Leaders
Bryan Allison
As a Director at XCelerate Technology a & Consulting, LLC, Bryan contributes over 20 years of information technology experience. He assists with information technology regulatory compliance (Sarbanes Oxley, HIPAA), internal audit, information privacy and security, fraud prevention, disaster recovery, SOC reporting, and business continuity.
In prior roles, Bryan worked for Big 4 accounting and helped build a Cybersecurity practice by developing and performing services such as information security risk assessments, network penetration testing, healthcare security assessments, vulnerability management, security awareness training and phishing campaigns. His clients come from wide variety of industries including retail, manufacturing, banking, healthcare, food & beverage, insurance, agriculture, transportation, and gaming.
Bryan currently holds the following certifications: Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE), and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC).
Florence W. Bauer
Florence Bauer is a healthcare senior manager at HORNE and specializes in providing assurance and advisory services to clients in the healthcare industry. Florence is also one of the leaders in HORNE's Healthcare focus area in providing strategic guidance and other advisory services related to federal funding associated with the coronavirus pandemic. The submission and subsequent audit of these funds are especially complex given the variety of guidance and regulation across entity types.
With more than 12 years of experience in public accounting, Florence has provided assurance and advisory services to many healthcare entities such as hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, retirement facilities and companies providing pharmacy services. These organizations vary in type, requiring extensive knowledge and experience regarding not-for-profits and governmental entities as well as for-profits. As a leader in the research and implementation of new GASB or FASB accounting standards, Florence possesses a deep understanding of governmental and no-for-profit accounting principles and leverages her expertise to guide her team and clients through complex regulatory changes.
She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy from Millsaps College. She is also a Certified Healthcare Financial Professional and Certified Specialist Accounting & Finance.
Kevin Blackwell
Kevin Blackwell was first elected as State Senator for District 19 in 2015, representing DeSoto and Marshall Counties. He was subsequently re-elected in 2019 and 2023.
Kevin has a diverse professional healthcare career spanning over 40 years. Beginning as a Hospital Corpsman in the U.S. Navy, Kevin’s leadership capabilities eventually guided him toward senior management positions within the healthcare industry.
Kevin’s collegiate achievements include an Associate in Arts degree from San Diego Mesa College, a Bachelor of Business Administration from National University, and a Master of Science in Health Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medical College of Virginia.
Kevin is currently a small business owner being the founder and co-owner of two Limited Liability Companies, DeSoto Imaging Specialists, a radiological diagnostic imaging company; and DeSoto Medical Plaza a 29,000 square foot multi-tenant medical office complex.
Serving an active role in his community Kevin served two four-year terms as Chairman for the DeSoto County Republican Party; served as President of the Southaven Chamber of Commerce; President of the Rotary Club of Olive Branch; is a past member of the Executive Board of the DeSoto County Economic Council and a 1999 graduate of Leadership DeSoto. He was awarded the Southaven Chamber Ambassador of the Year for 2010, and is a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow.
Legislatively Kevin serves as Chairman of Medicaid, and Vice Chairman of Elections. In addition he serves on the following committees: Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency (AET); Business & Financial Institutions; Constitution; Highways & Transportation; Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation Expenditure and Review (PEER); and Public Health. Kevin also represents the Mississippi Senate serving on the Council of State Governments (CSG) Shared State Legislation (SSL) Committee.
Jason Brooks
Jason D. Brooks, CPA is a partner with Watkins, Ward and Stafford, PLLC. He currently serves as the Director of Quality Control where he is responsible for the firm's compliance with professional auditing
and accounting standards. Since joining the firm in 2001, his practice has been concentrated in the areas of governmental and nonprofit auditing and advisory services with a focus on single audits. Jason holds a Bachelor of Accountancy degree from Mississippi State University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Mississippi Board of Certified Public Accountants, and the
Mississippi Society of CPAs.
Andrew Donahue
Andrew Donahue is a certified public accountant and director of healthcare finance policy at HFMA. He is based in Washington, D.C. Prior to HFMA, Andrew served on Capitol Hill as a senior political advisor and legislative assistant for health care policy. After Washington, Andrew held various roles leading for-profit and nonprofit healthcare systems across the country. Andrew earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in health administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a Fellow with the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
Wendell S. Hariel
Shane has over 33 years of experience providing services exclusively to healthcare entities with a primary focus on hospitals, rural health clinics and long term care providers. His focuses include cost reporting services, regulatory and statutory analysis, feasibility analysis, supplemental payment consulting, Medicaid strategic consultation, disproportionate share payment studies, Medicare bad debt optimization services, and reimbursement policy consultation.
Shane received his Bachelor’s of Accounting from the University of Southern Mississippi. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants, and Healthcare Financial Management Association.
Baxter Howell
Baxter is a manager at Forvis Mazars. He has six years of public accounting experience providing auditing and consulting services to healthcare, commercial services, and governmental organizations.
He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Mississippi chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
Baxter is a member of the Forvis Mazars Foundation Committee. He also serves as treasurer on the board of directors for the Andrew Jackson Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
He is a graduate of Mississippi State University, Starkville, with a B.Acc. degree and an M.P.A. degree.
Shenika Russell
Shenika Russell, RN, MSN, MBA
Shenika Russell is the current Administrator and Director of Nursing of Perry County General Hospital with ForrestHealth. Perry County Hospital is newly converted from a Critical Access Hospital to a Rural Emergency Hospital. Shenika began her career at Forrest General Hospital 22 years ago as a surgical technologist before pursuing nursing. She graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Nursing from Pearl River Community College and worked as a PeriAnesthesia and Operating Room Nurse at Tulane University Hospital in New Orleans, LA. During that time, she pursued her Bachelor Degree in Nursing from South University and then her Master Degree in Nursing from Walden University. She returned to ForrestHealth to be the manager of multiple units. She eventually went back to school and graduated with her Master in Business Administration because she wanted to advance her knowledge and career into the industry side of healthcare.
Jennifer Wentworth
Jennifer Wentworth is the Chief Financial Officer for the Mississippi Division of Medicaid and is one of two Deputy Executive Directors for the agency. She has worked for the Division since 2018 overseeing Finance, Reimbursement and Payment Methodology, Healthcare Pricing, Procurement and Contracts, Third Party Recovery and Managed Care Financial Oversight, and she is a Certified Governmental Financial Manager.
Prior to her time at Medicaid, Ms. Wentworth worked at the Mississippi Department of Revenue for over 21 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Mississippi State University. She and her family live in Clinton, Mississippi.
