Vladimir Najarro — ADJ10990990

Applicant Vladimir Najarro sought to strike/disqualify the AME in psychiatry, Dr. Arnold Gilberg, alleging a disqualifying conflict of interest based on Dr. Gilberg's affiliation with applicant's employer, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where Dr. Gilberg was on the attending staff and listed in the hospital's network of psychiatrists. The WCJ found no factual or legal basis to strike the AME and denied the petition. The Board treated applicant's petition for removal as one for reconsideration because the Findings of Fact resolved a threshold issue (employment relationship), but evaluated the actual challenge under the removal standard since applicant only disputed the interlocutory discovery determination. The Board found that the sole evidence—Dr. Gilberg's March 18, 2020 letter—established he received no financial remuneration from the hospital and never accepted network referrals, so no disqualifying conflict existed under AD Rule 41.5. The Board denied the petition.