Scott@RIHR-Law.com (Business)

CURRENT ROLES AND ACTIVITIES

Attorney and Counselor at Law (Partner), Rodriguez, Interiano, Hanson, & Rodgers, PLLC.  Public Defense, Medical Malpractice, L&I.  Trial and appellate experience, with Appellate and Supreme Court wins.

Medical Commissioner, Washington State Medical Commission. 

Board Member, Bass & Bari, Mid-Columbia Mastersingers, Chamber and Symphonic Choirs.

Candidate:  Running for Position 1, Kennewick School Board of Directors

LICENSES, EDUCATION, AND CERTIFICATES

Admitted to Practice Law in the State of Washington, 2009, Washington Supreme Court,  WSBA # 41368.  Admitted to Eastern District of Washington Federal District Court.   Admitted to Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals.

Doctor of Jurisprudence, (JD), Cum Laude, Top 25%, Seattle University, Partial Merit Scholarship, Dec 2008.  

American Bar Association:  Liaison to Section on Business Law, 2009.  

First year completed at Indiana University School of Law, Indianapolis:  Dean’s lists, top 5% at end of year.  

Worked full-time, (averaging 55-60 hours/week), while completing law school in 3 years and 1 semester.

Master of Business Administration, (MBA), Economics Concentration, May 1998, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, (UTC).  Thomas E. Geraghty Merit Scholarship.  Beta Gamma (Business Administration Honor Soc.).   Worked full-time, (averaging 55-60 hrs/week), plus taught evening university classes while attending MBA school

Undergraduate Degrees/Majors, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, August 1989 - May 6, 1995:

       B.S. Economics, Omicron Delta Epsilon (Economics Honor Society).

       B.S. Sociology, Pi Gamma Mu (Social Sciences Honor), Pres.  Alpha Kappa Delta (Sociology Honor), Sec./Treas.

       B.A. Chemistry with  Minor in Mathematics

Undergraduate Awards and Activities, 1989-1995:   Worked during undergrad: Substitute teacher, Waiter, Hospital IT.  Leadership Merit Award.  Outstanding Senior Award.  Golden Key (Honor Soc).  Student Government: Senator; Social Issues Committee Chair; Ethics Committee Appointee.  Debate Team: President; Founder.  Debate Judge, Coach, and Instructor for National High School Debate Circuits.   Jazz and Marching Bands (Tpt); Wind Ensemble (FHorn).  Chattanooga Singers (with International Tour).  Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (Professional Music Fraternity).  Society of Physics Students: President; Secretary/Treasurer.  Sociology Anthropology Geography Association: Sociology Representative.  Student Representative Appointee to Faculty Committees:   Publications Board, General Education, Perspectives, Residency Appeals, Librarian Search.  Dean’s Student Advisory Council (Vice-Chair).  1995 full scholar to Institute for Humane Studies Summer Seminar.

Former Project Management Professional, (PMP), Professional PMP certification 2004-2007. Project Management Institute, (PMI).  (Chose not to renew my certification when I entered a different field).

Graduate Certificate, Information Management in the Pharmaceutical Industry, January 2005, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey.  (5 courses from MS Information Management; moved for career).

Graduate Certificate, Internet Applications Development, December 2003, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, (UTC).  (3 courses and thesis from MS Computer Science; moved for career advancement).

Columbia Basin College, 2017-2018, 1yr Biology + 1yr Human Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology

Washington State University, Tri-Cities:  Computer Science coursework to pursue the MS Computer Science.

Certified SAS Programmer

EXPERIENCE

Washington State Medical Commission, 2019-present (4-year term)

Medical Commissioner:  Reviews, Hearing Panels, Policy Committee, Reduction of Medical Errors Committee, Commissioner Education Workgroup, Case Management Teams

Rodriguez, Interiano, Hanson, and Rodgers, PLLC, (Rodriguez & Associates, P.S.), Kennewick, Washington, 2010-present

Attorney and Counselor at Law, Partner:  Represent claimants in Medical Negligence, Wrongful Death, Worker Compensation; Public Defender for Felony Criminal Defendants.  Other civil matters.  Appellate work.  Washington Supreme Court.  

