Steven Barna, MD, CLCP
Physician Life Care Planner
Dr. Barna is a nationally recognized, double board-certified Pain Management Physician and Certified Life Care Planner (CLCP). Harvard trained and with over two decades of clinical experience in trauma, pain, and disability medicine, Dr. Barna brings a deep understanding of injury, chronic pain, and life care planning to his role as an expert witness. His extensive medical expertise, combined with a balanced and objective approach to case evaluation, has made him a trusted resource for personal injury attorneys representing both plaintiffs and defendants.
Dr. Barna is the Co-Editor of the Handbook of Medical Aspects of Disability and Rehabilitation for Life Care Planning (Routledge, 2024), a comprehensive reference widely used by life care planning professionals. He serves on the Editorial Board of Pain Physician, the official publication of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, and is a peer reviewer for the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, the official journal of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association. He is also a former Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Life Care Planning. Dr. Barna has been recognized by Becker’s Orthopedic and Spine Review in their prestigious list of "150 Pain Management Physicians to Know."
Prior to relocating to Florida, Dr. Barna spent nearly a decade on faculty at Harvard Medical School, where he held dual appointments as Assistant Professor of Medicine and Assistant Professor of Anesthesia. During his tenure, he also served as Medical Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Pain Center. Following his time at Harvard, he spent nearly a decade as Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. In private practice, Dr. Barna was an Interventional Spine and Pain Physician and Partner at Florida Orthopaedic Institute, the largest multi-specialty orthopedic group in the state of Florida.
Dr. Barna remains in active clinical practice, providing patient consultations in Tampa and via telehealth throughout Florida. In addition to his clinical work, he lectures on pain management and life care planning for both medical and legal professionals. Over the past four years, he has provided expert testimony in approximately 200 cases across federal and state courts, offering clear opinions for both plaintiff and defense counsel.
He is an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, North American Spine Society, International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals / International Academy of Life Care Planners Section, Association of Certified Life Care Planners, and the American Academy of Physician Life Care Planners.
Dr. Barna’s unique combination of clinical expertise, academic leadership, and extensive experience as an expert witness makes him an invaluable asset to legal teams seeking a highly qualified, credible, and articulate life care planning and medical expert in personal injury cases.
Dr. Barna's credentials include:
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B.S., University of Michigan
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M.D., Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
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Post-Doctoral training at Harvard Medical School and Mass General Brigham in Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology, and Pain Medicine
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American Board of Anesthesiology, Board Certification in both Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
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International Commission on Health Care Certification, Certified Life Care Planner
"I have known and worked with Dr. Barna as an expert for several years. Dr. Barna combines the rare qualities of intellectual brilliance, gifted healer, professional passion and patient compassion. He is an excellent communicator and has a great rapport with, most importantly, injured people.
His service as a Life Care Planner is extremely effective due to the above character traits and also the following: (1) he is a licensed medical doctor; (2) he has received the highest level of Life Care Planner certification and (3) he continues to have an active clinical practice. In other words, it would be difficult, if not impossible, for his expert testimony to be disqualified and he is a very persuasive patient advocate. I highly endorse Dr. Barna."
-C.R., Plaintiff's Attorney
“outstanding doctor”
“personable, knowledgeable, and thorough”
“found him to be patient, thorough and empathic”
“compassionate, competent and thorough”
“very kind and understanding of what my issues have been”
“very informative explaining everything and really listened and understood my condition”
“very professional , warm and friendly”
“highly professional, focused, and really cared about me”
