HCA hires Waller Lansden senior partner

Chief development officer will focus on M&A, divestitures

Email | Print By Erin Lawley

11-18-2009 10:16 AM — Hospital giant HCA has hired Joseph Sowell III as senior vice president and chief development officer effective Dec. 1.

Sowell, 53, is a senior partner at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, practicing health care law, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity financing, tax law and general corporate law. He’s been a partner at the firm since 1987. During the '90s, he served as the head of development and COO of Arcon Healthcare, a developer of ambulatory care centers founded by Hud Connery.

With HCA, Sowell will be responsible for all M&A and divestiture activities, including development functions and transactions involving hospitals, outpatient centers, physician practices and real estate.

“Joe has extensive experience in health care transactions, and he is familiar with HCA and our company’s culture. The depth and breadth of his experience with health care transactions will allow us to consolidate and more effectively manage HCAs’s various development functions,” said R. Milton Johnson, HCA chief financial officer and executive vice president, in a statement.

HCA currently operates 163 hospitals and 105 ambulatory surgery centers in 20 states and England.

John Tishler, chairman of Waller said Sowell's hiring is a feather in the firm's cap.

“What Waller Lansden values most in its client relationships is the ability to act as a long-term strategic advisor, not just a scribe,” Tishler said. “HCA’s selection of Joe Sowell for this leadership role is an affirmation of our highly regarded trusted advisor approach.”