Ardent Health Services President & CEO Announces Retirement from Company

David T. Vandewater, 30+ Year Healthcare Veteran, Departing Ardent in 2020

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--David T. Vandewater, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ardent Health Services, has announced his plans to retire from the company in 2020. He will remain as President and CEO until a successor is named.

Vandewater joined the company as chairman of Behavioral Healthcare Corporation, Ardent’s predecessor company, in February 2001. Later that year, he was appointed president and chief executive officer and expanded the company’s focus to include acute care hospitals and healthcare systems. Ardent has become the third largest private investor-owned healthcare company in the United States with 30 hospitals in six states, 26,000 employees, nearly 1,400 employed providers and over $4.4 billion in revenue.

Russell Reynolds has been retained to support the search efforts for a successor. “I look forward to a new beginning while remaining committed to Ardent’s purpose of caring for others,” said David T. Vandewater, President and CEO of Ardent Health Services. “Having doubled the size of the company in a three-year period is a testament to our unique partnership business model with leading academic health centers and not-for-profit health systems.” Ardent has successfully implemented joint ventures with the University of Texas System, Seton Healthcare Family System, UNM Health System, The University of Kansas Health System, Portneuf Health, and Hackensack Meridian Health.

Mr. Vandewater added, “We have built a great team with exceptional leadership and talent throughout the organization, and we continue to foster a culture that enables our dedicated staff to deliver compassionate and quality care to patients.”

Vandewater holds a Master’s degree in healthcare administration and has served in a variety of executive healthcare positions. He serves on the board of directors and is a past chairman of the Federation of American Hospitals, which represents investor-owned and managed community hospitals and health systems throughout the U.S. He currently serves on the boards of Springstone, Inc., U.S. Anesthesia Partners, Inc. (USAP), and The Harpeth Hall School. Vandewater also served on the Health Care Systems Governing Council of the American Hospital Association (AHA).

About Ardent Health Services

Ardent Health Services invests in people, technology, facilities and communities, focusing on evidence-based practices to improve quality care and patient outcomes. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Ardent’s subsidiaries own and operate 30 hospitals in six states with more than 26,000 employees including nearly 1,400 employed providers. Twelve Ardent hospitals were recognized by Modern Healthcare as "Best Places to Work" in 2019 - the twelfth consecutive year an Ardent facility made this list. Ardent facilities also exceed national averages in Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating as ranked by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; 88 percent of its hospitals received a three-star rating or above in comparison with 71 percent of all hospitals ranked.

Ardent operations are owned by an affiliate of Equity Group Investments (EGI), a Chicago-based private investment firm; Ventas, Inc., a leading real estate investment trust; and members of Ardent's executive management team. For more information, visit www.ardenthealth.com.