AMC's Chip Herbert, MD joins LifePoint Physician Leadership Group
3/23/2009
Brentwood, Tenn. (March 23, 2009) - LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPNT), a leading provider of hospital services in non-urban communities, has formed a Physician Leadership Council to serve as an advisory group of physician leaders from among LifePoint's network of hospitals. The group will be instrumental in providing company management with insight and advice into the health care needs, opportunities and challenges faced by non-urban communities.
"Physicians are LifePoint's lifeline to the communities in which we operate. They know their patients' most pressing health concerns, how patients are feeling about the services we provide, where we are succeeding and where we have room for improvement," said Lanny Copeland, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of LifePoint Hospitals. "Through the Council's findings and recommendations, we will seek to improve our ability to provide physicians with the tools they need to help us fulfill our mission of making our communities healthier."
The Council consists of physician leaders from a cross-section of LifePoint's 47 hospitals. Members serve two-year terms with the option of a second term. Dr. Copeland engages the Council in identifying ways in which LifePoint can better serve its communities, hospitals and medical staffs. Areas for exploration include such topics as quality improvement, the efficacy of corporate and hospital policies and procedures, and physician relations and retention, among others.
"It is more important than ever that physicians, hospitals and healthcare corporations work together to face the changes and challenges of the healthcare industry," said William Carpenter, President and Chief Executive Officer of LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. "LifePoint strives to make each hospital a place where physicians want to practice. We are fortunate to have so many outstanding physicians affiliated with our hospitals, and we value their input in all that we do. The Physician Leadership Council gives us a new vehicle through which to seek their input for the benefit of our patients and communities."
Members of LifePoint's Physician Leadership Council for 2009 are:
- Louis Benevento, M.D., Memorial Medical Center of Las Cruces, Las Cruces, N.M.
- Hitendra Chaunhan, M.D., Havasu Regional Medical Center, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
- Michael Citak, M.D., Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital, Somerset, Ky.
- Gregory Clifford, M.D., Lander Valley Medical Center, Lander, Wyo.
- Michael Cox, M.D., Livingston Regional Hospital, Livingston, Tenn.
- Chip Hebert, M.D., Acadian Medical Center, Eunice, La.
- Donald Kruglet, M.D., Colorado Plains Medical Center, Fort Morgan, Colo.
- Judd Lindley, M.D., Raleigh General Hospital, Beckley, W.Va.
- Sara Pasqualoni, M.D., Los Alamos Medical Center, Los Alamos, N.M.
- Douglas Rogney, M.D., Wytheville County Community Hospital, Wytheville, Va.
- Kenneth Russell, M.D., Parkview Regional Hospital, Mexia, Texas
- Donald Weller, M.D., Meadowview Regional Medical Center, Maysville, Ky.