Medical treatment utilization schedule (MTUS) - disclosure of conflicts of interest

To ensure that California’s injured workers have access to effective and appropriate treatment, the MTUS regulations created a Medical Evidence Evaluation Advisory Committee (MEEAC), which reviews the latest medical evidence and advises the division about incorporating new evidence-based guidelines into its MTUS.

MEEAC provides recommendations to the administrative director on matters concerning the MTUS and advises the DWC medical director on potential revisions, updates and supplements that will keep California's treatment guidelines current.

MEEAC's recommendations are advisory in nature and do not constitute scientifically based evidence. The MEEAC members represent various medical fields. The regulations concerning the MEEAC are set forth in § 9792.26 of Title 8, California Code of Regulations.

The disclosures of conflicts of interests (COI) for MEEAC members and Subject Matter Experts appointed in 2012 are listed below:

Melvin Belsky, MD

Medical Director, Corporate Workers' Compensation, Safeway, Inc.
  • Specialty - Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
  • National, Regional, Local Committee Affiliations – None
  • Financial/Non-Financial Conflict of Interest – None
  • Research Grants and Other Support – None
  • Other Stated Conflicts – None

Rajiv Das, MD, MPH

Medical Director, Albertson's corporate risk management and Employee health services Children's hospital Oakland

  • Specialty - Occupational Medicine/Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
  •  National, Regional, Local Committee Affiliations – Member, American Medical Association; Member, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine; Member, American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
  •  Financial/Non-Financial Conflict of Interest - None 
  •  Research Grants and Other Support - None 
  •  Other Stated Conflicts – None

Sanjay Dhall, MD

Neurosurgery, University of California, San Francisco, California
  • Specialty – Neurosurgery
  • National, Regional, Local Committee Affiliations – Guidelines Chair, AANS/CNS American Association of Neurological Surgeons/ Congress of Neurological Surgeons; Editorial Board, Operative Neurosurgery; Scientific Program Committee, Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves; Executive Committee, Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves; Membership Committee, California Association of Neurological Surgeons
  • Financial/Non-Financial Conflict of Interest – Speaking Honoraria Depuy Spine (JNJ) and Globus Medical
  • Research Grants and Other Support – None
  • Other Stated Conflicts – None

Mary Foto, OT, FAOTA, CCM

President of the Foto Group, a medical review company
  • Specialty - Occupational Therapy
  • National, Regional, Local Committee Affiliations - Occupational Therapy Association of California; American Occupational Therapy Association; American Occupational Therapy Foundation
  • Financial/Non-Financial Conflict of Interest - The Foto Group contracts with Maximus Center for Health Dispute Resolution to perform Medicare reconsiderations; contract with Lockheed Martin for Department of Justice and US Attorney Office for medical review work
  • Research Grants and Other Support – None
  • Other Stated Conflicts – None

Leslie M. Israel, DO, MPH, FACOEM

Medical Director, City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
  • Specialty – Occupational Medicine
  • National, Regional, Local Committee Affiliations – Chair of Board of Directors (2014) Western Occupational and Environmental Medical Association; Fellow, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine; Member, American College of Physicians; Member, Osteopathic Association
  • Financial/Non-Financial Conflict of Interest – Chapter Author-Cadmium, Poisoning & Drug Overdose, 6th edition, 2012. McGraw-Hill; Chaper Co-Author-Clinical Toxicology, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 4th edition. 2007 ; Consultant, MED-TOX Health Services
  • Research Grants and Other Support –None currently
  • Other Stated Conflicts – None

Claire Johnson, DC, PhD

Professor, National University of Health Sciences; Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics
  • Specialty – Chiropractic
  • National, Regional, Local Committee Affiliations – Member, American Public Health Association; Member, American Chiropractic Association; Board of Directors,  NCMIC (National Chiropractic Mutual Insurance Company); Peer Review Chair for annual educational and scientific conference, Association of Chiropractic Colleges; Scientific Peer Review Coordinator, World Federation of Chiropractic
  • Financial/Non-Financial Conflict of Interest –None
  • Research Grants and Other Support – None
  • Other Stated Conflicts – None

