Consultants

Dr. Kendra Thornton is currently employed as an Assistant Professor/Site Coordinator in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Her responsibilities include coordinating the student’s clinical experience and teaching and leading courses in the program. She also works as A Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner for Forensic Nurse Staffing of West Texas, performing examinations for adult and pediatric victims of sexual assault and testifying in court cases as an expert. Dr. Thornton has performed over 300 sexual assault examinations.  She also performs as an adjunct faculty member for Excelsior College in Albany, New York, a clinical associate for testing, and a faculty member for courses at all levels of the associate degree program. Dr. Thornton also serves as a consultant to Island Development Corporation in the program development of healthcare access in affordable housing. Dr. Thornton is also a Board member and has taken an active role in creating the Non-Profit Table for All Peru to address socioeconomic factors and nutrition in the community of Pedregal Grande. She has led and participated in multiple Global Health medical and educational experiences for students.

Dr. Thornton’s background includes Critical Care bedside nursing and faculty as a critical care instructor at Covenant School of Nursing. Dr. Thornton is a member of the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN), serving on the Government Affairs Committee and the Academy of Forensic Nurses (AFN). She is also a member of the Texas Organization of Nurse Leaders (TONL), the National League of Nurses (NLN), and the Texas Nurse Association (TNA). Kendra Thornton is also designated as a Climate Ambassador with Climate for Health Organization and a member of the Texas Association of Forensic Nurses (TFN)

Dr. Thornton serves as a Girl Scouts of the South Plains board member and acts as a committee member on the Lubbock advisory board, finance committee, and board development committee.

Donna Neel received a diploma in nursing from Methodist School of Nursing in 1979, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1982 from West Texas State University, and a Master of Nursing Science from Lubbock Christin University in 2012. Donna has always loved to share her passion for nursing with others. In 2015, she landed one of her many dream jobs, teaching Maternal Child Health Nursing at Covenant School of Nursing where she is currently employed. In May 2024, Donna received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurse Educator when her roles as a Nurse Educator and Forensic Nurse collided as she assisted a nursing student in navigating her life as a victim of violence.

Over the past 45 years, Donna has served in various nursing roles; from the bedside to leadership, and education.  She spent the first 23 years in the Maternal-Newborn areas starting as a labor and delivery nurse and advancing to charge nurse, nurse manager, and eventually manager of all three Maternal-Newborn units and the Gynecology unit. Then in 2002, after working through the merger of two very competitive hospital obstetrical units, Donna made a radical position change that changed the trajectory of her nursing career. Donna spent the next 13 years in the Children's Emergency Department, starting as a bedside nurse on the night shift, and later advancing into a management role. After the long hard merger, the kids and their families restored her passion for nursing and drew her to becoming a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE). In 2003, Donna began taking SANE call for Forensic Nurse Staffing of West Texas.  She has performed over 600 forensic medical exams on victims who have suffered physical or sexual assault or abuse. Donna has testified as a fact witness and expert in civil, criminal, and military courts. She has provided expert SANE consulting in Federal court.

Donna has maintained her National Certification Cooperation (NCC) Inpatient Obstetrics certification since 1989, and her NCC certification in Electronic Fetal Monitoring since 2018. In 2005, Donna was certified by the Texas Office of the Attorney General as an Adult/Adolescent and Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (CA/CP SANE).  She received her Advance Forensic Nursing Certification (AFN-BC) in 2017, the International Association of Forensic Nurses SANE-A in 2018, and SANE-P in 2019.

Donna is a member of the American Nurses Association (ANA), Texas Nurse Association (TNA), Association of Women's Health, Obstetrical and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), National League of Nurses (NLN), International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN), and the Academy of Forensic Nurses (AFN).

Donna's goal to bring awareness regarding the public health issues of violence against others, child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking has opened many doors of opportunity for educational presentation at various community, nursing, and medical activities at the local and state levels. She has served her community as a member of the Lubbock Children's Advocacy Center's Multidisciplinary Team (CAC-MDT), Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), and Sex Trafficking Allied Response Team (START). She was elected to the state Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) Board as the SANE representative from 2015 to 2019. She was appointed to serve on the Lubbock Children's Advocacy Center and Office of the Governor's Child Sex Trafficking Team in the development of the Care Coordination Child Sex Trafficking Guidelines for Lubbock County in 2020. Donna was appointed by the Lubbock County Commissioner, to serve on the Lubbock County Sexual Assault Response Team (LCSART) in 2021.

