Herschel R. Lessin MD

Dr. Herschel Lessin is a Stanford/Yale trained actively practicing Pediatrician for more than 40 years and former than35 years has served as a General Pediatric Expert for both Plaintiff and Defense including case review, deposition, and trial. He is practicing community Pediatrician and an American Academy of Pediatrics National Policy author and reviewer. He provides practical, accurate, and unbiased opinions based solely on the merits of the case and will travel nationally if needed.

Services

Herschel R. Lessin MD deals in all aspects of litigation support for pediatric medical malpractice cases. This includes case review, deposition and trial appearances. Also includes advising on deposition and trial questions, reports, and literature review. Dr. Lessin appears for both Plaintiff and Defense throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. His detailed evaluations are based solely on the facts of the case and he will provide an honest opinion, based solely on the case materials, as to the merits of the case.

Litigation Support Services

Herschel R. Lessin MD provides medical opinions of merit in Pediatric Medical Malpractice cases. Available for case review, deposition and trial testimony. Available for travel anywhere in US and Puerto Rico.

Areas of Expertise

Additional Expertise:

General Pediatric Care, Pediatric Standard of Care, Pediatric Emergencies, Newborn, Infant, Adolescent, Pediatric Respiratory Illness, Nursery, Vaccination Disputes, Pediatric Medical Malpractice.

Profile

Dr. Herschel Lessin has been a full-time practicing Pediatrician since 1982 and has served as an expert witness in Pediatric malpractice litigation since 1987, working for both plaintiff and defense. Trained at Stanford and Yale, Dr. Lessin has experience in case review as well as both deposition and trial testimony. He a founding member and Vice President of one of the larger single specialty Pediatric practices in the United States, The Children's Medical Group, PLLC, with 8 offices and 26 practitioners in NY's Hudson Valley (www.childrensmedgroup.com). His daily practice includes children from birth through college age encompassing both outpatient and hospital care.

Dr. Lessin is active on a national policy level, having been co-lead author on several national American Academy of Pediatrics policy statements and technical reports, as well as being a member of the authoring committee on several others. He has reviewed a majority of AAP policy statements from the perspective of a practicing community Pediatrician and has made comments for possible revision as needed. He is the co-editor of the AAP's ADHD Toolkit, 3rd Edition.

Dr. Lessin provides honest opinions based solely on the facts of the case materials reviewed and without regard to the position of retaining counsel. He is experienced in case review and will appear as a testifying expert at both deposition and trial. He is willing to travel if required.

Dr. Lessin has had broad media experience, hosting medical spots on radio, TV, and online. In addition, he has authored a biweekly column for a regional newspaper on parenting and general pediatrics. He has appeared on regional radio providing advice, both prerecorded and live call in, concerning Pediatric care.

In addition to his Pediatric expertise, Dr. Lessin has extensive experience and involvement in all aspects of Managed Care. He was a founder, and for 12 years, was Chairman of a 2000 physician IPA that contracted with Managed Care organizations and covered over 150,000 lives. He is a Certified Managed Care Executive through America's Health Insurance Plans, the Managed care trade organization.

Areas Served

All States, Puerto Rico.

Herschel R. Lessin MD in the Social Networks

LinkedIn

Professional Experience

1982-1997 Hudson Valley Pediatric Group, PC, Partner and VP of this 6 physician, 1 PA, & 1 PNP Pediatric practice. In addition to patient care, management responsibilities included billing, coding, HMO negotiation, cooperative vaccine buying program, & financial/statistical analysis.

1988-2000 Chairman, Board of Directors, Taconic Independent Practice Association. TIPA contracts with managed care providing physician services to the contracted plan's subscribers. TIPA has more than 2000 physicians caring for over 150,000 patients

1997- Present The Children's Medical Group, PLLC. A founding partner of this group practice resulting from the merger of Pediatric & Adolescent Associates (est. 1932) and the Hudson Valley Pediatric Group (est. 1954). The group now has 21 pediatricians and 5 PNP's, providing care for nearly 35,000 children in 8 Hudson Valley offices.

