Council Press Releases

July 21, 2008

Health Care Council Announces 2008-2009 Board

Health Care Council Announces 2008-2009 Board

NASHVILLE  – The Nashville Health Care Council has announced the 2008-2009 Board of Directors and newly appointed Chairman Thomas G. Cigarran, chairman of Healthways.

Cigarran will succeed Wayne T. Smith, chairman, president & CEO of Community Health Systems, who had served as chairman since 2006. Joey A. Jacobs, chairman, president & CEO of Psychiatric Solutions, was appointed vice chairman.

“I look forward to working with Council members and other health care industry leaders to support a positive business environment for existing and start-up health care companies, to foster the next generation of health care leaders and entrepreneurs, and to further raise Nashville’s profile as a health care industry capital,” said Cigarran.

Four new members joined the board on July 1 for three-year terms, including Cigarran, Victor L. Campbell, senior vice president, HCA; Jim Houser, president & CEO, Saint Thomas Health Services; and Ben R. Leedle, Jr., president & CEO of Healthways.

Appointed to renewed three-year terms were Jacobs, Gary A. Brukardt, chairman & CEO, Specialty Care Services Group; Herbert A. Fritch, president & CEO, HealthSpring; and C. Brian Shipp, CEO Southeast Region, AMERIGROUP.

Seven new members were appointed to serve for one-year, including Leadership Health Care Chair Teresa Sparks, CFO, Symbion; James Bearden, CEO, Gresham, Smith & Partners; Dion Shiedy, partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers; Tom Stephenson, president & CEO, Healthcare Management Systems; William W. Stitt, managing director, Deutsche Bank Securities; R. Riley Sweat, managing director, Raymond James & Associates; and John R. Voigt, Esq., partner, Sherrard & Roe.

“We are honored to have such highly-respected industry leaders serving on the Council’s Board of Directors,” said Council President Caroline Young. “These board members bring valuable, world-class industry experience and leadership to the organization, and we are pleased to have their support and participation as the Council continues to grow and expand its program activities.”

The Health Care Council, founded in 1995 as an initiative of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, is an association of health care industry leaders working together to further establish Nashville’s position as the nation’s health care industry capital. For more information on the Council, please visit www.healthcarecouncil.com.

2008-2009 Nashville Health Care Council Board of Directors

Chairman – Thomas G. Cigarran, Chairman, Healthways (headshot provided)
Vice Chairman – Joey A. Jacobs, Chairman, President & CEO, Psychiatric Solutions

James Bearden, CEO, Gresham, Smith & Partners
Richard M. Bracken, President & COO, HCA
Gary A. Brukardt, Chairman & CEO, Specialty Care Services Group
Victor L. Campbell, Senior Vice President, HCA
William Carpenter, President & CEO, LifePoint Hospitals
Reginald W. Coopwood, M.D., FACS, CEO, Metropolitan Nashville Hospital Authority
Richard E. Francis, Jr., Chairman & CEO, Symbion
Herbert A. Fritch, President & CEO, HealthSpring
Vicky B. Gregg, President & CEO, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
Jim Houser, President & CEO, Saint Thomas Health Services
A.J. Kazimi, CEO, Cumberland Pharmaceuticals
Jim Lackey, CEO, PASSPORT Health Communications
Ben R. Leedle, Jr., President & CEO, Healthways
Samuel E. Lynch, DMD, President and CEO, BioMimetic Therapeutics
Kenneth P. McDonald, Past President, AmSurg Corp.
Keith Pitts, Vice President, Vanguard Health Systems
Dion Shiedy, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
C. Brian Shipp, CEO Southeast Region, AMERIGROUP
Wayne T. Smith, Chairman, President & CEO, Community Health Systems
Teresa Sparks, CFO, Symbion, Inc./Chair Leadership Health Care
Tom Stephenson, President & CEO, Healthcare Management Systems
William W. Stitt, Managing Director, Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc.
R. Riley Sweat, Managing Director, Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
David T. Vandewater, President & CEO, Ardent Health Services
John R. Voigt, Esq., Partner, Sherrard & Roe, PLC

Ex Officio
James W. Bradford, Dean, Owen Graduate School of Management
William C. O’Neil, Jr., Director, Healthways
Ralph J. Schulz, Jr., President & CEO, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
Caroline Young, President, Nashville Health Care Council

Past Chairmen (Ex Officio)
Jack O. Bovender, Jr., Chairman & CEO, HCA
Thomas G. Cigarran, Chairman, Healthways
James E. Dalton, Chairman, Signature Health Corporation
Thomas F. Frist, Jr., M.D., Chairman Emeritus, HCA
Joseph C. Hutts, CEO, BreatheAmerica
Harry R. Jacobson, M.D., Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Ken Melkus, Senior Advisor, Welsh, Carson, Anderson, & Stowe
Martin S. Rash, Chairman, American Pathology Partners, Inc.
H. Rusty Siebert, Chairman & CEO, Winchase Gulf Coast Properties
R. Clayton McWhorter, (Past Chairman Partnership 2010), Chairman, Clayton Associates

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