the past 4 years, Karen has fostered opportunity for increase in access to services to the Rehabilitation services by opening 2 satellite clinics to better serve patients in both the Hyde Park and Winthrop regions.  Currently, Karen is chair of a hospital system initiative; Leveraging our EPIC EMR system and a multi-disciplinary approach to creating a culture of mobility.  Karen sits on the Advisory Board for the Bay State Physical Therapy Assistant Program, and is currently an active member of the Continuum of Care Council at the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association. 

Christine McDonough, PT, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh whose career focuses on prevention and treatment of disability. Her research is informed by her background as a physical therapist in a wide range of settings. She has advanced training in outcome measurement theory and methods and disability theory and conducts research in development and evaluation of measures using Item Response Theory and Computer-adaptive Testing (CAT) methods. Dr. McDonough conducts health services, clinical, and implementation research in fracture and fall prevention, and return-to-work best practice. Dr. McDonough is an Editor of Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Academies of Orthopaedic and Geriatric Physical Therapy. She is the Chair of Scientific Advisory Panel for the American Physical Therapy Association’s Physical Therapy Outcomes Registry (PTOR).

Colleen Medlin, PT, DPT, CEAS, CIPS graduated with her Masters of Physical Therapy from Misericordia University in 2002 and her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Misericordia University in 2006. She has worked as a Physical Therapist for approximately 20 years in outpatient orthopedics. In 2011, she took the role as Workers Compensation Clinical Specialist for the East region of Physiotherapy Associates and transitioned into the role of Regional Director of WorkStrategies when Select Medical acquired Physio in 2016.  Colleen worked for Phoenix Physical Therapy as Director of Clinical Operations for WorkPlace Health (Occupational Medicine) and Workers’ Compensation.  She is now the Director of Workers’ Compensation Clinical Services for Professional Physical Therapy in NH, CT, MA, NJ, and NY.  Colleen’s focus is on providing a quality workers’ compensation program for employers, adjusters, case managers, physicians, and the injured worker.  She also works with employers to help reduce OSHA recordables and develop safety and wellness programs.  She is a Certified Ergonomics Assessment Specialist and Certified Injury Prevention Specialist.

Dr. Miller completed her medical school and her residency training at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, followed by a sports medicine fellowship at The University of Pittsburgh. She has a Master’s Degree from Columbia University in Exercise Physiology. Dr. Miller is Board Certified and holds a Subspecialty Certificate in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. She serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine and she is an active member of multiple academic societies, including the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA), and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES).

Andrew is the on-site physical therapist for GE Aviation in Lynn, MA for the past 14+ years. In 2000, he earned his bachelor’s in PT and a year later a master’s degree in PT from Northeastern University. Since additional debt seemed to be a good idea, he decided to add Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Temple University. While learning to find his way around the shop floor, he has been fortunate to be part of a great team of professionals trying to keep the industrial athlete in one piece.

Sean works for Professional Physical Therapy as a Physical Therapist in the Woburn Clinic and is their New England’s Workers Compensation Specialist. After graduating with a BSc in Physiotherapy from the University College Dublin in Ireland, Sean completed the Boston University Fellowship Program and both Level 1 and Level 2 of the Institute of Orthopedic Manual Therapy.

Dr. Otis is a Research Associate Professor and the Director of Behavioral Medicine at the Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CARD) at Boston University (BU). He has been a clinical pain psychologist with the VA Boston Healthcare system for over 20 years where he has worked with patients with chronic pain and a variety of comorbidities. He received his graduate training in Health Psychology at the University of Florida Shands Hospital, specializing in the assessment and treatment of chronic pain. Dr. Otis is a clinician and researcher who has helped countless numbers of individuals gain greater control over their chronic pain. He travels nationally giving talks and workshops to both clinicians and patients on how the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be used to help people lead healthier and more productive lives. He is the author of Managing Chronic Pain (Oxford University Press: Treatments that Work Series) – an evidence-based CBT treatment program that includes both a therapist manual and patient workbook. In 2016 Dr. Otis was awarded the highest teaching award at BU School of Medicine, the Stanley L. Robbins Award for Excellence in Teaching. He was also awarded the Challenger Award which recognizes a faculty member who continually inspires and challenges students to do better both academically and in the community. He was nominated for the highest teaching award at BU, the Metcalf Cup and Prize. He currently teaches graduate level courses in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Boston University. For the past 20 years, Dr. Otis has conducted research and produced scholarly writing about pain throughout the lifespan. He currently has over 55 publications, over 60 conference presentations, and has had a history of continuous grant funding as either Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator throughout his career. Dr. Otis has focused his clinical research career on the development of innovative approaches to pain management, as well as ways to tailor pain to specialized patient populations including patients with spinal cord injuries and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Dr. Ian Rivera is an anesthesiologist and pain management physician He was born and raised in a small town in Puerto Rico, where he completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Puerto Rico and Doctorate in Medicine at the Ponce School of Medicine. Dr. Rivera specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of complex, chronic pain. He has spent more than 10 years providing exceptional interventional pain management utilizing his outstanding skills and techniques for ultrasound and fluoroscopy-guided pain procedures. Dr. Rivera has a vast knowledge in medication management and procedures up to and including: spinal and peripheral injections, radiofrequenc ablations, various neuromodulation procedures, Ketamine Infusion Therapy, Botox injections for pain and multiple join injections.

