WSIA

WWCP sessions are taught by a selection of these and other volunteer faculty selected for their experience and knowledge of the Washington workers' compensation system:

Krishna Balasubramani
Krishna Balasubramani joined SBH Legal in 1996 and became a partner in 2000. Prior to joining the firm, Krishna was a pro tem Administrative Law Judge for the Oregon Workers’ Compensation Board. He also worked at SAFECO Insurance and Stoel Rives, LLP. Krishna is admitted to practice in Oregon and Washington. He assists employers and insurers in Oregon and Washington with workers’ compensation and employment related matters. Krishna defends employers in connection with workers’ compensation, OSHA and general employment matters. He works closely with human resource managers, loss prevention managers, safety directors and claims adjusters to manage pre-litigation situations or to handle the litigation.

Julie Busch, MS, CDMS
Ms. Busch is a co-owner of Strategic Consulting Services, the state's largest vocational rehabilitation firm. She holds as Master's Degree in Organizational Psychology from Central Washington University, and has over 20 years of experience providing vocational assessment, rehabilitation planning, job analysis and expert testimony in Washington State. She provides vocational rehabilitation services to workers covered by Washington's State Fund and self-insurance, as well as federal workers' compensation systems such as the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act.

Dennis Chong, M.D.
Dr. Dennis Chong is a physiatrist in Seattle, Washington and is affiliated with Swedish Medical Center - Cherry Hill. He received his medical degree from University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years.

Sarah Cohen
Sarah joined SBH Legal in 2017 and became a partner in 2022.  She came to SBH Legal after working for several years in the areas of employment and insurance defense throughout the Pacific Northwest. Sarah currently represents Washington employers and insurers in workers’ compensation and related employment defense matters.

Gary Franklin, M.D., M.P.H.
Dr. Franklin is Medical Director for the Department of Labor & Industries and serves as a Research Professor in the Departments of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Neurology, and Health Services at the University of Washington. Educated at Franklin and Marshall College, Dr. Franklin graduated from medical school at George Washington University and holds a Master's Degree in Public Health from the University of California at Berkeley. He is board certified in Neurology, and is known for his groundbreaking work in developing guidelines for opioid dosing for chronic pain.

Michael Godfrey
Michael joined SBH Legal in 2017 and became a partner in 2023. He advises clients on mitigating risk and managing pre-litigation situations, but also represents his clients in all levels of litigation including administrative hearings, jury trials, and appellate litigation. His practice includes state and federal employment defense matters including workers’ compensation, wrongful termination, ADA, wage & hour, OSHA/WISHA claims, and all other employment-related discrimination claims.

Jon Manthos, RN
Jon has over 30 years of nursing experience. Jon has a strong background as a Nurse Manager, Regional Manager and Director in the field of Hemodialysis, Peritoneal dialysis, acute dialysis and home training. He has also worked closely with Nephrologists, Surgeons, and Internal Medicine Physicians in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and Hawaii. He has worked as a Nurse Manager in Wound Care and Anticoagulation Management in an outpatient hospital setting. His experience as Manager of Quality Assurance and Physician Credentialing helps him to work closely with physicians.

Kristin McCoy
Kristin McCoy began her career in WA WC in 1990 working with injured workers and their attorneys to navigate the WC claim process in an occupational health clinic. In 1995 she began managing the day to day activities of a small IME firm in Tacoma, including scheduling examiners and examinees. She began her career at MES Solutions 17 years ago opening their WA office working as the sole operational employee handling all examiner recruiting, scheduling, records, and quality assurance, growing the office to its current 48 employees. Her current position is Regional Vice President for the Western Region, serving 13 Western states. Most recently Kristin served as the IME company and examiner representative on the legislative work group formed to make recommendations on SB6440.

Sheila Oliver, RN
Sheila is a Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN) with a strong background in occupational health and workers' compensation case management. As an Occupational Nurse Case Manager with NurseWorks Northwest she collaborates with injured workers, medical providers, and claim adjudicators to ensure coordinated, effective patient care. In her role as a Clinical Excellence Analyst, Sheila is instrumental in onboarding and training new nurses, ensuring they are well-equipped to provide high-quality case management services. She also supports the nursing staff by ensuring that best practice guidelines are consistently followed, maintaining a high standard of care across the team. Her passion for clinical excellence and education supports both her colleagues and the injured workers they serve. Before transitioning to occupational nursing, she worked in a medical intensive care unit (ICU), where she gained valuable experience in acute patient care, critical thinking, and complex case management. During this time, she also served as a Quality Care Coordinator in the ICU, where she focused on ensuring high standards of patient care, monitoring outcomes, and implementing best practices for quality improvement. This foundation has enhanced her ability to assess and coordinate care for injured workers.

Brett Schoepper
Brett, as a partner with The Law Office of Gress & Clark, focuses his practice exclusively on representing employers in the State of Washington in workers’ compensation matters.  Prior to joining this practice, Brett worked as a Deputy District Attorney for the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office in Portland, Oregon.  As a Deputy District Attorney, Brett aggressively prosecuted numerous criminal cases to verdict.  Brett has put that invaluable trial experience to good use in his current litigation practice primarily advocating on behalf of his clients’ interests before the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals, Superior Court, Washington Court of Appeals and before the Supreme Court of the State of Washington.  Brett’s dynamic and forceful approach to contentious appeals has and continues to yield excellent results for his clients.  He too is extremely accessible and willing to work collaboratively to minimize potential exposure and best achieve a client’s goals.  He too has frequently been asked to speak on various industry topics on behalf of the Washington Self Insurers Association and has provided numerous training sessions with variety of claims examiners.  Please do not hesitate to contact Brett directly to see how he can be of service to you in addressing workers’ compensation claims in Washington State.

Cory Turner, CRC
Cory Turner is a CRC with over 21 years of experience in the vocational rehabilitation field in Washington State. She has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and holds a M.Ed., with an emphasis in Guidance and Counseling. For the last 15 years, she has developed her firm – Vocational Connections Inc – into a team of experienced counselors recognized for their integrity and professionalism and take pride in providing high quality services, ethical services to injured workers, third parties, and employers. She has been active as a member and participation on local Boards in the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals, WSIA, the Vocational Technical Stakeholders Group, and has volunteered to participate in several groups to improve the quality of vocational rehabilitation in the State of Washington. Ms. Turner has experience speaking at L&I, WSIA, and IARP sponsored events over the years. She strives to help identify win/win solutions to difficult situations with pride, honesty and integrity.

Lucia Wampler
Lucia Wampler is a Workers’ Compensation Claims Examiner in Sedgwick CMS’s Portland, Oregon office. She has been with Sedgwick since January 2007 and has handled claims for both Oregon and Washington jurisdictions. She is certified to adjudicate Workers’ Compensation claims in Oregon and Washington. Lucia began her career as a Workers Compensation Administrator in 1997. Lucia’s experience ranges from working directly in claims, to risk management and investigation services. Lucia is conversant with a wide range of workers’ compensation claims for self-insured and insured employers. Her passion is in continuing to bridge the gap with Self Insured Employers and Washington Department of Labor and Industries. Working collectively to take care of both injured workers and their employer’s best interest.

Gennia Wellington, WWCP
Gennia Wellington is the current Workers’ Compensation Manager for the self-insured self-administered workers’ compensation program at King County. She has over 20 years working in the workers’ compensation field. She is the proud bearer of the WWCP designation and WA State Self-Insured Department Claims Administrator certification.