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EXECUTIVE TEAM
Gregory M. Walker, Chief Executive Officer, as a venture capitalist has focused the predominance of his vocation on health sector business development. Early in his career with a degree in Business Management from the University of Houston, Mr. Walker managed start-up out-patient oncology clinics and FDA trials in South Texas, before moving onto private venture capitalization for emerging companies throughout North and South America. Through this work, he noted recurring issues relating to seniors and thus began to explore potential business opportunities that would address the void in the current healthcare delivery system for the largest growing population sector in America.
In 2001, Mr. Walker formed Gulf States Health Services, Inc. (GSHS) with a vision to be become the leading provider of rehabilitation and long term acute care throughout the Gulf South region focusing mainly on underserved communities.
D. Kirk Soileau, President and Chief Operating Officer, joined GSHS soon after its formation in 2001 with the direction to consolidate operations in the initial facilities and establish controls and corporate executive leadership to position the company for achievement of its envisioned growth strategies. With over 25 years in healthcare delivery and management, Mr. Soileau began his career as a clinician receiving his diploma in nursing from Charity Hospital of Louisiana at New Orleans. From there he earned a B.S. in Business from the College of St. Francis and a M.H.A from Tulane University. Mr. Soileau brings success in clinical systems redesign, program development, productivity and operational improvement strategies along with the ability to develop and foster strong constituent and physician relations.
During his career, Mr. Soileau has held progressive leadership positions in both the private and public healthcare sectors with the majority of his focus on acute care operations prior to joining GSHS.
Kevin E. Wolf, Vice President, Human Resources, joined GSHS in 2001 having spent the majority of his career in proprietary healthcare systems holding various progressive human resource management positions. Immediately prior to joining Gulf States, Mr. Wolf held a senior leadership position for a publicly held company focusing on employment management, training and regulatory compliance. The strength he brings to the organization is his ability to machinate new facility acquisitions into company standard having successfully done so within the Columbia/HCA system.
Mr. Wolf holds a BS degree in Business Administration with emphasis in Human Resources. His scope of responsibility encompasses the largest sector of the GSHS system, labor management and regulatory compliance.
Wendy Knight, VP, Strategy & System Integration, joined GSHS in early 2004 to assist the system with its growth strategy; shifting primarily from a Medicare patient base to other payor sources as dictated by the communities and physicians served within the Gulf States network. Additionally her responsibilities have evolved to encompass system marketing and business development. Ms. Knight holds a B.A. from Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, LA and a M.H.A. from Tulane University. In addition, she holds advanced training in contract negotiations from the Kellogg School of Management, sales and customer service training through the Sandler Institute and Workers Compensation sales training from the Ryan Institute.
Immediately prior to joining Gulf States, Ms. Knight worked as an independent consultant for stand-alone healthcare organizations focusing on third party payor growth, network development, managed care reimbursement analysis, contracting and client satisfaction. Ms. Knight was the Regional Manager of Contracting and Network Development for Tenet from 1994-2003. Her experience with contracting was evidenced by "same store" growth in net revenue derived from managed care relationships within the region from $206 million in FY 2000 to nearly $500 million by FYE 2002.
Larry R. Powell, Strategic Business Analyst, joined the Gulf States Health System in 2004 as a consultant to assist leadership with development of long term capital financing strategies and debt management control to better position the organization for growth. By late 2004, Mr. Powell assumed his current position as an integral member of Gulf States executive team supporting its strategic initiatives.
With over 30 years of diverse experience, including President and CEO positions for both private and publicly held domestic and international organizations within the petroleum, manufacturing and software sectors, Mr. Powell brings a seasoned portfolio of leadership skills to assist Gulf States as the emerging and largest provider of rehabilitation and long term acute care throughout Louisiana and the Gulf South region. Mr. Powell holds a B.S. in Accounting from Louisiana Tech. University, Ruston, and executive management training from Yale University, New Haven, CT.
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