Dr. Saito is board certified in preventive medicine with specialty training in occupational and environmental medicine. Following graduation from the University of Pennsylvania, he went on to complete a six-year medical and law dual degree program. He continues to apply his medicolegal background and leadership aptitude on the Board of Directors at American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), MaineGeneral Health, and the New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (NECOEM) where he is President-elect. He is also Delegate to the American Medical Association and part of the Founding Board Member for Kids’ Chance of Maine, helping children of injured workers pursue educational or training beyond high school. Dr. Saito currently serves as Vice President of MaineGeneral Medical Staff, Chair of Specialty Medicine and Medical Director of the occupational medicine practice, health promotion and wellness, fitness centers, employee assistance program and the Teaching Kitchen at MaineGeneral Medical Center, and as Regulatory Liaison at MaineGeneral Health. He continues his academic endeavors as an adjunct professor at UPenn, as Clinical Assistant Professor at Dartmouth Giesel College of Medicine, and Clinical Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine at the University of New England. Dr. Saito is an avid mentor of undergraduate and medical students, residents, advance practice trainees and has created several internships at Workplace Health for students interested in pursuing preventive medicine, public health and occupational and environmental medicine. Dr. Saito enjoys connecting with both local and national audiences and continues to deliver presentations nationwide quarterly while continuing his research interest with publications yearly. He joined MaineGeneral to pursue his passion for improving the health of the community where he has helped lead the organization to national recognition as a leader in employee wellbeing by receiving Honorable Mention recognition for the 2018 C. Everett Koop National Health Awards presented by the Health Enhancement Research Organization.

Hassan Serhan is a senior executive with deep expertise in spine and orthopedics, technology evaluation and development, and high level management of large programs in complex corporate environments. He is currently serving as the CEO for Carthronix, Chairman Scientific & Clinical Board, Intelligent implants, Chairman of the Board, DisCure, CTO / Medical Scientific & Business Advisor, Rosies Base. Past positions included Distinguished Engineering Fellow, Senior Director, Research & Technology, at DePuy Synthes Spine a J&J company, Assistant Research Professor with the Neurosurgery & Orthopedic Departments at SUNY University. 

Dr. Stein is an Assistant Professor at Boston University School of Medicine. After earning his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College, he complered his residency at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center and a hand surgery fellowship at Tuft’s Combined Hand Fellowship in Switzerland. Dr. Stein has extensive experience in all aspects of hand surgery, including reconstructive surgery and trauma.

Lauren Van Iderstine joined Keches Law Group, P.C. as an Attorney in the Workers’ Compensation Department in December of 2012. She represents injured persons in all aspects of Workers’ Compensation, Social Security and related matters. While attending law school, Attorney Van Iderstine was employed by the firm for three years as a law clerk. Due to her strong work ethic, dedication and diligence, an invitation was extended to join the firm as an Associate.

Attorney Van Iderstine was raised in Western Massachusetts and graduated Cum Laude from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. She went on to earn her law degree from Southern New England School of Law. While in law school, Attorney Van Iderstine had the distinction of serving as President of the Student Bar Association from 2009 through 2010. The responsibilities included acting as a liaison between administrators and students, and planning social and educational events. While in law school, Attorney Van Iderstine also volunteered with various nonprofit organizations that served the local community.

Attorney Van Iderstine is licensed to practice in Massachusetts and is a member of the American Bar Association, Massachusetts Bar Association, Women’s Bar Association, and International Bar Association.

  Dr Eduard Vaynberg joined BMC as an attending physician in pain management and anesthesiology in 2005 and became a director of pain management at Boston Medical Center in 2010 developing a busy clinical practice focusing on interventional pain management and spinal cord stimulation. Dr Vaynberg also serves as a director of resident’s rotation in pain management mentoring anesthesiology residents and medical students interested in pursuing a career in pain management. Dr Vaynberg tenure at Boston Medical Center started in 1996 as a medical student at Boston University School of Medicine after he graduated with honors and distinction from University of Illinois at Chicago majoring in biochemistry. After graduating from BU medical school Dr Vaynberg completed his anesthesia training and BOSTON Medical Center and pain management fellowship at Harvard/ Beth Israel Hospital. Before joining BU department of anesthesia full time Dr Vaynberg combined academic practice at BMC with busy private practices at New England Baptist Hospital and BOSTON Outpatient surgical suites. Dr Vaynberg has been nominated by his peers to Boston’s Top physician list 2016-2020. Dr Vaynberg research interests center on spinal cord stimulation, injured workers care, and complex regional pain syndrome. He published several book chapters , multiple case reports, and gave multiple lectures on these topics.