2000-2007 Medical Director, The Children's Medical Group, PLLC.

2004-2008 Director of Clinical Research, The Children's Medical Group, PLLC. Principal Investigator of dozens of clinical trials.

2007-2013 Member Committee on Practice and Ambulatory Medicine, American Academy of Pediatrics. Reviews the majority or AAP statement for their accuracy, relevance, and effects on practicing pediatricians. Co-Lead Author of 3 national statements, and member of the authoring committee of several others.

Licenses

New York State - active
Massachusetts - inactive
Connecticut - inactive

Legal Experience & Services

Herschel R. Lessin MD's legal experience is as follows:

I have reviewed more than nearly 500 individual cases in the area of general pediatric medical malpractice. They are divided about 70% plaintiff and 30% defense. I have been deposed approximately 56 times and have testified at trial on 30 occasions.

I provide honest, impartial reviews based solely on the merits of the case and will let the retaining attorney know whether the case for plaintiff or defense has merit. I provide reliable service, accurate and well written reports, and poised testimony. I am willing to travel if needed. I work closely with retaining counsel in all aspects of the case where my opinions are needed. I am readily available for all services as requested.

Affiliations

Fellow, American Academy of Pediatrics
Former Member AAP National Committee on Practice and Ambulatory Medicine
Member AAP National Payor Advocacy and Advisory Committee
Former Member, National AAP Immunization Subcommittee
Former, Editorial Advisory Board, Practice Management Online, American Academy of Pediatrics
Member, Editorial Advisory Board, Pediatric News
AAP Section on Administration and Practice Management
Medical Society of the State of New York
Dutchess County Medical Society
Attending Physician, Vassar Brothers Medical Center
National Association of Medical Communicators
American College of Physician Executives
Certified Managed Care Executive, America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)
Taconic Independent Practice Association
Former Member, Board of Directors- MVP HealthCare

Qualifications

Dr. Lessin has been and remains a practicing Pediatrician with more than 40 years experience in the medical care of children from birth through college graduation. Dr. Lessin has been a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' National Committee on Practice and Ambulatory Medicine and Immunization Subcommittee. In these roles, he has both authored national policies as well as reviewed most AAP policies for their impact on the practice of Pediatrics. He has delivered presentations at national and regional pediatric medical conferences. He is experienced in all aspects of Medical Malpractice Litigation including deposition and trial.

Seminars & Training

2021-2022 Speaker Pediatric Management Institute Annual Meeting
2021 Speaker, Florida Chapter of the AAP annual meeting
2012-2020 Speaker AAP National Meeting
2014 Webinar, AAP, A Pediatrician's Eye view of Medical Malpractice
2013 Speaker, Juris Education Resource Network Meeting (Legal Nurse Consultant CME meeting)
2012 Speaker, Texas Pediatric Society State Meeting
2012 Speaker, Section of Pediatric Rheumatology Fellows Meeting
2011 Speaker, AAP National Meeting
2010 Speaker at AAP National Conference
2009 Speaker at AAP National Conference
2009 "Physician Time Management" Maimonides Medical Center, New York City
2007 “Practical Practice Management: Survival in Today's Payer Environment” AAP, District II
2007 Speaker at AAP National Conference
2007 “When a Cough is Just a Cough: The Trouble with AE's”. Presented to Soc of Clinical Research Assoc, National Mtg.

Publications

2020-Member Editorial Advisory Board, Pediatric News, Published in print as Pediatric News and Published On-line as MD Edge/Pediatrics. I comment on many stories on practice and new Pediatric research from the perspective of practicing community Pediatrician.

