Organ Transplantation has many clinical and financial issues that must be adhered to, not only for good clinical outcomes, but for CMS, Medicare, UNOS, OIG, ASHI, Joint Commission, IHLTS, and ESRD compliance. Simply stated - Organ Transplantation is one of the most regulated specialties in healthcare. Anyone who has had in-depth involvement in Organ Transplantation will acknowledge that the Medicare Rules and Regulations governing this cost-based system are extremely complex and often misinterpreted.
We recognize that because each Transplant Center is unique, so too are our consulting engagements. Guidry & East designs each project based on the specific needs of the client Transplant Center. Therefore, your specific needs may require a combination of several consulting categories...or one not addressed at all.
Chief Executive Officer
William Vaughan
Chief Operating Officer
Jim Guidry, MED, MBA
Chief Executive Officer
During his consulting career spanning three decades, Jim has successfully designed recruitment and retention strategies for management and clinical personnel both in the United States and overseas, provided a wide variety of consulting services including The Joint Commission mock surveys, interim management, and clinical, operational and financial consulting to surgical and transplant services for healthcare facilities. Founded in 1986, Jim's vision to build a company focused on attention to client needs has become the hallmark of Guidry & East's professional reputation. His vast experience in negotiating, communicating, and problem solving, in addition to his extensive network of healthcare professionals, has allowed Jim to offer his clients a variety of highly specialized consulting services. Jim received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He obtained his MEd from the University of Houston, and a MBA with a concentration in Healthcare Management from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas.
William Vaughan
Chief Operating Officer
William Vaughan is a nationally recognized consultant in organ transplant operations, and he has extensive experience in Medicare reimbursement. He was employed for 11 years by Aetna Life and Casualty Insurance in Hartford, Connecticut (a Medicare Intermediary). During that time, he served as an administrator of Medicare Part A field offices and of the Medicare End-Stage Renal Disease Reimbursement Program, concerned with tissue-typing laboratories and independent organ procurement agencies.
In addition, William was Vice President of Reimbursement at LifeLink Foundation, Inc., Tampa. William has worked as a consultant with a number of health care providers in the areas of financial reporting, record keeping and management. He has also helped new health care organizations develop financial and organizational structures.
Bill Rahm, MBA
Vice President, Reimbursement Services
Mr. Rahm has over 30 years of healthcare background, with extensive knowledge and experience in Medicare cost reporting rules and regulations. Bill's career includes positions as an Associate Auditor Investigator for the New York State Deputy Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Unit, Reimbursement Specialist with Blue Cross of Rochester, and managerial roles over Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement at the Division and Corporate levels with HCA, Triad Hospitals, and Horizon Health. Bill has also worked extensively on hospital appeals for submission to the PRRB Board and has numerous years experience creating models for monthly net revenue recognition. Bill received a BA in General Business from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York and an MBA from Rochester Institute of Technology.
Henry Randall, MD, FACS
Dr. Randall is Director of Abdominal Transplantation, Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery at Saint Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. Dr. Randall has more than 20 years of experience in transplantation and surgery of the liver, kidney, and pancreas. Prior to joining Saint Luke's, Dr. Randall was a staff adult transplant surgeon at Baylor Regional Transplant Institute performing (adult liver, kidney, & pancreas transplants), directed the pediatric liver transplant program at Children's Medical Center in Dallas, Texas; was Chief of Liver Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Surgery at the University of Louisville and served as a clinical instructor for the Liver and Renal Transplant Program at the University of California at San Francisco.
Dr. Randall is board certified by the American Board of Surgery, a Diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners, a member of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, the American Transplantation Society, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, is a member of many other professional societies, including the International Liver Transplantation Society, and the American & International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association. Dr. Randall has earned many rewards over his career and has published over 55 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters.
Pamela Gillette, MPH, RN, CNN
Ms. Gillette received her Master's degree in Health Systems Management from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is currently the Vice President of Transplant Services at Medical City Dallas, Dallas, Texas and has served on numerous UNOS Peer Review teams, as well as UNOS Committees. Prior to her current position, Pam served as the Executive Director of the Transplant Center at OUMC, Oklahoma City, and as the Operations Administrator of the Transplant Center at Mayo Clinic Arizona. During her time at Mayo Clinic, Pam held a faculty appointment at the Mayo College of Medicine, as an instructor in the School of Nursing. Pam's healthcare career began in Critical Care and migrated to hemodialysis, resulting in her being one of the founding Directors of Total Renal Care, Inc, the predecessor to today's DaVita, Inc. Pam has been an invited speaker for both dialysis and transplant educational conferences during the past 20 years.
