About Us

Tina M. Trudel, PhD: President/Co-principal. Dr. Trudel is Founder and Principal of Northeast Evaluation Specialists, a provider of evaluation, case management, claims review, litigation support and expert services; and NES Assurance, a healthcare finacial case management company focused on specialty service markets and financial claims management. Dr. Trudel has 20 years experience as a healthcare executive, including as President/COO of Lakeview Healthcare System, a leader in rehabilitation and behavioral health. She has overseen national operations across the continuum of care from hospital to community, including as Site Director of the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center at Virginia NeuroCare. Her roles involve nationwide marketing and development for specialty services, managed care contracting and operational oversight of budgets, personnel and quality assurance. Dr. Trudel chairs numerous national committees for professional organizations, has testified before Congress on Veteran’s healthcare, and is a reviewer for the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research. Dr. Trudel served as postdoctoral supervisor in the Dept. of Psychiatry, Dartmouth Medical School from 2000-2005 and is presently an Asst. Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and research affiliate at Boston University – Sargent College of Health Sciences. Dr. Trudel has numerous publications and presentations and received the Brain Injury Association of America’s 2008 Founder’s Award for her work and advocacy.

James (Jim) Samson: Chief Executive Officer/Co-Principal. Mr. Samson has served in numerous capacities within the healthcare sector representing insurance companies, managed care consortiums and healthcare providers. Over the past five years Mr. Samson has served as the Director of Operations and Principal for Northeast Evaluation Specialists, an independent medical evaluation company that focuses on providing high quality evaluations to insurers, attorney groups and state agencies; and NES Assurance, a healthcare financial case management company focused on specialty service markets and financial claims management. Additionally, Mr. Samson has worked as a regional account executive and consultant for a national third party administrator and managed care organization where he was responsible for opening up new territories and working with insurers to develop cost containment strategies related to claims management and medical bill auditing. Mr. Samson has served as adjunct faculty at the University of New England and University of New Hampshire. He has represented the New Hampshire Chapter of the American Occupational Therapy Association and is on the board for the National Kidney Foundation of Maine.

Freda Hogan: Director of Contracting. Ms. Hogan has worked as the Corporate Director of National Contracting (VP) at Humana, as the Vice President of Network Development for Health Net and as the Vice President of Delivery System Management for United Healthcare. Throughout these roles Ms. Hogan has developed an extensive broad range of experience, skills, and background in the healthcare industry, specifically in the field of managed care health plan environment. Including business models related to Commercial, Medicare Advantage, Part D, Medicaid, TriCare and VA business. She provides a unique perspective gained from working for and representing payers, hospitals, physicians, SNF, LTAC, Specialty Pharmacy, Laboratory and ancillary providers.

Patricia Palanza Paynter, BSN: Director of Nursing. Ms. Paynter is an experienced medical professional, reviewer, health educator and program administrator. She has 20 years of experience in labor and delivery, including as charge nurse at Women & Infants Hospital, Providence, RI and leader of a statewide safe home birth organization. Ms. Paynter also has a decade of experience in infant and toddler care, planning, developing and implementing a nationally accredited infant/toddler center at the Moses Brown School. Ms. Paynter has worked internationally, and is a US/Italian citizen. She provides medically informed negotiation, analytic and problem-solving skills with a focus on customer service. As a successful leader and manager, she is able to balance details with the larger perspective needed to ensure optimal case and contracting outcomes.