Legal Consultant, Nationally, Jul 2008 – 2011

• Negotiate Pharmacy Benefit Management contracts for employers against the largest Pharmacy Benefit Management companies, (PBM’s), including Express Scripts, Medco, Caremark, Walgreens, CVS, and others.  Co-developed an innovative/disruptive process to hold PBM’s legally accountable for their promises in marketing presentations and competitive bids.        
• Over one-half Billion Dollars of contracts successfully negotiated and awarded, saving money for employers and beneficiaries

Charter College, Jul 2010 – 2011

Adjunct Professor of Law (Paralegal Program):  Substantive Law, Civil Litigation, and Logic & Reasoning

The Rodgers Law Firm, PLLC, Kennewick, Washington, Summer 2009 – 2010

Founder, Principal, Attorney:  Business Transactions, Business Litigation/Dispute Resolution, and Healthcare Law.  Contracted counsel for small business.  Occasional contract work for complex Construction Litigation, (in DR phase).

The Regence Group, (Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield), Seattle, Aug 2006 – Jul 2008

Senior Health Outcomes Manager, Health Outcomes Research, (Promoted) Aug 2007 – Jul 2008
Consultant, Clinical Performance Measurement and Management, Aug 2006 – Aug 2007

• Teamwork, Leadership:  
  • First assignment, successfully turned around and completed in 2 months, a 2-year failed project with a third-party vendor to implement performance measurement 
  • Constructed, led & participated on company-wide teams to measure, incentivize provider performance and consumerism
  • Co-developed business case that met executives’ approval to construct a dept and data infrastructure to support the Div
• Content of Work:  Health Economics, Clinical Performance Measurement, Provider Evaluation, Pay for Performance, Consumer Transparency
• Technical Work (Not the primary component of the position):  SAS Programming, UNIX, Oracle SQL

Eli Lilly and Company:  Global Strategic Pricing & Health Outcomes Research, Indianapolis, May 2004 – Aug 2006

• Strategic Planning and Pricing Strategy for compounds in cardiovascular, diabetes, and insomnia/depression therapeutic areas
• Strategic Marketing Planning:        Constructing Strategic Plans for Compound Development and Testing:  Situation & Environment Analyses, Competitive Forces & Competitor Analyses, Payer Pricing Strategies, identifying Critical Success Factors, meeting with Global Scientific Leaders as well as Government and Payer Leaders, Translating into a Tactical Plan; Primary Market Research:        Healthcare Providers.
• Innovation:  Advocated transforming payer risk relationships with outcomes models; produced a demonstration project
• Leadership:  Designed a global pricing strategy center of excellence:  Led mission/vision/values, objectives, roles, training, career paths
• Operations Management:  Advised and taught process engineering; Technical Reviewer for the Pricing, Reimbursement and Access process
• Technical Work:  Health Economics, Health Business Research and Methodology, Assessing and Translating Health Outcomes Research

Merck, (including a Merck Capital Venture), New Jersey, 2001 – 2004

1. Merck Research Laboratories:      

Manager, Worldwide Project Data Management, (Promoted) 6 Jun 2003 – Apr 2004

Worldwide Project Data Manager, (Project Manager), Jan 2003 – Jun 2003

• Award:  Award for Excellence, 2004
• Leadership:        Led a staff of global project data managers, and led international project teams, including direct and indirect mgt
• Change Management:        Used project management and the strong matrix transition to assume a change agent role, and led cultural transformation and organizational change; contributed toward building an environment of cooperation, trust, engagement, and empowerment 
• Project Management:        Simultaneously managed over a dozen clinical data projects in 5 different therapeutic areas; EDC pilots
• Organizational Leadership:  Implemented formal project management practices, established some project office functions
• Thought Leadership:  Delivered presentations to SCDM, Change Management, tech change, leadership in cultural transitions 