2018-Member, AAP National Committee, Payer Advocacy and Advisory Committee. This is a national level committee tasked with having direct contacts at the highest levels with insurance companies, both commercial and managed Medicaid, to deal with their policies that adversely affect both children and Pediatricians. When such policies are identified, committee members have direct access to national level medical directors and policy makers of the various companies to discuss them.

2018-Peer Reviewer, Journal of Clinical Informatics. I review articles relevant to my area of interest and expertise prior to publication in the journal.

2018-2019 Co-Editor of the ADHD Toolkit Third Edition to tasked with the revision of the previous ADHD Toolkit. This several year project revised, updated, and moved the resource online. It consists of a practical plan of diagnosis and management of ADHD in the primary Pediatric Office complete with customizable documents and forms, as well as suggested workflows to make this effort a clinical and financial success in the busy Pediatric Office. It is designed to dovetail with the Process Oc Care Publication of the ADHD practice guideline released at the same time. Published Online October 2019.

2017-2019 Contributor and member of the authoring committee of the AAP clinical practice guideline on the diagnosis and management of ADHD. The work consists of 2 separate papers describing clinical guidelines, a process of care for the office setting and a new section on Barriers to adoption of the guidelines. This was a substantial revision to the 2011 guidelines and was Published in the October 2019 issue of the AAP Journal, Pediatrics.
2014 "Recommendations for Pediatric Preventive Health Care", co-author, American Academy of Pediatrics national policy statement, Committee on Practice and Pediatrics Ambulatory Medicine, Pediatrics, March 2014
2014 "AAP Principles Regarding Retail-Based Clinics”, co-author, American Academy of Pediatrics national policy statement, Committee on Practice and Ambulatory Medicine Pediatrics March 2014
2012 “Instrument Based PediatricVision Screening Policy Statement” JM Miller, MD HR Lessin MD, co-lead authors, Section on Ophthalmology, Committee on Practice and Ambulatory Medicine, American Academy of Pediatrics, PEDIATRICS November 1, 2012, 130:5.
2012 “Immunizing Parents and Adult Caregivers in the Pediatric Office” Technical
Report, Herschel R. Lessin Kathryn M. Edwards, lead authors, Committee on Practice and Ambulatory Medicine and Committee on Infectious Disease, American Academy of Pediatrics, PEDIATRICS January 1, 2012 ;129 (1) : e247-253.
2012 “Effects of Prebiotic-Containing Infant Formula on Gastrointestinal Tolerance and Fecal Microbiota in a Randomized Controlled Trial, Hannah D. Holscher, Kristin L. Faust, Laura A. Czerkies, Richard Litov, Ekhard E. Ziegler, Herschel Lessin, Terry Hatch, Shumei Sun and Kelly A. Tappenden, JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 2012 36: 95S.
2011 Tool Kit for the Follow Up Care of the Premature Infant, National Initiative for
Childrens Healthcare Quality (NICHQ) and MedImmune, www.premietoolkit.com.
2010 Increasing Immunization Access, L. Hammer MD, H. Lessin MD, lead authors Committee on Practice and Ambulatory Medicine, Council on Community Pediatrics American Academy of Pediatrics, PEDIATRICS 2010 125 1295-1304.
2009 Hearing Assessment in Infants and Children: Recommendations Beyond Neonatal Screening, AD Harlor, MD, Charles Bower, MD Committee on Practice and Ambulatory Medicine the Section on Otolaryngology, Pediatrics Vol. 124 No. 4 October 2009, pp. 1252-1263

Professional References

Available upon request.

Education

1995-96 CMCE (Certified Managed Care Executive). Graduate of year-long Executive Leadership Program of the American Association of Health Plans. Via mentoring, site visits, didactic sessions and hands on experience, the CMCE is immersed and trained in the cutting edge of managed care. Re-certified every 3 years.

1980-82 Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT Resident, Pediatrics

1979-80 Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT Intern, Pediatrics

1975-79 Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, Doctor of Medicine

1971-75 Union College, Schenectady, NY, Bachelor of Science, Summa Cum Laude