Wayne Smith joined Community Health Systems in 1997 as President and Chief Executive Officer. In 2001, he was named Chairman of the Board.
Smith is one of the most tenured executives in the hospital industry. Over the years, he has garnered professional recognition from his peers, investors, and the business community. He has been named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare each of the 13 years Modern Healthcare has published the peer voted list, ranking number 15 in 2014. Institutional Investor magazine has named Smith a Top CEO for the healthcare facilities sector several times over the past decade.
Smith is a past-chair and current board member of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of American Hospitals and the Nashville Health Care Council. He serves on the Board of Directors of Praxair, Inc., a publicly-traded company. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of Auburn University.
Prior to joining Community Health Systems, Smith was President and Chief Operating Officer of Humana, Inc., where he served in various management positions during his 23 years with that company. Smith holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Auburn University and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Trinity University.
