Jim Berend, CPA, has agreed to an Executive Consultant leadership position with the Consulting Services Division of JTaylor. The former chief financial officer and executive vice president at USMD Health System has nearly 40 years of experience in healthcare finance and consulting.

“Jim is a phenomenal talent who possesses a fantastic level of expertise and experience in healthcare finance,” said Michael Malloy, Managing Partner at JTaylor. “His addition to our group will significantly enhance the depth and breadth of our practice’s capabilities. We feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to add someone of Jim’s caliber to our team.”

Berend has served as a senior executive, owner/partner, CFO, auditor and consultant across the healthcare spectrum. Among his positions were Executive Vice President and CFO at USMD, and Partner-level healthcare leadership positions with consulting firms Ernst & Young, Grant Thornton and Arthur Andersen.

“I am excited to assume my new role and responsibilities with JTaylor," Berend said. "The combination of skills and experience accruing from my long career in public accounting, consulting and the healthcare industry allows me to help clients in very unique ways.

“I am looking forward to helping hospital systems, physicians and other key players in healthcare be more effective in their mission, more efficient in their delivery and more financially successful.”

Berend received his Bachelor of Business Administration with highest honors from The University of Texas in Austin.

JTaylor, founded in 1999, is a professional services firm that provides accounting, assurance, consulting and tax services to clients located throughout the United States. It is distinguished from its peers by its high-end technical and strategic capabilities, its national firm caliber clientele and professional staff. JTaylor is recognized nationally as a leading healthcare consulting firm. For more information, go to www.jtaylor.com.