HCA Announces Management Shakeup, Subsidiary

Nashville-based HCA announced on Friday an immediate "internal reorganization" that the nation's largest for-profit hospital chain said will "better align the company's structure with the future dynamics of the healthcare industry."

The changes include: the creation of a new subsidiary that will provide business services to other healthcare companies; a new structuring of provider operations; and integration of clinical quality performance with physician practice services, HCA said.

"Emerging changes in healthcare require us to take a new approach to many aspects of how we deliver care," said Richard M. Bracken, chairman/CEO of HCA. "Our refined structure is intended to better position HCA to take advantage of this evolution. In addition, we are excited about our plan to offer certain of HCA's industry-leading practices to other healthcare concerns."

Under the reorganization:

• R. Milton Johnson has been named president of HCA, while retaining his title and responsibilities as CFO. Johnson has been with HCA for nearly 30 years and was elected to the board of directors in 2009.
• Beverly B. Wallace, who most recently was president of HCA's Shared Services Group, becomes president of a new wholly-owned subsidiary that will provide revenue cycle, staffing services and supply chain management to other healthcare providers.

The list of management changes continues here.

Further management changes under the HCA reorg announced Friday:

• CMO Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, has been named president of HCA's Clinical and Physician Services Group. His expanded role will include responsibility for HCA affiliated physician practices, to integrate physician practices with the company's clinical and quality operations.
• Sam Hazen has been named president of Operations, a new position that will oversee operations at HCA's 164 hospitals and 106 freestanding surgery centers, in the United States and the United Kingdom. Since 2001, Hazen had been president of HCA's Western Group, where he oversaw operations at 63 hospitals in nine states. HCA's four operational group presidents now report to Hazen.
• Jon M. Foster, who has been president of HCA's Central and West Texas Division in Austin, TX, is now responsible for the company's operations in Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma and Wichita, KS.
• Chuck Hall, who has been president of HCA's Eastern Group in Florida, South Carolina and southern Georgia, now will be responsible for HCA's operations in Alaska, California, Nevada, Utah and Idaho.
• Bruce Moore, who has been president of HCA's Outpatient Services Group, becomes president, Operations and Service Lines Integration and is responsible for the company's Ambulatory Surgery Division, and service line integration, including behavioral health sciences and oncology.
• Paul Rutledge will continue to oversee HCA operations in Louisiana, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, New Hampshire, northern Georgia, Kansas City, and London, England.