Rachel O. Poynter
Associate

The best part about my practice is collaborating with healthcare providers to navigate the ever-changing regulatory landscape, to find effective and efficient solutions to identified problems, and most importantly to proactively identify issues before they become future problems.

Rachel Poynter focuses her practice on advising healthcare providers on operational, transactional and regulatory matters. These providers include hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, physician practices, behavioral health providers, clinically integrated networks, long-term care facilities, clinical research entities, pharmacies, laboratories and other ancillary service providers. Rachel is Board Certified in Health Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Through her experience with the Federal Anti-Kickback Statue, the Stark Law, the Texas Illegal Remuneration Act, HIPAA, EMTALA, and the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, among others, Rachel routinely counsels on best practices for healthcare providers to maintain compliance with the federal and state regulatory frameworks that affect their day-to-day operations. Rachel also guides clients through a variety of operational and administrative matters, including licensure, Medicare/Medicaid and other third-party reimbursement and appeals, vendor contracting, and more. In addition, she regularly assists providers of all types with entity formation and preparation of corporate documents, as well as mergers and acquisitions, and particularly in connection with the complex licensure and regulatory questions that can arise in the context of a transaction.

Before joining Gray Reed, Rachel served as the compliance and privacy officer of four physician-owned hospitals. Additionally, as a consultant, she aided a hospital in navigating the compliance aspects of a physician/hospital co-management agreement. During law school, she was an active member of the SMU Law Review Association, served as the editor of the SMU Annual Texas Survey and interned for the Office of General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service.

Representative Experience

Healthcare Matters

  • Representation of a Dallas-based medical practice in the sale of its assets to affiliates of one of the largest national health insurance companies.
  • Successful negotiation of a settlement resulting in no repayment of funds on behalf of a Dallas-based medical clinic in connection with an alleged overpayment.
  • Representation of a third party administrator in the buyout of its partner in a 50/50 joint venture management company, as well as the acquisition of the membership interest in an affiliated non-profit health organization.
  • Representation of a multi-state home health provider in connection with the acquisition of Maryland and Florida home health agencies.
  • Representation of a client in the sale of 80% of its radiation therapy centers located in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri to a newly created joint venture entity co-owned with a national company for $52,000,000 and a development arrangement with the joint venture valued at $600,000 per year.
  • Representation of a client in the financing and acquisition of an acute care hospital with Critical Access Hospital designation and adjoining Medical Office Building.  The hospital is the sole hospital located in the North Central Texas county where it is located.
  • Representation of a client in the financing and acquisition of 6 Freestanding Emergency Departments (“FSEDs”) located throughout the State of Texas from a Federal Bankruptcy Court proceeding for $9,970,000.
  • Representation of various physician practices in asset and stock transactions, including sales to national healthcare systems.
  • Representation of physician-owned hospital in successful application for waiver of emergency department requirement by Texas Department of State Health Services.
  • Representation of behavioral health provider in complex corporate reorganization and restructuring.
  • Representation of several nonprofit health organizations in formation and certification of entity by Texas Medical Board.
  • Representation of a variety of providers in completion of Medicare and Medicaid Provider Enrollment and Revalidation, as well as regulatory Changes of Ownership.
  • Representation of various providers in analysis of pass-through laboratory billing issues.
  • Representation of facility operator in private offering of membership interests in assisted living facility operating entity and real estate investment entity.
  • Representation of individual physicians and group practices in matters involving recruitment, employment, call coverage, and professional service arrangements.
  • Representation of a group purchasing organization in operational and contracting matters.
  • Representation of a variety of clients in creation, implementation and evaluation of compliance programs and policies.

Non-Healthcare Matters

  • Representation of a client in the financing and acquisition of a well-established 7 location restaurant chain located in Illinois for $16,060,000.
Thought Leadership / News
Honors
  • Named a Rising Star by Texas Super Lawyers (a Thomson Reuters company) as published in Texas Monthly and Texas Super Lawyers magazines (2022 - 2024)
  • Selected by her peers for inclusion in Woodward/White, Inc.'s The Best Lawyers in America "Ones to Watch" in the field of Corporate Governance and Compliance Law (2023 - 2024)
Organizational Involvement
  • American Health Law Association
  • Dallas Bar Association
  • Dallas Women Lawyers Association
  • Texas Bar Association
  • Texas Health Lawyers Association
Education
  • J.D., cum laude, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law (2016)
  • B.A., magna cum laude, Psychology, Auburn University (2013)
Bar Admission
  • Texas (2016)
When I Feel Most At Home
  • Cheering on the Auburn Tigers - War Eagle!
  • Reading historical fiction and watching super hero movies
  • Trying new board games and new types of wine