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Claire M. Reynolds, BSN, RN, EMT-P, Medical Specialist
Nurse Paralegal | Medical-Legal Analyst | Critical Care Specialist
Southfield, Michigan
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Professional Summary
Claire Reynolds is a Nurse Paralegal at Ottenwess Law, where she integrates nearly a decade of critical care experience with advanced legal-medical expertise. A registered nurse since 2016, she has specialized in Medical and Surgical Intensive Care and holds certifications in Trauma Nurse Care, Trauma Care After Resuscitation,
and Paramedicine.
Claire also serves as a Medical Specialist with Michigan Task Force 1, the state’s Urban Search and Rescue team. In this role, she provides specialized medical support during large-scale emergencies and multistate disaster deployments. She additionally mentors new nursing graduates, guiding them toward less traditional but high-impact career pathways in healthcare and law.
At Ottenwess Law, Claire conducts in-depth medical claims analysis, develops comprehensive medical chronologies, and collaborates closely with attorneys to formulate evidence-based defense strategies in complex medical malpractice matters. Her background in ICU-level decision-making, emergency response, and advanced clinical assessment informs her ability to interpret nuanced medical data and translate it into precise, litigation-ready insight. Claire’s expertise enhances Ottenwess Law’s medical malpractice defense, healthcare litigation support, and hospital/physician risk-mitigation services.
Core Competencies
- Medical Record Review & Chronology Development
- Standards of Care Analysis (Nursing & Physician)
- Critical Care, Pre-hospital Care, & Emergency Medicine Interpretation
- Case Strategy Support for Medical Malpractice Defense
- High-Volume Document Organization & Triage
- EMR Data Extraction & Timeline Reconstruction
- Deposition & Trial Preparation Support
- HIPAA-Compliant Data Handling
- Clinical Algorithm & Pathway Interpretation
- Disaster Response Medicine & Mass-Casualty Support
Areas Of Special Focus
- ICU, MICU, SICU, CVICU case analysis
- Sepsis, stroke, trauma, and cardiac arrest event review
- Rapid response and code blue reconstruction
- Respiratory failure, ARDS, and ventilatory management
- Hemodynamic instability and vasopressor algorithms
- Surgical/medical postoperative complication evaluation
- Adverse event analysis and patient-safety review
- High-risk COVID-19 ICU management insights
Professional Experience
Nurse Paralegal
Ottenwess Law, PLC – Southfield, Michigan
March 2024 – Present
- Conduct detailed medical record analysis for complex malpractice cases across critical care, surgical,
emergency, and inpatient domains. - Develop structured medical chronologies often derived from thousands of pages of records, helping
attorneys rapidly understand clinical events. - Identify deviations, variances, or adherence to standards of care and provide clinically informed
interpretations to the legal team. - Assist with deposition preparation, medical literature sourcing, and case strategy development alongside
partners and associates. - Translate high-acuity medical concepts into clear, litigation-ready language for defense preparation and
expert collaboration.
Registered Nurse, ICU Float
Henry Ford Health – Detroit, Michigan
August 2023 – Present
- Float nurse supporting multiple ICU environments, rapidly adapting to diverse unit protocols and critical
care workflows. - Completed additional training including CCRN coursework and EKOS education.
- Integrated into new teams quickly to support high-acuity patient care across multiple hospitals.
Registered Nurse, MICU / CVICU / SWAT
Ascension Providence Rochester – Rochester, Michigan
January 2022 – April 2023
- Delivered specialized care in a 20-bed combined MICU/CVICU.
- Served as primary Rapid Response Nurse for a 290-bed hospital, providing early recognition and intervention for deteriorating patients.
- Performed proactive rounding to reduce rapid responses and ICU transfers.
- Trained and mentored new nurses and students in ICU practices.
- Completed Trauma Nurse Core Course (TNCC).
Registered Nurse, MICU
Beaumont Royal Oak – Royal Oak, Michigan
June 2019 – January 2022
- Provided critical care in a high-volume 20-bed MICU during major surges of COVID-19.
- Adapted to evolving clinical guidelines and contributed to improved patient communication metrics, earning multiple 5/5 Press Ganey scores.
Registered Nurse, Surgical Acute Care
Henry Ford Health – West Bloomfield, Michigan
June 2018 – January 2019
- Managed up to six postoperative and acute care patients in a fast-paced surgical unit.
- Enhanced shift efficiency by refining patient communication and care-planning workflows.
- Educated patients to improve understanding of treatment plans and reduce avoidable readmissions.
Professional Affiliations
- American Association of Critical Care Nurses
- Michigan Task Force 1 – Medical Specialist
- Eastern Michigan University Alumni Association
Honors & Recognition
- Three-time Daisy Award nominee for exceptional patient-centered care and communication.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Magna Cum Laude
Eastern Michigan University – Ypsilanti, MI
Graduated December 2016
Certifications
- Registered Nurse (Michigan)
- Paramedic
- Emergency Medical Technician
- Trauma Nurse Core Course (TNCC)
- Trauma Care After Resuscitation (TCAR)
- Medical Specialist, Michigan Task Force 1
Technical Proficiencies
- EMR systems (Epic, Cerner, etc.)
- Advanced PDF and document-triage tools
- Data extraction for medical-legal workflows
- Microsoft 365, Excel (advanced), SharePoint
- AI-assisted record review & summarization tools
Presentations
“Importance of Early Ambulation in Postoperative Joint Replacement Surgeries”
Discussed reduction of postoperative complications through early mobilization protocols and pain-reduction
strategies.
Community & Service
Medical Specialist – Michigan Task Force 1
Provides medical support for statewide and multistate disaster deployments when local resources are exceeded.
Mentorship for New Nurses
Guides recent graduates exploring nontraditional clinical and medical-legal career pathways.