Frank Kase, DPM

Chairman, Health Policy, Podiatric Medical Association; Podiatric Medical Advisor, Blue Cross of California; Podiatric Consultant, Board of Podiatric Medicine
  • Specialty - Podiatric Medicine
  • National, Regional, Local Committee Affiliations – Member, Health Systems Committee, American Podiatric Medical Association
  • Financial/Non-Financial Conflict of Interest – None
  • Research Grants and Other Support – None
  • Other Stated Conflicts – None

Josh Kirz, PhD

Assistant Clinical Professor, Stanford University School of Medicine
  • Specialty - Psychology
  • National, Regional, Local Committee Affiliations – Member, California Society of Industrial Medicine and Surgery
  • Financial/Non-Financial Conflict of Interest – None
  • Research Grants and Other Support – None
  • Other Stated Conflicts – None

Ronald Koretz, MD

Attending Staff Physician without compensation, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center; Emeritus Professor of Clinical Medicine, David Geffen-UCLA School of Medicine
  • Specialty - Internal Medicine/Gastroenterology
  • National, Regional, Local Committee Affiliations – American Gastroenterological Association, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, European Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, Cochrane Collaboration; Member of Board of Directors for the Midnight Mission; Los Angeles; President of GI Issues
  • Financial/Non-Financial Conflict of Interest – None
  • Research Grants and Other Support – None
  • Other Stated Conflicts – None

Sean Mackey, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine, Neurosciences and Neurology Chief, Stanford University
  • Specialty - Anesthesia and Pain Management
  • National, Regional, Local Committee Affiliations – American Academy of Pain Medicine; American Society of Regional Anesthesia; American Pain Society; American Society of Anesthesiologists; International Association for the Study of Pain; International Anesthesia Research Society; California Society of Anesthesiology; Society of Neuroscience
  • Financial/Non-Financial Conflict of Interest – None
  • Research Grants and Other Support – National Institutes of Health: Stanford CAM Center for Chronic Back Pain; Chris Redlich Endowment in Pain Research: Pain medicine research efforts; Dodie and John Rosekrans Pain Research Endowment Fund: Projects related to pain research  (Neuroimaging and Mentoring in Translational Pain Research; fMRI of Pain in the Human Spinal Cord); Stanford University: (1) Bio-X NeuroVentures: Understanding and Preventing Neuropathic Pain (2)CME Grant: Safe Opioid Prescribing and Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies; (3) Department of Anesthesia Training Program in Biomedical Research (4) Prescription Opioid Use, Misuse, and Pain in Post-Surgical Patients (5) Research Training Using TMS to Study Pain Processing in Long-Term Opioid Use (6) The Role of Proinflammatory Factors in Mediating the Negative Consequences of Chronic Opioid Use (7) Determinants of Time to Pain Resolution Following Surgery: Complimentary Clinical & Preclinical Models
  • Other Stated Conflicts – None

Samuel I. Miles, MD

Psychiatrist, Samuel I. Miles, MD, A Professional Corporation, Clinical Chief, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Cedars Sinai Medical Center,  Associate Clinical Professor, UCLA School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
  • Specialty – Psychiatry
  • National, Regional, Local Committee Affiliations – Southern California Psychiatric Society, American College of Psychiatrists, New Center for Psychoanalysis, Fellow, American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychotherapy, California Medical Association, Los Angeles County Medical Association
  • Financial/Non-Financial Conflict of Interest – None
  • Research Grants and Other Support – None
  • Other stated Conflicts – None currently. In the past, provided occasional feedback on proposed revisions to the Official Disability Guidelines published by the Work Loss Data Institute without monetary compensation.

Nancy Morioka-Douglas, MD, MPH

Clinical Professor, Stanford University School of Medicine
  • Specialty – Family Practice
  • National, Regional, Local Committee Affiliations – Member, Study Panel, Health Quality and Effectiveness, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Office of Extramural Research, Education and Priority Populations (OEREP), Division of Scientific Review (DSR); Member, Quality Council, Stanford University School of Medicine; Member, Appointment and Promotion Committee for Clinical Educators, Stanford University School of Medicine; Member, Appointment and Promotion Committee for Adjunct Clinical Faculty, Stanford University School of Medicine; Member, Health Plan of San Mateo (HPSM) Quality Assurance Committee; Member, Credentialing Committee, Blue Shield of California; Member Academy of Family Physicians.
  • Financial/Non-Financial Conflict of Interest - None
  • Research Grants and Other Support - None
  • Other Stated Conflicts - None

