FRANKLIN - Community Health Systems, Inc. (NYSE:CYH) announced that Wayne T. Smith will retire from his role as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, effective January 1, 2023. Smith will continue to serve as the non-executive Chairman of the Board. This transition is the culmination of a leadership succession plan that began in January 2021 when Smith stepped down from his position as Chief Executive Officer and Tim L. Hingtgen was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

Over a tenure of nearly 26 years, Smith led Community Health Systems through its evolution from a small, rural hospital operator to become a leading provider of healthcare services in 47 distinct markets with more than 80 acute-care hospitals and 1,000 outpatient sites of care across 16 states. Smith joined Community Health Systems as President in 1997, became Chief Executive Officer three months later, and he was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2001.

“The Community Health Systems Board of Directors and our executive management team join me in expressing our heartfelt gratitude to Wayne Smith for his extraordinary leadership over more than a quarter of a century,” said Tim L. Hingtgen, Chief Executive Officer of Community Health Systems, Inc. “Wayne Smith is a titan of the healthcare industry - a bold, entrepreneurial and visionary leader who has left an indelible mark on our organization and who has always used his position and influence to advocate for healthcare providers and the patients we serve. We are fortunate that the Company will continue to benefit from Wayne’s expertise and guidance as the Chairman of our Board.”

Wayne T. Smith joined Community Health Systems in January 1997 as President, a position he held until January 2014. In April 1997 he was named Chief Executive Officer and became a member of the Board of Directors. In 2001, Smith was elected Chairman of the Board. In January 2021, Smith stepped down as Chief Executive Officer and became Executive Chairman.

Prior to joining Community Health Systems, Smith was President and Chief Operating Officer of Humana Inc., where he served in various management positions during the 23 years he was with that company and as a director from 1993 to 1996.

Smith is also the former President Pro Tempore and a current Trustee of the Board of Auburn University. He previously served on the Board of Directors of several public companies, including, most recently, Praxair, Inc.

Smith is one of the most tenured executives in the healthcare industry. He is past-Chairman of the Board of the Federation of American Hospitals. He is also past-Chairman and a former board member of both the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Nashville Health Care Council. He has also served on a number of not-for-profit community boards.

Smith was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare for 18 years. Institutional Investor magazine named Smith a Top Chief Executive Officer for the healthcare facilities sector several times, and Smith has also been honored on several occasions as one of the top chief executive officers in the institutional provider segment of the healthcare sector.

Smith holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Auburn University and a Master of Science degree in healthcare administration from Trinity University. Smith also studied at the King’s Fund College of Hospital Management in London, England, and spent four years as a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Services Corp.