ABOUT OUR PANEL

BioFunction® 's expert panel members were recruited from among the industry's top providers of forensic disability services. Unlike many competitors, our "experts" are INDEPENDENT industry leaders who bring a wealth of experience in medicine, research, disability management, insurance, loss control, risk management and ergonomics. We ARE the industry’s leading forensic disability experts.

Our company is dedicated to innovating and leveraging the advantages of information technology, process automation and medical science advancements to support our vision in creating a preponderance of medical evidence for any disability case that is impartial, scientific, objective and second to none.

We are very proud to announce that with our Evidentiary Forensic Disability Services that we have established a new "gold standard" in the area of disability assessment & "expert panel" reporting. Armed with our expert panel, and our unique proprietary services, any company can now manage even their toughest disability claims and have a defensible posture to face any legal challenge.

Thank you for your interest in BioFunction® . We look forward to working with you.

MEMBERS

Bruno Kovacic - BioFunction®  LLC

Mr. Kovacic is the founder and managing member of BioFunction® LLC, a forensic disability consulting company.   Bruno brings more than 25 years of progressive healthcare & occupational medicine experience including:

  • Conducting sophisticated Evidentiary Forensic Disability Examinations for more than 400 claimants in private, public and government sectors,
  • Designing advanced intra-data validation, behavioral & discomfort factoring software used to quantify chronic pain,
  • Providing written med-legal opinions for ergonomic, personal injury and workers’ compensation claims in California, the Division of Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, the State of Hawaii’s Disability Compensation Division, and Canada’s ICBC.
  • Creating and designing a web-based medical restriction / job task matching software application to safely match limited duty employees to modified tasks in the work environment for the U.S. largest employer.
  • Developing the industries first ergonomic risk sorting algorithm to quantify frequency, duration and severity of early symptom patterns associated with cumulative trauma / repetitive motion injuries.
  • Published researcher in Evidence-Based Functional Restoration

Mr. Kovacic also holds credentials a medically trained Certified Ergonomic Compliance Director and is one of two Certified ERGOS® Trainers in the U.S.

Robert Sussman, MD - The Medical Corner 

Dr. Sussman is a Board Certified Family Practice & Occupational Medicine physician. He has been acting Medical Director for BioFunction ® since 1999. He is also a Certified Medical Review Officer with many years of experience working as “the company doctor” for large corporations including:

  • United Airlines,
  • Frito Lay,
  • United Laundry Service,
  • RCI Construction
  • American Hawaiian Cruises
  • Queens Medical Center
  • St. Francis Health Systems
  • U.S. Postal Service – Associate Area Medical Director
  • City & County of Honolulu, State of Hawaii
  • Tesoro Hawaii

Dr. Sussman is also the leading U.S. physician regarding defensible work capacity possessing more than 15 years of experience in reviewing and interpreting the clinical information and data of the ERGOS® Work Simulator.

John Banks - Simwork Systems / ERGOS® 

John Banks brings 30+ years of experience in many aspects of rehabilitation and holds the distinction of being the sole protocol developer of the ERGOS® , the industry’s most sophisticated technology based work simulator. He has acted as the Executive Director of the National Rehabilitation Counseling Association in Washington DC where he worked on the initial draft of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).

Mr. Banks has received many recognition awards for his contributions to the disability industry including the:

  • President’s Exemplary Service Award – American Rehabilitation Association
  • Outstanding Service Award – Rotary International – American Samoa
  • New Hampshire Governor’s Commendation - New Hampshire Commission for the Handicapped
  • President’s Service Award – Vocational Evaluation & Work Adjustment Association

Mr. Banks holds a BS degree in Industrial Technology and a MS degree in Vocational Rehabilitation with a specialty in Vocational Evaluation from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. He has also conducted postgraduate studies in psychological testing and physiology from the University of New Hampshire and Worchester State College. He has served as a Graduate instructor in the Department of Rehabilitation at Notre Dame College, Undergraduate instructor for the University of Wisconsin-Stout and New Hampshire Technical Institute, and guest lecturer at Boston University, Harvard School of Public Health and the University of New Hampshire.