2. Merck Capital Venture:  Institute for Effectiveness Research:  Researcher, Consultant, Dec 2001 – Jan 2003

• Awards:  2 Awards for Excellence, 2002
• Innovation:  
  • Created an interactive cardiovascular health economics simulator for US payer populations by adapting and augmenting Mortality and Morbidity trials 
  • Co-developed Direct-to-Consumer, (DTC), campaign evaluations:  Managed clients; contributed essential business analyses, technical designs, and technical components of the programming code
  • Designed and developed market analytic tools, analyzing market behavior using longitudinal patient-level data
  • Co-directed the development of an Internet Application MOLAP/MDDB syndication to deliver pharma market analytics
  • Co-led development of algorithms and processes for integrating multiple external data sources to enhance longitudinal patient data for research, while maintaining non-PII in compliance with HIPAA and enriched privacy policies; resulted in the enhanced analytical capabilities that enabled the development of market analytics and DTC campaign evaluations
• Operational Management:        Introduced and implemented formal software project management practices, and data-oriented design 
• Technical Work:  Programming, SAS, UNIX, SQL, MVS, DB2, C++, Tomcat, Java, Javascript, other web-services languages

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, (BCBST), Chattanooga.  Mar 1997 – Jan 1999, Apr 1999 – Dec 2001

Senior Research Scientist, (Promoted) Sep 2000 – Dec 2001

Managing Senior Medical Information Project Manager, (Promoted) Nov 1999 – Aug 2000

Senior SAS Developer & Project Manager, (Promoted) Apr 1999 – Nov 1999

Research Biostatistician, Mar 1997 – Jan 1999

• Awards:  VIP Award (2000), Exceptional Contribution Award (2001)
• Leadership:  
  • Managed a staff of healthcare performance trends analysts, health data analysts
  • Represented EBM and research requirements in executing an exclusive partnership with a diagnostics/lab facility
  • Represented medical informatics on an enterprise data quality/stewardship project
• Research and Innovation:  
  • Applied research to support evidence-based program development to improve the health of managed populations
  • Envisioned, Designed, Conducted, and Delivered to executives:  Health Economics Evaluations, Health Outcomes Research, Health Services Research, Medical Technology Assessments, and Clinical Program Evaluations
  • Designed and developed a pharmacy benefit profiling system; business and medical metrics, analyses
  • Co-directed, designed, and developed a physician profiling system; business and medical metrics, analyses
  • Enabled research capabilities, expanded research capacity, and cut routine research and reporting time by a large factor, by envisioning and constructing a data mart and MOLAP system; led the team to design and implement a data mart
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant:  Designed a relational database for an industry standard to manage Medicaid populations; contributed ghost-writing for much of the paper
  • Specified the methodology and operationalized the language of a performance contract for a capitated physician group pilot; designed and programmed the metrics; demonstrated the data mart’s rapid application development capabilities
  • Directed construction of the departmental website; contributed technical requirements and specifications, some code
• Technical Work:  Programming, SAS, UNIX, SQL, MVS, DB2, C++, Java, Javascript, other web-services languages

ZS Associates (Pharmaceutical; Information Consulting), Evanston (Chicago Metro), Dec 1998 – May 1999

Consultant (Contract/Temp): Data Mart Analysis, Design, and Development

• Technical Work:  Programming: SAS, UNIX, SQL, PERL, Java

Reason for leaving: career advancement.  This began as a ST contract.  I had the opportunity for a FT position with ZS; however Blue Cross (above) escalated my vacated position and attracted me back at a higher level to assist with newer interesting initiatives.