Ted Priebe, OMD., LAc

Acupuncturist, Healthpointe,  La Mirada, California

  • Specialty – Acupuncture
  • National, Regional, Local Committee Affiliations –Member (1998-2010) National Guild for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine(NGAOM) under the Office for Professional Employees International Union(OPEIU) Guild #62;  Founding member, Past President, Consultant and Advisor for Acupuncture, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization(AFL-CIO).
  • Financial/Non-Financial Conflict of Interest – Non-Financial Relationship- National Oriental Medicine Accreditation Agency (NOMAA).
  • Research Grants and Other Support – None
  • Other Stated Conflicts - None

Lori Reisner, Pharm D

Clinical Pharmacist, Neurological Surgery, Department of Pharmaceutical Services Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco Medical Center (UCSF); Clinical Professor of Pharmacy, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, UCSF

  • Specialty – Pharmacology
  • National, Regional, Local Committee Affiliations -
    Member: American Pain Society (APS), International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), California Society of Health-system Pharmacists (CSHP), American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)
  • Financial/Non-Financial Conflict of Interest – None
  • Research Grants and Other Support – None
  • Other Stated Conflicts – None

Julie Rochefort, DNP, ANP-C, COHN-S

Nurse Practitioner, ExxonMobil Medicine and Occupational Health, Torrance, California

  • Specialty – Nurse Practitioner, Occupational and Environmental Health
  • National, Regional, Local Committee Affiliations – President Elect, California State Association of Occupational Health Nurses (CSAOHN); Treasurer, California Harbor Areas Association of Occupational Health Nurses; Member, California Association of Nurse Practitioners (CANP); Member, American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
  • Financial/Non-Financial Conflict of Interest – None
  • Research Grants and Other Support – None
  • Other Stated Conflicts – None

Lee T. Snook, Jr., MD, FACP, DABPM, FASM

President and Founder of Metropolitan Pain Management Consultants (MPMC), A Medical Group, Inc.
  • Specialty - Internal Medicine/Anesthesiology/Pain Medicine/Addiction Medicine
  • National, Regional, Local Committee Affiliations – Member, American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians; Member, American College of Physicians; Member, American Medical Association; Member, American Pain Society; Member, American Society Addiction Medicine; Member, American Society of Anesthesiologists; Member, American Heart Association; Member, Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation; Member, California Academy of Pain Medicine; Member, California Medical Association (CMA); Member, California Society of Addiction Medicine (CSAM); Member, CMA and CSAM Physician’s Wellness Committees; Chair, CMA Worker’s Compensation Technical Advisory Committee; Member CSAM Public Policy Committee; Member, California Society of Anesthesiologists; Member, California Society of Interventional Pain Physicians; Member, International Anesthesia Research Society; Member, International Spinal Interventional Society (ISIS); Member, North American Neuromodulation Society; Member, North American Spine Society; Member, Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society.
  • Financial/Non-Financial Relationships with Organizations – Medical Executive Committee, Greater Sacramento Surgery Center (annual compensation)
  • Research Grants and Other Support – Clinical studies with reimbursement per subject for study completion: St. Jude Medical (SJM) Registry study of patients treated by MPMC who have been implanted with a SJM Device; and Boston Scientific (BS) study of patients treated by MPMC who have been previously implanted with a BS Device.
  • Other Stated Conflicts – None

Leslie Torburn, DPT

Owner, Sihouette Consulting, Inc.; Physical Therapist, Gait & Motion Analysis Laboratory, Lucille-Packard Children’s Hospital/Stanford Medical Center; Physical Therapist, Motion Analysis Laboratory, Shriners Hospital for Children, Sacramento
  • Specialty - Physical Therapy
  • National, Regional, Local Committee Affiliations - California Physical Therapy Association, Member of Education Committee and Payment Policy Committee; Member, American Physical Therapy Association,
  • Financial/Non-Financial Conflict of Interest – Owner, Silhouette Consulting, Inc.
  • Research Grants and Other Support – None
  • Other Stated Conflicts – None

COI disclosures for MEEAC members who contributed to the MTUS regulations update which became effective July 18, 2009 are available here.

October 2016