Expert Bio: Patricia H. David, MD, MSPH
Independent Medical Examiner | Nexus Opinion Specialist | Physician Consultant
Dr. Patricia H. David is a physician with over 30 years of experience in internal medicine, occupational medicine, quality improvement, and medical-legal review. She specializes in independent medical opinions, including nexus opinions for VA disability claims, federal disability cases, and complex medical-legal matters.
Dr. David has extensive expertise in causation analysis, including direct service connection, secondary conditions, and aggravation. Her work involves comprehensive medical record review, longitudinal clinical analysis, and application of evidence-based medical principles to determine relationships between medical conditions and exposures, injuries, or service-connected disabilities.
She previously served as Chief Quality Officer and Medical Director of Quality & Care Management for the Washington State Department of Corrections, where she developed system-wide patient safety and mortality review programs. She later served as Director of Patient Safety and Performance Review for the Washington Office of the Corrections Ombuds, overseeing healthcare delivery and investigating complex clinical cases with significant medical and legal implications.
Dr. David also served as Associate Medical Director for Healthcare Quality at the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, where she oversaw a network of physicians performing independent medical examinations and disability evaluations. In this role, she developed quality standards for medical opinions related to causation, impairment, and disability.
Her earlier career includes founding and leading a private occupational medicine practice, where she provided independent medical examinations, disability evaluations, and expert consultation to attorneys, employers, and government agencies. She has provided sworn deposition testimony and courtroom testimony in medical-legal cases.
Dr. David has clinical experience across a wide range of settings, including correctional healthcare systems, occupational medicine clinics, and primary care. She has also worked in federal healthcare environments, including Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities and an Army on-base clinic, contributing to her understanding of military and veteran populations.
She holds a Doctor of Medicine from The Ohio State University and a Master of Science in Public Health from the University of South Florida, where she also completed advanced subspecialty training in occupational medicine and served as Chief Resident. Prior to this, she completed internal medicine residency training at Allegheny General Hospital and at the Salem VA Medical Center.
Dr. David is a licensed physician in Washington State and achieved Board Certification in Occupational Medicine (2002, 2012). She also holds advanced training in patient safety, quality, and leadership from Johns Hopkins University and is a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt.
Her work is grounded in objective, evidence-based analysis and adherence to established medical and legal standards, including VA evidentiary requirements such as “at least as likely as not.”