University of Tennessee, Chattanooga

Adjunct Professor of Sociology, (Part-time, evening classes after day job), Jan 1997 – Dec 1998

• Principles of Sociological Analysis and Minority/Majority Relations in American Life 

Healthsource, Healthsource Rx/CIGNA, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Nov 1995 – Mar 1997

Senior Health Data Analyst, (Promoted) May 1996 – Mar 1997, Health Data Analyst, Nov 1995 – May 1996

• Leadership:  
  • Reported to the President of the pharmacy division in leading the research and analytics initiatives on the company’s task force to reengineer the Managed Care Organization’s pharmacy benefits and to establish a licensed PBM
  • Led the relationship between the PBM and Pharmacy Claims Processor for data, management and research support
  • Provided verbally, monthly PBM performance updates to CEO of Healthsource
• Innovation:        Reengineered PBM metrics and analyses; resulted in more timely, accurate, and relevant PBM information; by employing software automation & efficiency gains, liberated full-time positions (to pursue other projects within the company)
• Technical Work:  Programming: SAS, UNIX, SQL, MVS, DB2, Redbrick SQL

Other/Earlier Experience, 1986 – 1995, (while in undergraduate studies and high school)

• Freelance Economics Writer, Portions of College Economics Textbook, 1995 
• IT Network Systems Operations, Hamilton Medical Center, (Public Hospital), Jan 1992 – Dec 1995
• Tutor: Sociology and Special Testing, Fall Semester, 1993, U.T.C.
• Teacher Assistant, General Chemistry II Laboratory, Summer Semester, 1993
• Substitute Teacher, Spring 1990 – Summer 1993, Whitfield County, Georgia, Board of Education
• Advisory Services, PC Assembly, Business Development, Computer Systems & Service, 1990-1991. 
• LAN Service and G/L Maintenance, Acree & Acree, C.P.A., P.C., Dalton, Georgia, spring through fall, 1988
• Waiter, Cook, Dishwasher, Dalton, Georgia:  Shoney’s (Cook), Prime Sirloin (Waiter), The Snuggery (Waiter), Rudolph’s Pizza (Dishwasher):  1986-1990.  

CURRENT PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Washington State Bar Association:  Active attorney license in good standing, Bar No. 41368.

Federation of State Medical Boards:  Fellow

Washington Defender Association:  Member

CURRENT VOLUNTEER WORK

Columbia Center Rotary member

Mid-Columbia Mastersingers:  Board Member, Singer, (Bass/Baritone)

Pro Bono Legal Work:  Assist indigent persons with applications for healthcare, appealing insurance denials, obtaining medicines and medical equipment, obtaining/defending no-contact orders.  Previously assisted healthcare practitioners with disciplinary hearings and administrative agencies.  Direct victims of domestic violence to services.

PUBLICATIONS, POSTERS, PRESENTATIONS

“Medicolegal Principles” to be presented July 23, 2021 at TUTH international conference, Nepal

“Medical Malpractice Lawsuits at the Intersection of Board Discipline” presented at Washington Medical Commission, February 27, 2020 

“Medicolegal Issues in Advocating for your Patient in Legal Disputes” presented at Mazama Spine Neurosurgery Summit, January 2019.   

“Debunking Junk Science in IMEs.”  CLE presentation in Yakima, Washington by Sterling Education Services, October 2016.

“Workers’ Compensation:  How to Expose Deceptive Medical Examiners” Presented at Mazama Spine Neurosurgery Summit, 2015 

“How to Advocate for Your Patient’s Healthcare Needs in an Increasingly Adversarial Workers’ Compensation System”  Presented at Spine Neurosurgery Summer Conference, 2013

“Negotiating with Health Insurers, Business Continuity Planning, and Applying the Old Laws:  Healthcare Reform Survival Guide for Physician Leaders”  Presented at the Pierce County Medical Society Leadership Retreat, 2011.  

“Healthcare Reform in the Context of Legal and Economic Systems:  The Ebb and Flow of Power to Allocate Resources”  Presented at the 8^th Annual Mazama Spine Neurosurgery Summit, 2011.   (CME Credit).

“Physicians:  Claim your Stimulus Dollars”  Tri-Cities Journal of Business, April 2010.

“Current Topics in Healthcare Law”  Presented at the 7^th Annual Mazama Spine Neurosurgery Summit, 2010.  (CME Credit).

