NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 26 /PRNewswire/ -- HCA today announced Dr. Thomas L. Garthwaite will become the Clinical Services Group's Chief Operations Officer, effective June 1.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050825/CLTH069LOGO )

Garthwaite, 62, will report to Dr. Jonathan Perlin, President of HCA's Clinical Services Group and Chief Medical Officer. He will support HCA's continuing efforts to improve quality of care, patient safety, and clinical performance. Garthwaite also will provide medical direction for Centers of Excellence programs and coordinated care models. He will work closely with physicians and HCA colleagues in supporting clinical excellence and strengthening the company's relationship with its more than 35,000 affiliated physicians.

"Dr. Tom Garthwaite brings seasoned executive leadership and an impressive track record of improving clinical performance and facilitating the use of technology to advance efficiency, patient safety and patient satisfaction in a variety of settings," said Perlin. "We are delighted he is joining the HCA team."

Since 2006, Garthwaite has served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Catholic Health East, where he oversees system-wide efforts to improve quality of care, assure patient safety, assess new technology, enhance physician relationships and expand the use of clinical information technology. From 2002 until 2006, he was Director and Chief Medical Officer of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, where he had broad responsibilities for the health of over 10 million residents and visitors. Prior to that, Garthwaite spent eight years at the Veterans Health Administration in Washington D.C., where he was Under Secretary for Health from 1999 to 2002.  Garthwaite helped lead the transformation of the VA and helped set its course to excellence in care quality and its use of computerized health records.

Garthwaite received the Secretary's Exceptional Service Award from the Department of Veterans Affairs in both 2000 and 2002. In 2001, he received the Surgeon General's Medallion, the highest award for public health service given by the United States Public Health Service.

A graduate of Cornell University and Temple University School of Medicine, Garthwaite received training in internal medicine and endocrinology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he went on to become an Associate Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean. 

All references to "Company" and "HCA" as used throughout this document refer to HCA Inc. and its affiliates.

SOURCE HCA

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