Independent Psychiatric Record Review & Expert Consultation
The Forensic Psychiatry Division of BeyondBridge provides independent psychiatric standard-of-care evaluations and expert consultation for attorneys, courts, healthcare organizations, insurers, and governmental agencies involved in medical-legal matters.
Evaluations are conducted by Santiago Almanzar, MD, FAPA, a dual board-certified psychiatrist with fellowship training in Forensic Psychiatry. Dr. Almanzar combines specialized forensic training with extensive clinical experience to provide objective psychiatric opinions through comprehensive record review, accepted forensic methodology, and independent medical judgment.
Psychiatric standard-of-care evaluations address questions regarding the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, documentation, and clinical decision-making provided in psychiatric practice. The purpose of these evaluations is to assist attorneys, courts, and other decision-makers through impartial psychiatric analysis grounded in accepted standards of medical practice rather than advocacy for either party.
Every opinion is developed through careful review of the available records, relevant medical literature when appropriate, and independent psychiatric analysis. Written reports are prepared with attention to clarity, scientific rigor, and relevance to the specific legal questions presented.
Practice Areas
Psychiatric Standard-of-Care Review
- Independent evaluation of whether psychiatric care was consistent with accepted standards of professional practice.
Independent Psychiatric Record Review
- Comprehensive review and analysis of psychiatric, medical, hospital, correctional, pharmacy, and other relevant records.
Expert Consultation
- Medical-legal consultation for plaintiff and defense counsel regarding psychiatric issues, standards of care, case development, and expert analysis.
Expert Testimony
- Deposition and trial testimony in state and federal courts when requested.
Evaluation Process
Each engagement is tailored to the referral question and may include:
- Comprehensive review of psychiatric, medical, hospital, pharmacy, correctional, and other relevant records
- Review of depositions, expert reports, and additional case materials when appropriate
- Analysis of the applicable standard of psychiatric practice
- Independent psychiatric opinion addressing the referral questions
- Preparation of a detailed written expert report
When requested, Dr. Almanzar is available for consultation with retaining counsel, deposition testimony, and expert witness testimony.
Professional Independence
Objectivity is the cornerstone of forensic psychiatric practice. Every opinion is developed through independent medical judgment following careful review of the available information and application of accepted psychiatric principles. The role of the forensic psychiatrist is to assist attorneys, courts, and other decision-makers by providing impartial medical analysis rather than advocating for either party.
Separation from Clinical Practice
The Forensic Psychiatry Division operates independently from the clinical psychiatric services of BeyondBridge.
Psychiatric standard-of-care evaluations are conducted exclusively for legal and administrative purposes and do not establish a physician-patient relationship. No psychiatric treatment, medication management, psychotherapy, or ongoing clinical care is provided as part of a forensic engagement.
The client in a forensic matter is the retaining attorney, court, governmental agency, healthcare organization, insurer, or other authorized entity. Information obtained during the engagement may be incorporated into written reports or disclosed during depositions, testimony, arbitration, mediation, or other legal proceedings consistent with the purpose of the evaluation.
Professional Fees
Forensic psychiatric services are billed as follows:
- $700 per hour for record review, interviews, consultation, report preparation, and related professional services
- $900 per hour for deposition testimony (two-hour minimum)
- $900 per hour for hearing or trial testimony (half-day minimum)
A retainer is required before work begins. Professional fees are based solely on the professional time devoted to the matter and are never contingent upon the outcome of any legal proceeding.
Case Acceptance
The Forensic Psychiatry Division of BeyondBridge maintains a selective forensic consultation practice and accepts a limited number of psychiatric standard-of-care referrals each year to ensure every engagement receives the time, attention, and scholarly analysis it deserves.
Before accepting an engagement, Dr. Almanzar conducts a preliminary review to determine whether the referral falls within his areas of expertise, whether sufficient information is available to address the referral question, whether adequate time is available to complete the evaluation, and whether any conflicts of interest exist.
The Forensic Psychiatry Division reserves the right to decline any referral because of conflicts of interest, scheduling limitations, insufficient available information, or when the requested services fall outside the scope of Dr. Almanzar’s expertise or professional judgment.