The Guardian Group adds psychiatrist Michael Kelly as California QME

The Guardian Group, LLC said June 18, 2026, that board certified, fellowship trained psychiatrist Michael Kelly, MD, has joined the firm as a Qualified Medical Evaluator in California. His new QME exam locations span 11 cities and add forensic psychiatry expertise to workers’ compensation and medical-legal evaluations. Why it matters: - Michael Kelly’s addition expands The Guardian Group’s psychiatry QME capacity in California. - The role matters because QME reports can influence apportionment, causation, maximum medical improvement and case resolution. - Kelly’s background in forensic psychiatry and justice-involved populations adds specialized medical-legal experience to the firm’s evaluator roster. What happened: - The Guardian Group, LLC announced that Michael Kelly, MD, has joined the firm as a Qualified Medical Evaluator in psychiatry. - The announcement was issued June 18, 2026, from Santa Ana, California. - Kelly is board certified and fellowship trained in psychiatry. - The Guardian Group says Kelly has registered QME exam locations across California. The details: - Kelly’s QME evaluation and report 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. - Kelly’s registered exam locations include San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Santee, Downey, San Pedro, Mojave, Chino Hills, Stockton, San Diego, Merced and Sacramento. - Kelly completed his psychiatry residency at New York University and served as chief resident. - Kelly completed fellowships at Stanford University and the University of California, Davis, where he served as chief fellow. - Kelly earned his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine. - Kelly graduated cum laude with a B.A. in communicative disorders from San Francisco State University. - Kelly has held senior roles across clinical, academic and forensic psychiatric settings. - Kelly has led multidisciplinary teams, directed fellowship and training programs, and overseen psychiatric services within hospital and legal systems. - Kelly is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences. - Kelly has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and co-authored books and textbook chapters in forensic psychiatry and medical-legal scholarship. Between the lines: - The Guardian Group is signaling that it wants evaluators with both clinical depth and legal-system experience. - The emphasis on objectivity, causation and MMI suggests the firm is targeting contested cases where documentation quality can affect outcomes. - The broad California location list points to a statewide strategy for easier access to evaluations. What’s next: - Kelly will begin serving as a QME through The Guardian Group’s California exam network. - Attorneys, claims adjusters and injured workers will likely see another psychiatry option for medical-legal evaluations in the state. - The company positions the addition as part of its broader work in Qualified Medical Evaluations and SIBTF cases in California. The bottom line: - The Guardian Group is adding a psychiatry QME with strong forensic and academic credentials to support California medical-legal cases.