Jesse D. Schold, Ph.D., M.Stat., M.Ed
Dr. Jesse Schold received his doctorate degree in Health Services Research from the University of Florida in 2007. Prior to this, he had received Masters degrees from North Carolina State University in both Statistics and in Mathematics Education. Dr. Schold remained on faculty at the University of Florida with appointments in Medicine, Health Policy and Epidemiology and Health Services Research. In 2009, Dr. Schold accepted an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic as an Assistant Staff in the Department of Quantitative Health Sciences. Dr. Schold currently serves as the Director of Outcomes Research for the Kidney and Kidney/Pancreas Transplant program and has a joint appointment as an Assistant Professor in the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Schold is actively involved in research and has over 90 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts. Dr. Schold is on the Editorial board for the American Journal of Transplantation and is a Member of the Scientific Technical Advisory Committee for organ transplantation. Dr. Schold is a primary and co-investigator on numerous grants from the National Institute of Health, industry and foundation sources and has been invited to speak at numerous national and international forums and presentations.
Caroline M. Wolfe, RN, BSN, CNN, CCTC
Ms. Wolfe is involved in the development and review of transplant service operations and dialysis programs, development of quality assurance systems, and the application of program analysis models for dialysis and transplant services. She is a Certified Clinical Transplant Coordinator and a Certified Nephrology Nurse.
Ms. Wolfe has over 20 years experience in all areas of dialysis and transplantation. She was the Senior Transplant Nurse Coordinator at Medical College Hospital of Ohio, where she was responsible for developing transplant policies and procedures, departmental budgets, coordination of transplant conferences, and working directly with patients in the transplant process. She has been involved in the development of a number of new training programs and is a frequent speaker on transplantation and dialysis issues.
Erica Heckenkemper, MHA, CHES
Ms. Heckenkemper has worked with Guidry & East since 2009. Erica was literally born into the world of transplant with her father being a former transplant administrator and healthcare consultant. Erica previously worked for a number of years with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the health outcomes, policies, and procedures for clinics and schools throughout the United States. Erica is very active in organ donation awareness and spends time volunteering for Louisianan Organ Procurement Agency and Legacy. Erica worked under the Chief Operating Officer for a year prior to obtaining her MHA at a HCA facility. Erica has experience in transplant operational and financial assessment of transplant programs, feasibility studies, CMS systems improvement agreements, CMS CoP's, and Medicare organ acquisition financial audits. Ms. Heckenkemper earned her Bachelor of Science in Community Health with an emphasis in Health Promotion from the University of Southern Mississippi and her Master's in Healthcare Administration from UAB in conjunction with Bellevue University.
We recognize that because each Transplant Center is unique, so too are our consulting engagements. Guidry & East designs each project based on the specific needs of the client Transplant Center. Therefore, your specific needs may require a combination of several consulting categories...or one not addressed at all.
Guidry & East Leadership
Jim Guidry, MEd, MBAChief Executive Officer
William Vaughan
Chief Operating Officer
Our Consulting Team
Guidry & East offers expert consulting services to Transplant Centers to bring efficiency, improve financial results, and enhance quality patient care. Our consulting team has collectively over 150 years of experience.
Jim Guidry, MED, MBA
Chief Executive Officer
During his consulting career spanning three decades, Jim has successfully designed recruitment and retention strategies for management and clinical personnel both in the United States and overseas, provided a wide variety of consulting services including The Joint Commission mock surveys, interim management, and clinical, operational and financial consulting to surgical and transplant services for healthcare facilities. Founded in 1986, Jim's vision to build a company focused on attention to client needs has become the hallmark of Guidry & East's professional reputation. His vast experience in negotiating, communicating, and problem solving, in addition to his extensive network of healthcare professionals, has allowed Jim to offer his clients a variety of highly specialized consulting services. Jim received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He obtained his MEd from the University of Houston, and a MBA with a concentration in Healthcare Management from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas.
William Vaughan
Chief Operating Officer
William Vaughan is a nationally recognized consultant in organ transplant operations, and he has extensive experience in Medicare reimbursement. He was employed for 11 years by Aetna Life and Casualty Insurance in Hartford, Connecticut (a Medicare Intermediary). During that time, he served as an administrator of Medicare Part A field offices and of the Medicare End-Stage Renal Disease Reimbursement Program, concerned with tissue-typing laboratories and independent organ procurement agencies.
In addition, William was Vice President of Reimbursement at LifeLink Foundation, Inc., Tampa. William has worked as a consultant with a number of health care providers in the areas of financial reporting, record keeping and management. He has also helped new health care organizations develop financial and organizational structures.
