Guardian Group adds fellowship-trained psychiatrist Amy Woods as QME

The Guardian Group, LLC has added board-certified psychiatrist Amy Woods, MD, as a Qualified Medical Evaluator in California. Woods will provide psychiatry exams and reports from multiple Southern California and Central Valley locations.

Why it matters: - Dr. Amy Woods expands The Guardian Group’s psychiatry QME capacity in California. - Her addition gives attorneys, claims adjusters, and injured workers another evaluator option for psychiatric disability and causation reviews. - The appointment adds exam access across 10 California locations.

What happened: - The Guardian Group announced that Amy Woods, MD, has joined the company as a Qualified Medical Evaluator in the specialty of Psychiatry. - Woods will conduct QME exams in California. - The announcement was dated June 17, 2026. - The release identified Santa Ana, California, as the location of the announcement.

The details: - Woods is a board-certified psychiatrist. - Woods completed fellowship training at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. - Woods earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. - Woods completed residency training at the UCLA/San Fernando Valley VA Program. - Woods was appointed Chief Resident during fellowship training at UCLA. - Woods’ clinical experience covers depression, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, substance use disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. - The Guardian Group said Woods’ QME process will emphasize concise reporting, fair and objective analysis, explanation of apportionment and causation, medical evidence-based conclusions and timely classification of maximum medical improvement. - Woods has registered QME exam locations in San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Westminster, Bakersfield, Long Beach, Cathedral City, Riverside, Madera, Indio and Pico Rivera. - The Guardian Group describes itself as a leader in Qualified Medical Evaluations and SIBTF cases in California. - The company says it is a preferred evaluator for attorneys, claims adjusters and injured workers seeking timely resolution.

Between the lines: - The new QME likely strengthens The Guardian Group’s footprint in workers’ compensation and related psychiatric evaluation work. - Multiple exam sites suggest an effort to improve access across Southern California and the Central Valley. - Woods’ training path points to a credentials-focused hire aimed at report quality and defensibility.

What's next: - Woods is expected to begin or continue accepting QME examinations at the listed California sites. - The Guardian Group is likely to use Woods to expand psychiatric evaluation coverage for case referrals in the state.