Leadership Health Care (LHC) recently announced the appointment of its 2017-2018 board of directors. Claire Cowart Haltom, shareholder, Baker Donelson, has been named board chairman and Wes Pass, national for-profit healthcare group, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, will serve as board vice chairman.

LHC is an initiative of the Nashville Health Care Council that develops the talent of emerging health care industry leaders by creating educational and networking opportunities for the group's nearly 900 members.

The following new directors joined the LHC Board for three-year terms: Drake Jarman, senior vice president of sales, Stratasan; and Michael Niffenegger, network operations administrator, CareAllies. Victoria Samples, healthcare MBA candidate, Vanderbilt University, joins the board in a one-year student seat. Will Howorth, vice president, strategic business growth, HCA Urgent Care, and former board chairman, will also serve on the board for a renewed, one-year term.

There are also new appointments of LHC committee chairmen. Jessica Wells, associate vice president, education and research, graduate medical education, HCA Physician Services Group, will lead the Education Committee; Michael Bonner, CFO, Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, will lead the Networking and Mentoring Committee; Caroline Chamberlain, director, marketing and strategic partnerships, Entrada, will lead the Marketing Committee; Jordan Kendig, program director, patient experience, HCA, will lead the Membership Committee; and Dave Anderson, senior director, Envision Healthcare, and Scott Mertie, president, Kraft Healthcare Consulting, will co-lead the Delegations Committee.