Christopher Cooke, PhD - Work Evaluation Research Center

Dr. Christopher Cooke is the Director of Research and Clinical Services for the Work Evaluation Research Center in British Columbia, Canada. He is considered internationally by many to be the leading researcher in the area of work capacity testing. He has worked as the past Assistant Director of Clinical Services & Director of Research for the Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia and the Leslie R. Peterson Rehabilitation Center.

Dr. Cooke holds an undergraduate degree in Arts and Physical Education from Queen’s University. He holds a Master’s Degree in Physical Education and a Doctorate in Educational Psychology and Special Education from the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Cooke has been involved in the independent research of the ERGOS® Work Simulator since 1993 including published peer-review studies for validity, reliability, reproducibility, clinical and longitudinal analysis of the technology. He has served as litigation consultant for the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia on issues regarding physical injury and third party liability and loss. Dr. Cooke also appeared before the Supreme Court of British Columbia and is considered an expert witness by the court in the areas of work capacity testing and vocational assessment.

Dr. Cooke maintains an active practice consisting of referrals from lawyers, insurance companies, unions, employers, treatment facilities, educational institutions and government agencies as well as private referrals from the general public.

Rick Pounds - Associates In Rehab, Inc. 

Rick Pounds MA, FABDA is an experienced published Exercise Physiologist and presenter. He obtained his undergraduate degree, B.H.S. in Community Health, and a Master’s Degree in Physical Education, Exercise Physiology from the University of Kentucky. Mr. Pounds holds multiple certifications including:

  • Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist – American College of Sports Medicine Certified
  • Exercise Specialist – American College of Sports Medicine Certified
  • Exercise Test Technologist – American College of Sports Medicine Certified
  • National Board Certification Fellow & Senior Analyst – American Board of Disability Analysts
  • Conditioning Specialists – National Strengthening & Conditioning Association

Over the years, Mr. Pounds has performed more than 8,000 examinations using the ERGOS® Work Simulator as a physical capacity testing device and has been deposed more than 120 times with all cases mitigated without jury trial. He is also a frequent presenter including presentations for Kentucky’s Workers’ Compensation Law, Governor’s Safety & Health Conference, Great American Insurance Companies Midwest Customer Advisory Meeting, Southwest Regional American College of Sports Medicine and the Safety At Work Conference.

Samuel F. Kovacic BS, MBA - Praxis-CASM

Samuel F Kovacic is the President of Praxis-CASM LLC; a disabled veteran-owned small business enterprise providing value to companies pursuing excellence in Strategic Effectiveness.  Praxis-CASM provides capabilities in decision making, risk management, program /planning management, and executive coaching.

Sam retired from active duty with over 22 years service in the United States Air Force. During that time Sam has developed extensive experience in flight and combat operations, and the software/system engineering field.  After retirement he took a position as a Research Scientist for the Nationals Centers for System of Systems Engineering (NCSOSE). His research continues to provide unique insights into understanding the implications of complexity within organizations providing a cornerstone for the development of robust tool for managing in complex situations.

Andres Sousa-Poza PhD - Praxis-CASM

Dr. Andres Sousa-Poza is the Executive Vice President of Praxis-CASM LLC; Andres maintains a tenured position in the Engineering Management Department at the Frank Batten College of Engineering, Old Dominion University, Virginia.  During that time Andres has conducted extensive research in system sciences, learning, engineering, social sciences, philosophy, mathematics, and quantum theory.   

Dr. Sousa-Poza is the creator of Complex Adaptive Situations Methodology (CASM).   His research provided the foundational theory and the unique insights into understanding the implications of complexity within organizations providing a cornerstone for the development of robust tool for managing in complex situations.