Healthcare >> CEO Interviews >> August 2, 2004
RICHARD E. FRANCIS JR. is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
Symbion, Inc. Prior to Symbion, Mr. Francis was Senior Vice President
for HealthTrust, Inc., a $4 billion healthcare services company,
responsible for all mergers and acquisitions, capital allocation and
budgeting, real estate, and design and construction. In addition, he was
responsible for investments made by HealthTrust in small and developing
healthcare companies. Prior to heading development, Mr. Francis served
as Regional Vice President for HealthTrust's Southern Operations
composed of 11 hospitals in five states with $400 million in revenues.
Mr. Francis was Director of Development for HealthTrust beginning with
the 1987 leveraged buy out from HCA where he had served as Director of
Domestic Development. Before joining HCA in 1982, Mr. Francis was Vice
President of MedAmerica Health Systems and Miami Valley Hospital in
Dayton, Ohio. Mr. Francis has a Bachelor's degree in Finance and a
Master's degree in Hospital and Health Services Management. He currently
serves as a member of the President's Cabinet of the University of
Alabama, and serves on The Board of Vanderbilt Children's Hospital,
Nashville, and The Nashville Health Care Council. Profile
TWST: We'd like to begin with a brief historical sketch of Symbion and apicture of the things you're doing at the present time.
Mr. Francis: Symbion is an outpatient surgery company focused