Medical-Legal Experience
Private Medical-Legal Practice. Dr. Kella has been retained by both plaintiff and defense in cases about the following litigated matters:
Emergency Medicine
Critical Care
Medical Negligence
Wrongful Death
Medical Device Liability
Forensics and Sexual Abuse
Standard of Care
Nursing Home Liability
Independent Medical Examination
Medical Fraud and Abuse
Professional Experience Download CV
Emergency Department, Physician, Adventist Healthcare
2013 – 2018
Chief of Emergency Services, Frederick Health, Frederick MD, System Chief of Emergency, Pediatric, and Observation services.
Oversight: over 100,000 patient visits, 40 physicians and 30 PA/Nurse providers at Frederick Health Hospital in the greater Washington, DC Metropolitan Area.
Administrative and clinical achievements and milestones:
2015: “Code Sepsis” program achieved top 1% inpatient mortality reduction nationally
2014: ED-Radiology program to assess necessary or unnecessary MRI Utilization. MRI Utilization reduced by 90%
2016: Developed innovative triage and ED throughput program to reduce ED diversion rate by over 50%.
Created “Goals of Care” Palliative Care ED program • Program which reduced hospital readmissions while
maintaining top patient care.
Staffing models were recognized for efficiency in the entire nation of like sized Emergency Departments.
2005-2008
Emergency Physician Medical Group (now Envision), Clinical Attending Physician, Core Faculty Member Residency Program. Educator of the Year Award 2007.
2012-2013
Southern Maryland Hospital, Hospital-Based Physician Chairman, Clinton MD, Responsible for a turnaround for distressed 65+k visit ER. Led numerous initiatives to improve staffing, quality, safety, and culture.
Noteworthy initiatives:
2012: Spearheaded Blood Culture program to assess Emergency Department cultures and findings which
resulted in a 50% reduction of ED cultures.
Improved key ED practices resulting in 10 year lows in throughput metrics, e.g., door-to-provider services and
length-of-stay while providing excellent care to patients.
Healthcare Consultant
2020 – Present
InsightMD, Founder and CEO, Independent healthcare strategy and management consulting firm. Clients include venture capital startups, digital technology companies, telemedicine companies, medical-legal firms, and health systems.
Global Health Impact Fund, Advisor to an early-stage venture fund addressing digital healthcare providers.
2009- Present
Partner, US Acute Care Solutions (USACS), Partner, clinician and leader in the business growth of USACS while serving in hospital administrative and executive roles. Recognized for clinical expertise, efficiency, innovation, and quality programs.
Education
Masters of Business Administration (MBA): 2018 – 2020; Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD; Interdisciplinary Business Concentrations: Healthcare, Finance and Entrepreneurship.
Doctor of Medicine (MD): 1998-2002; University of Toledo, Toledo, OH
Bachelor of Science (BS): 1993-1997; Molecular Biology; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Professional Associations
American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)
American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE)
Awards
“Difference Maker Award” (2014), American College of Physician Executives
National Society of Leadership and Success, Inductee (2020)
“Clinical Instructor of the Year” (2008)
“Educator of the Year, 2007” Emergency Physician Medical Group (Envision)
Award for Excellence in Resident Teaching, Henry Ford Hospital
Lectures and presentations
Invited Speaker, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Global Immersion
Program Peru: Current Landscape of Healthcare, Lima Peru. January 14, 2020
“Less Art, More Science: Evidenced-Based Medicine to Decrease Variation in Healthcare”
American College of Physician Executives Spring National Conference, Chicago, IL. April 2014
Dept. of Emergency Medicine Rounds and Grand Rounds, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI 2007-2008
“BNP – A Review of the Current Literature” May 2004
“The Golden Hour of Resuscitation” Jan. 2007
“Abdominal Trauma” Mar. 2007
“Acute Mesenteric Ischemia” Apr. 2007
“Critical Care 101” May 2007
“Central Venous Catheters” May 2007
“Acid-Base Disorder” Aug. 2007
“Case Conference–Acute Intermittent Porphyria” Sept. 2007
“Animal Bites” Oct. 2007
“Burns” Dec. 2007
“Hypertensive Emergencies ” Jan. 2008
“Acetaminophen Toxicity” Feb. 2008
“Management of HIV in the ED” Mar. 2008
1st Annual Hospital-Wide Sepsis Symposium, Organizer and Speaker, April 16, 2008
“Early Goal-Directed Therapy- Transitioning from the ER to the ICU”
Henry Ford Hospital, Wyandotte MI.
“Mock Oral Boards”
Dept. of Emergency Medicine Grand Rounds, Henry Ford Hospital, Wyandotte MI. April 2008
“Throughput Management in the ER”
Shady Grove Adventist Hospital. December 2008
“Let’s Get Shocked about Sepsis”
Shady Grove Adventist Hospital Sepsis Conference. March 2009.
“Let’s Get Shocked About Sepsis”
Guest Speaker, Shady Grove Hospital Grand Rounds. Dec. 2009
“Advances and Therapeutic Interventions in Cardiac Arrest ”
Guest Speaker, Shady Grove Hospital. May 2010
“Management of Acute Low Back Pain in the ER”
Shady Grove Hospital, Guest Speaker.
Mid-Level Provider Webex Lecture. August 2010
“Recognition of Sepsis in the ER”
MEP Midlevel Conference, Invited Speaker. April 2011
“Advances in Cardiac Arrest Care”
Southern Maryland Hospital Grand Rounds January 2012
“Medical Utilization and Health Care Reform”
MEP APP Offsite Conference October 2012
Publications and Articles
The GENESIS Project May 20, 2010 Generalization of an Early Sepsis Intervention Strategy: A Multicenter Quality Improvement Collaborative. Contributing author.
May 2012 Journal of Critical Care Medicine
Implementations of a Sepsis Quality Initiative in October 2008 a Community Hospital and its Impact on Morbidity and Mortality in Septic Shock. Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Book Chapters
“Mesenteric Ischemia” Published 2012 1 st International Textbook of Emergency Medicine
“Transfusion Reactions” 1 st International Textbook of Emergency Medicine Published 2012
Consulting
Nucleus Review Board, Board Member July 2016 – 2019 Expert reviewing scripts, medical animation, and content
Pfizer, Consultant and Physician Speaker Jan 2011 – Jan 2013
Get in Touch
Greater Metropolitan Washington DC Testimony and Cases Nationally Potomac, Maryland
drkella@medlegaladvisors.com (248) 703-7998