June 25, 2020
Drs. Brian Gordon and James Tacci Bring Exceptionally Strong Skills and Highly Relevant Experience to the Board
The New York State Workers’ Compensation Board today announced the hiring of Brian Gordon, M.D. and James A. Tacci, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., (FACOEM, FACPM), who will be joining the Board’s Medical Director’s Office. Dr. Gordon will serve as Medical Director and Dr. Tacci as the Board’s Executive Medical Policy Director.
In their new roles, Drs. Gordon and Tacci will oversee medical issues at the Board, with a key focus on ensuring high quality care and outcomes for injured workers. They will advise on the Board’s Medical Treatment Guidelines, NYS Workers’ Compensation Drug Formulary and medical fee schedules for provider reimbursement; issue medical opinions for complicated, disputed workers’ comp cases; provide expertise to Board leadership on important medical subjects; and help direct training for Board-authorized providers.
“We are extremely excited to welcome Drs. Gordon and Tacci to the Board,” said Chair Clarissa M. Rodriguez. “The depth of their knowledge and the breadth of experience they bring to the Board will help further our mission of getting injured workers the medical care they need to heal quickly and get back to work safely. The Board looks forward to the valuable contributions Drs. Gordon and Tacci will undoubtedly make as we continue striving to be better for workers and better for business.”
Dr. Gordon joined the Board on May 4, coming from St. Peter’s Hospital’s Spine and Neurosurgery Center, where he had been serving as the Medical Director, as well as a practicing orthopedic spine surgeon. Before St. Peter’s, Dr. Gordon was a Managing Partner at New York Spine and Neurosurgery. He is also a diplomate of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the National Board of Medical Examiners. Throughout his career, Dr. Gordon has been active in both the operative as well as non-operative treatment of cervical, thoracic and lumbar spinal conditions.
Dr. Gordon also has extensive experience in government. He was a member of the Schenectady County Legislature and has served as a consultant to the NYS Attorney General’s Office, the US Department of Justice, the NYS Department of Health Office of Professional Medical Conduct, and as an arbitrator for the Board’s Medical Director’s Office.
Dr. Tacci will join the Board on August 3, bringing a combination of medical and legal expertise. Most recently he’s served at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) as an attending physician and Associate Professor of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at Strong Memorial Hospital; Program Director of the Department of Public Health Sciences, General Preventive Medicine & Public Health Residency Program; and Medical Director for the URMC Travel Medicine/Passport Health Clinics in Rochester and Syracuse. Additionally, Dr. Tacci is an Attorney of Counsel at the law firm Barclay Damon, LLP, and is an independent consultant on medico-legal issues.
Dr. Tacci’s clinical practice includes comprehensive occupational medicine services for University of Rochester employees, as well as hundreds of local and regional employers. His work has included comprehensive management of work-related injuries and illnesses; complex determinations regarding diagnosis, causation, treatment and return-to-work capabilities; and on-site consultative activities for various medium-to-large employers. His work in the field of law has involved health and human services; professional malpractice; corporate and business transactions; and labor and employment law. Since 2007, Dr. Tacci has served on the Board’s Medical Treatment Guidelines Task Force, and later its Medical Advisory Committee, and has participated in the drafting of all our current medical treatment guidelines.
The New York State Workers’ Compensation Board protects the rights of employees and employers by ensuring the proper delivery of benefits and by promoting compliance with the law. For more information about the Board and the work it does, go to publicinfo@wcb.ny.gov.