Over Donna's years as a nurse, she has received numerous nursing awards for her service. Peer-nominated awards include Employee of the Month 1997, Pediatric Star of the Month January 2002, October 2006, and Excellence in Nursing May 2018. Agency-presented awards include the Award of Excellence presented by the Hi-Plains Chapter of the ENA - April 2007, Crime Victims Week Certification of Appreciation presented by TDPS - April 2016, Nurse of the Years presented by Texas Nurses Association District 18 - May 2018, and the South Plains Great 25 Nurses - October 2018.

LeeAnn Morwood, BSN, RN, is a registered nurse and medical malpractice consultant with nearly four decades of clinical experience and more than 12 years of legal consulting experience. Her practice spans operating room, preoperative, postoperative, PACU, outpatient surgery, emergency, cardiac, critical care, and procedural nursing.

LeeAnn currently serves as a circulating nurse on the general surgery team at University Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas. Her operative experience includes general, trauma, abdominal, and colorectal surgery, as well as work across surgical specialties when needed. She has also provided preoperative and phase II postoperative care, worked extensively in PACU, circulated gastrointestinal and pain-management procedures, and cared for patients undergoing cardiac, oral, and plastic surgery procedures.

Before joining CNE Forensic Nursing and Education Consulting in 2024, LeeAnn independently consulted on medical malpractice cases for more than 10 years. She assists both plaintiff and defense counsel with objective analysis of operating room and surgical care, perioperative nursing, PACU practice, circulating nurse responsibilities, cardiac care, clinical documentation, patient monitoring, communication, and nursing standards of care. Her consulting experience includes case review and deposition testimony.

LeeAnn’s earlier clinical background includes emergency nursing, cardiac telemetry, cardiac catheterization, cardiac critical care, surgical intensive care, and charge nursing. This breadth of experience allows her to evaluate care across the surgical continuum—from preoperative preparation and intraoperative nursing through recovery, discharge, and postoperative complications.

LeeAnn earned both her Associate Degree in Nursing (1989) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (1991) from Angelo State University.

Areas of Expertise

Operating Room Nursing  •  Surgical and Perioperative Care  •  Circulating Nurse Practice  •  Preoperative and Postoperative Care  •  PACU and Recovery Nursing  •  General and Trauma Surgery  •  Abdominal and Colorectal Surgery  •  Cardiac and Critical Care  •  Charge Nursing  •  Medical Record Review  •  Nursing Standards of Care

Detail oriented Registered Nurse with more than 20 years of professional leadership experience in the hospital setting. Clinical experience includes critical care and emergency nursing.  The past 27 years have been in nursing leadership roles. Proficient in the survey process including Joint Commission, CMS, Trauma and Stroke Surveys. A good working knowledge of state and federal regulations with a proven demonstration of critical thinking. A credentialed trauma surveyor through Texas Department of State Health Services and Texas, EMS, and Trauma Acute Care Foundation (TETAF) for Level III and IV Trauma centers in the State of Texas since 2007; survey 4-6 hospitals annually until 2022. 

Trained in LEAN methodology and Performance Improvement Principles, served as facilitator and leader for multiple projects in the past 20 years in various areas including Trauma, Stroke, Emergency Medicine, Hospital Throughput, and Behavioral Health.

Dr. Amy L. Anderson is a professor at Baylor University with over 30 years of experience in nursing, spanning clinical practice, academia, and consulting. Her consulting work includes law firms, professional organizations, non-governmental organizations, universities, and charitable institutions.

Prior to her appointment at Baylor University, Dr. Anderson held a dual role at Texas Christian University, where she contributed to the development of curriculum for an innovative new school of medicine and taught both nursing and medical students.

Dr. Anderson’s clinical expertise includes the operating room and surgical nursing. She has served as an orthopedic team leader and worked with a top cardiovascular operating room team in Chicago. Dr. Anderson also has specialized training in in-vitro fertilization, infection control, and team leadership.

She holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice with a focus in Executive Leadership from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Dr. Anderson is a licensed registered nurse and a certified Nurse Educator. She is a former scholar of the International Council of Nurses Global Nurse Leadership Institute Policy Program and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.

Jennifer “Jenny” Siegel is an experienced Family Nurse Practitioner with more than 30 years in nursing and over 25 years of advanced practice experience. Her clinical background encompasses primary care, urgent care, cardiology, renal disease, and hospital-based nursing, providing her with a broad perspective on the assessment and management of both acute and chronic medical conditions.

Jenny currently practices in primary and urgent care, where she conducts comprehensive physical examinations and diagnostic evaluations, diagnoses and manages acute and chronic conditions, develops evidence-based treatment plans, prescribes and manages medications, provides preventive care, and collaborates with physicians and other healthcare professionals.

Her advanced practice experience also includes more than a decade in cardiology, where she managed patients with acute and chronic cardiovascular conditions, utilized diagnostic testing in clinical decision-making, developed treatment plans, and coordinated patient care. She subsequently practiced in nephrology, evaluating and treating patients with renal disease in outpatient, dialysis, and hospital settings.

Prior to becoming a Nurse Practitioner, Jenny practiced as a registered nurse caring for patients with acute and chronic cardiac conditions. This combination of bedside nursing and decades of advanced practice experience gives her a comprehensive understanding of nursing assessment, clinical decision-making, interdisciplinary communication, documentation, and continuity of care.

As a nurse practitioner consultant, Jenny is available to assist with the objective review of cases involving advanced practice nursing and clinical care, including assessment and diagnosis, treatment planning, medication management, diagnostic testing, documentation, interdisciplinary communication, and issues related to primary, urgent, cardiovascular, and renal care.

Jenny earned both her Master of Science in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner Studies and Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. She has maintained Nurse Practitioner credentials since 2001 and has been a licensed Registered Nurse in Texas since 1994.

Areas of Expertise:
Family Nurse Practitioner Practice • Primary Care • Urgent Care • Cardiovascular Care • Renal Disease • Patient Assessment & Diagnosis • Medication Management • Diagnostic Testing • Treatment Planning • Nursing Documentation • Interdisciplinary Care

Robert “Bob” Clair, PT, CSMT is a physical therapist, private-practice owner, rehabilitation leader, and educator with more than 35 years of clinical experience in outpatient orthopedics, sports medicine, functional rehabilitation, and interdisciplinary care.

Throughout his career, Bob has combined hands-on clinical practice with extensive leadership and operational experience. He owned and operated Clair Physical Therapy in Plano, Texas, for 30 years, where he was responsible for patient evaluation and treatment, rehabilitation planning, clinical oversight, documentation, and practice operations. He currently practices with Therapy Partners, formerly Clair Physical Therapy. Earlier in his career, Bob served as Director of Physical Medicine at Baylor Richardson Medical Center, where he directed physical therapy services and developed a new Physical Medicine Department. His experience also includes sports rehabilitation, acute-care hospital practice, and home health physical therapy.

Bob’s clinical expertise encompasses orthopedic and sports rehabilitation, functional assessment, therapeutic exercise, spine and extremity conditions, balance and mobility, aquatic rehabilitation, and dry needling. He holds a Functional Dry Needling Level 1 Certificate of Achievement from Kinetacore and has completed extensive continuing education in orthopedic rehabilitation, manual therapy, spine and joint dysfunction, sports rehabilitation, and myofascial pain.

As a physical therapy consultant, Bob is available to assist both plaintiff and defense counsel with objective analysis of physical therapy care and rehabilitation-related issues. His consulting work may include review of medical and physical therapy records, evaluation of physical therapy practice and standards of care, treatment necessity and progression, documentation, functional limitations, rehabilitation planning, prognosis, and preparation for deposition or trial.

Bob earned his Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and a Bachelor of Science in Physical and Health Education from Temple University. His professional background also includes clinical and community education, professional presentations, and leadership service. He was selected as a medical provider for World Cup Soccer in Dallas in 1995 and has maintained longstanding involvement with professional physical therapy organizations.

With decades of experience spanning direct patient care, private-practice ownership, rehabilitation leadership, and education, Bob brings a practical and clinically grounded perspective to the evaluation of physical therapy care and rehabilitation issues in legal matters.