“Employers:  Protect Your AWP Settlement Savings”  (With Emil B. Kraft).  In Employee Benefit News, March 2009, Vol 23 No 3.

“How to Manage Individuals’ Reactions to Organizational Change”  Presented at Society of Clinical Data Mgt, 2003.

“Technological Change and Transition in Clinical Data Management Organizations”  Presented at Society of Clinical Data Mgt, 2003.

“Disease Management in Public versus Private Managed Care Plans:  Will One Size Fit All?”  (Second Author).  Poster at AHQR, 2001.

“Chemical Processes Involved in the Speleogenesis of Limestone Caves”  Plenary presentation at the Chattanooga Grotto of National Speleological Society, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 2001.

“Designing a Relational Database for the Medical Management of Medicaid Managed Care Enrollees” with Episodic Diabetes Research POC.   (Ghost Author, Entire Database Design and Code and much of the report, with Dr. Anna Panorska who demonstrated research capabilities and advanced statistical analysis).  Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Grant ML-446.   2001.

“Clinical Effectiveness Evaluation of Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation versus Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation:   A Demonstration of Delphi Method with Markov Chain Monte Carlo Simulation Analysis” Manuscript and Project, 2001, collaborative effort with multiple organizations, submitted to Society for Medical Decision Making.

Manuscript:  “Deriving Closure Sets of Functional Dependencies, Multi-Valued Dependencies, and Semantic Rules through Database Transformations,” originally prepared for MS Computer Science program Thesis, 2000.

Manuscript:  “Religiosity and Risky Sex Behaviors among Teens:  The only Difference Is How Well They Are Informed.”  A randomized, controlled, retrospective study.  Thesis for the Sociology degree, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, 1995.

Manuscript:  “Under a Niskanen Analysis, the Prerogative to Maximize Budget Accounts for Empirical Measures of Technical Inefficiency, Allocative Inefficiency, and Monopoly Power Distortions in both Public Sector and Private Sector Bureaucracies:  The Will to Power Is a Human Problem that Is Not Confined to Humans in Government.”  Thesis for the Economics degree, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, 1995.

SKILLS AND PROFICIENCIES

Programming/Coding: SAS (Expert) (statistical analysis and procedural database programming).   SQL (Expert).  UNIX, DOS (professional proficiency).  C/C++ (moderate proficiency).  Some PERL, some Java, some Python, some R, some XML and XML manipulation languages, some web design and web design technologies/languages.   Some Visual Studio and other IDEs.

Data and Database Modeling:  Relational Database Modeling (Professional).  

Project Management:  Expert.   Former Project Management Professional, (PMP), from Project Management Institute, (PMI). 

Strategic Management:  Industrial Analysis, PESTLE, SWOT, Porter’s Competitive Forces, Social/Cultural Change, Strategic Positioning, Competitive Focus, Brand Management, Strategic Pricing, Promotion, Valuation, Technology Transfer.

Management/Business Research and Decision Science:  Forecasting and Forecasting Models, Econometrics, Capital Budgeting.  Some decision science and modeling.  Market Research, and Marketing Research.  Quality Management, Data-Driven Quality Management.

Laboratory:  Knowledge of, and academic hands-on preparation for:  Aseptic techniques.  Light and SE Microscopy.  Quantitative Analytical Chemistry.  Qualitative Analytical Chemistry:  IR, UV/Vis, GC, Mass Spectroscopy, AA, AE, HPLC, NMR, SEM/X-Ray analysis.  Some radiometric techniques.

Research;  Research Design, Design of Experiment, Research Methodologies, Social Science Research, Clinical Trial Research, Piloting, Validation, Reliability, Statistical Analysis, Clinical Performance Evaluation, Clinical Program Effectiveness, Clinical Technology Effectiveness, Health Outcomes Research, Health Economics Research.

Office and Productivity Applications Proficiency, MS Office:   Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access/JetEngine.  Specialized MS business applications: Visio, Project.  Acrobat (and other PDF publishers).  DICOM and DICOM viewers.