Bill Rahm, MBA
Vice President, Reimbursement Services
Mr. Rahm has over 30 years of healthcare background, with extensive knowledge and experience in Medicare cost reporting rules and regulations. Bill's career includes positions as an Associate Auditor Investigator for the New York State Deputy Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Unit, Reimbursement Specialist with Blue Cross of Rochester, and managerial roles over Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement at the Division and Corporate levels with HCA, Triad Hospitals, and Horizon Health. Bill has also worked extensively on hospital appeals for submission to the PRRB Board and has numerous years experience creating models for monthly net revenue recognition. Bill received a BA in General Business from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York and an MBA from Rochester Institute of Technology.
Henry Randall, MD, FACS
Dr. Randall is Director of Abdominal Transplantation, Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery at Saint Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. Dr. Randall has more than 20 years of experience in transplantation and surgery of the liver, kidney, and pancreas. Prior to joining Saint Luke's, Dr. Randall was a staff adult transplant surgeon at Baylor Regional Transplant Institute performing (adult liver, kidney, & pancreas transplants), directed the pediatric liver transplant program at Children's Medical Center in Dallas, Texas; was Chief of Liver Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Surgery at the University of Louisville and served as a clinical instructor for the Liver and Renal Transplant Program at the University of California at San Francisco.
Dr. Randall is board certified by the American Board of Surgery, a Diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners, a member of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, the American Transplantation Society, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, is a member of many other professional societies, including the International Liver Transplantation Society, and the American & International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association. Dr. Randall has earned many rewards over his career and has published over 55 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters.
Pamela Gillette, MPH, RN, CNN
Ms. Gillette received her Master's degree in Health Systems Management from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is currently the Vice President of Transplant Services at Medical City Dallas, Dallas, Texas and has served on numerous UNOS Peer Review teams, as well as UNOS Committees. Prior to her current position, Pam served as the Executive Director of the Transplant Center at OUMC, Oklahoma City, and as the Operations Administrator of the Transplant Center at Mayo Clinic Arizona. During her time at Mayo Clinic, Pam held a faculty appointment at the Mayo College of Medicine, as an instructor in the School of Nursing. Pam's healthcare career began in Critical Care and migrated to hemodialysis, resulting in her being one of the founding Directors of Total Renal Care, Inc, the predecessor to today's DaVita, Inc. Pam has been an invited speaker for both dialysis and transplant educational conferences during the past 20 years.
Jesse D. Schold, Ph.D., M.Stat., M.Ed
Dr. Jesse Schold received his doctorate degree in Health Services Research from the University of Florida in 2007. Prior to this, he had received Masters degrees from North Carolina State University in both Statistics and in Mathematics Education. Dr. Schold remained on faculty at the University of Florida with appointments in Medicine, Health Policy and Epidemiology and Health Services Research. In 2009, Dr. Schold accepted an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic as an Assistant Staff in the Department of Quantitative Health Sciences. Dr. Schold currently serves as the Director of Outcomes Research for the Kidney and Kidney/Pancreas Transplant program and has a joint appointment as an Assistant Professor in the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Schold is actively involved in research and has over 90 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts. Dr. Schold is on the Editorial board for the American Journal of Transplantation and is a Member of the Scientific Technical Advisory Committee for organ transplantation. Dr. Schold is a primary and co-investigator on numerous grants from the National Institute of Health, industry and foundation sources and has been invited to speak at numerous national and international forums and presentations.
Caroline M. Wolfe, RN, BSN, CNN, CCTC
Ms. Wolfe is involved in the development and review of transplant service operations and dialysis programs, development of quality assurance systems, and the application of program analysis models for dialysis and transplant services. She is a Certified Clinical Transplant Coordinator and a Certified Nephrology Nurse.
Ms. Wolfe has over 20 years experience in all areas of dialysis and transplantation. She was the Senior Transplant Nurse Coordinator at Medical College Hospital of Ohio, where she was responsible for developing transplant policies and procedures, departmental budgets, coordination of transplant conferences, and working directly with patients in the transplant process. She has been involved in the development of a number of new training programs and is a frequent speaker on transplantation and dialysis issues.
Erica Heckenkemper, MHA, CHES
Ms. Heckenkemper has worked with Guidry & East since 2009. Erica was literally born into the world of transplant with her father being a former transplant administrator and healthcare consultant. Erica previously worked for a number of years with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the health outcomes, policies, and procedures for clinics and schools throughout the United States. Erica is very active in organ donation awareness and spends time volunteering for Louisianan Organ Procurement Agency and Legacy. Erica worked under the Chief Operating Officer for a year prior to obtaining her MHA at a HCA facility. Erica has experience in transplant operational and financial assessment of transplant programs, feasibility studies, CMS systems improvement agreements, CMS CoP's, and Medicare organ acquisition financial audits. Ms. Heckenkemper earned her Bachelor of Science in Community Health with an emphasis in Health Promotion from the University of Southern Mississippi and her Master's in Healthcare Administration from UAB in conjunction with Bellevue University.