Dr. Troy Bender, DMSc, MSPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA
Dr. Troy Bender is a Physician Assistant with a Doctor of Medical Science degree and over 32 years of clinical experience spanning emergency medicine, aeromedical critical care transport, orthopedic spine surgery, rural and critical access hospital medicine, and academic PA education. He carries the Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Physician Associates (DFAAPA) designation and currently serves on the AAPA Judicial Affairs Commission and the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission Disciplinary Hearing Panel.
As an NCCPA Item Writer and Content Expert for the Emergency Medicine Certificate of Added Qualifications, Dr. Bender participates in defining the national competency standards against which emergency medicine providers are measured. As the Founding Dean and Program Director of two ARC PA accredited PA programs, he built the curricula, competency frameworks, and clinical assessment tools used to determine whether providers are adequately trained for independent practice.
Dr. Bender provides authoritative expert testimony at deposition and trial. He is a composed and credible communicator who prepares rigorously and holds his ground under vigorous cross examination. He is available to serve as the primary testifying expert in cases involving any licensed healthcare provider for both plaintiff and defense counsel, nationwide.
- Emergency medicine standard of care — solo rural ER, critical access hospital, Level II Cardiac / Level III Trauma centers
- Aeromedical and critical care transport — RSI, advanced airway, hemodynamic monitoring, thoracostomy, pericardiocentesis
- Orthopedic spine surgery — first assist, clinic, post operative care, and surgical team standard of care
- PA, NP, physician, and nurse scope of practice and supervision liability across multiple states
- Negligent credentialing, training adequacy, and clinical competency assessment
- PA program accreditation standards and educational competency frameworks
- Professional discipline and governance — what constitutes a material deviation from accepted practice
- EMS protocol development and pre hospital standard of care evaluation
Dr. Eileen Ravella, PA-C, DMSc, DFAAPA
Dr. Eileen Ravella brings more than 42 years of combined clinical, administrative, research, and leadership experience in emergency medicine, urgent care, rural family medicine, and healthcare operations. A Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Physician Associates, she has served as President of the Washington Academy of Physician Associates, Assistant Medical Director for Kaiser Permanente Urgent Care and Providence Immediate Care, Hospital Assistant Administrator, County Medical Examiner, and Mayor of the City of Blackwell, Oklahoma.
Dr. Ravella was retained by a major law firm as a Research Analyst specializing in product liability litigation. In that role, she conducted extensive medical and scientific research, developed alternative theories of liability grounded in clinical evidence, and prepared detailed analytic reports to support litigation strategy and case development.
Dr. Ravella has served as a PA student preceptor for more than 35 years and has been recognized with both the Physician Associate of the Year and Preceptor of the Year awards. She provides non testifying case analysis, causation review, medical record evaluation, and litigation research support for both plaintiff and defense counsel, nationwide.
- Emergency medicine, urgent care, and rural family medicine standard of care analysis
- Product liability litigation research and alternative causation theory development
- Medical record review, clinical chronology construction, and documentation gap analysis
- Healthcare administration and hospital operations standard of care matters
- PA, NP, and advanced practice provider scope of practice analysis
- Causation review and scientific literature analysis for complex multi provider cases
- Healthcare ethics and end of life care consultation
- Litigation strategy support and case preparation analysis for retaining counsel
Dr. Dee Bender, DNAP, MNNA, CRNA
Dr. Dee Bender is a doctorally prepared Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) with more than 35 years of healthcare experience spanning anesthesiology, critical care, emergency medicine, flight nursing, prehospital care, and telehealth — including service as director of a telehealth nurse triage and advice line. Her career covers the full continuum of acute care as well as healthcare administration, giving her an unusually broad foundation for medical record review, case analysis, and standard of care evaluation.
As a CRNA, Dr. Bender practiced at a 440-bed Level 1 Trauma Center with high-risk obstetrics and an attached ambulatory surgery center, providing anesthesia across virtually every specialty — trauma, general surgery, neurosurgery, spine, orthopedics, obstetrics, cardiac, thoracic, vascular, pediatrics, and burns — including invasive line placement and regional anesthesia. Her nursing background includes 35 years in critical care spanning cardiovascular ICU, emergency medicine, and pediatric cardiac intensive care, as well as service as a flight nurse with CAMTS-accredited helicopter programs and as a paramedic in a rural community two hours from the nearest tertiary hospital.
Dr. Bender's administrative experience is directly relevant to medical legal work. As a nursing director in large healthcare systems, she served on executive-level Risk Management, Patient Safety, and Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement committees — work centered on evaluating adverse events, analyzing systems of care, and measuring clinical practice against established standards. As director of Nurse on Call, a telehealth nurse triage service, she chaired the Clinical Guidelines Committee and developed clinical guidelines in compliance with state and federal law. As an elected Public Hospital District Commissioner, she currently serves on hospital quality and safety committees and maintains working knowledge of hospital district law, regulatory compliance, and board governance through ongoing education with the Association of Washington Public Hospital Districts and the Washington State Hospital Association.
- Anesthesia standard of care — general, regional, obstetric, pediatric, trauma, and cardiac specialties
- Anesthesia complications, medication errors, airway management failures, and perioperative adverse events
- Perioperative and perianesthesia nursing standards
- Cardiovascular ICU nursing — ECMO, IABP, LVAD, CRRT, hemodynamic monitoring
- Pediatric cardiac intensive care nursing
- Emergency and trauma nursing standards of care
- Flight nursing and aeromedical transport — RSI, advanced airway, thoracostomy, pericardiocentesis
- Hospital quality, safety, and risk management processes and documentation
- Telehealth nursing triage standards and clinical guideline compliance
- Nursing documentation, monitoring, and escalation of care standards
- Nursing administration, staffing, and institutional policy compliance
- Hospital governance, regulatory compliance, and board oversight
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We welcome inquiries from plaintiff and defense counsel nationwide.
Contact Us TodayNorthwest Medical Legal Consultants provides independent medical legal consulting services. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice. Our consultants do not guarantee favorable opinions. All case evaluations are conducted objectively based on the clinical record and applicable standards of care. Acceptance of a retainer does not constitute a commitment to any particular opinion.