BRENTWOOD, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

LifePoint Hospitals^® (NASDAQ: LPNT), a leading hospital company focused on providing quality healthcare close to home, announced today the appointment of a Patient and Family Advisory Board (PFAB) to provide guidance to the company on efforts related to patient engagement and satisfaction in order to help every LifePoint hospital deliver the best possible patient experience. The PFAB complements the company's efforts to enhance quality and safety and ensure a patient-centered approach to care in the communities it serves.

“A great hospital must be responsive to the community it serves,” said Rusty Holman, M.D., Chief Medical Officer. “By empowering patients and family members to become involved in strategic conversations about the dynamic healthcare industry and provide insightful feedback about their experiences, we can better understand their needs and augment how we deliver safe, high quality care. The Patient and Family Advisory Board will help guide LifePoint's mission of Making Communities Healthier. It also provides a model for our hospitals to create their own patient groups at the local level.”

The PFAB is led by Dr. Holman, who serves as chairman. The group is comprised of patients or family members of patients who have received care in a LifePoint-affiliated hospital, as well as select company leaders. Board members were chosen to represent a diverse range of care experiences in both clinic and hospital settings and in communities across the LifePoint system.

Members of the inaugural board and their corresponding hospital communities are:

• Amy Buesing, Memorial Medical Center of Las Cruces, Las Cruces, N.M.
• David ‘Woody' Caudle, Maria Parham Medical Center, Henderson, N.C.
• Laura Evans, Minden Medical Center, Minden, La.
• Tammie Lucero, Ashley Regional Medical Center, Vernal, Utah
• Ronnie Moses, Georgetown Community Hospital, Williamsburg, Ky.
• Brigid Stevens, Havasu Regional Medical Center, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
• Teri Tomlinson, Valley View Medical Center, Fort Mohave, Ariz.
• Melinda Weaver, Lakeland Community Hospital, Haleyville, Ala.

LifePoint Representatives:

• Rusty Holman, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, PFAB Chairman
• William F. Carpenter III, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
• John Bumpus, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer
• Sean Tuley, Chief Information Officer
• Michelle Watson, Chief Nursing Officer of LifePoint's Central Group
• Dr. Karen Frush, Vice President of Quality for LifePoint and Chief Patient Safety Officer for Duke University Health System

The PFAB held its inaugural meeting in early August at LifePoint's Hospital Support Center in Brentwood, Tenn. During the meeting, the group defined immediate and long-term priorities, which include creating a structured method for LifePoint to incorporate the patient perspective into all aspects of the continuum of care. The group also developed its mission statement: “Inspiring and Embracing the Patient and Family Voice to Make Communities Healthier.”

“Part of LifePoint's vision is for each of our locations to be a place where people choose to come for care. By engaging patients and family members from hospitals across our company's footprint, we receive valuable point-of-service information that will help us continually improve our service,” said David Dill, President and Chief Operating Officer for LifePoint. “Additionally, the Patient and Family Advisory Board is an excellent way to strengthen relationships between our hospitals and the communities they serve by promoting an ongoing dialogue to help make each hospital the best it can be.”

About LifePoint Hospitals

LifePoint Hospitals^® is a leading hospital company focused on providing quality healthcare services close to home. Through its subsidiaries, LifePoint operates more than 60 hospital campuses in 20 states. With a mission of “Making Communities Healthier^®,” LifePoint is the sole community hospital provider in the majority of the communities it serves. More information about the Company, which is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee, can be found on its website, www.LifePointHospitals.com. All references to “LifePoint,” "LifePoint Hospitals," or the “Company” used in this release refer to LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. or its affiliates.