Brentwood-based LifePoint Hospitals® (NASDAQ: LPNT) recently appointed new senior leaders to operations and legal teams.

Bennet Waters has been named vice president for the Strategic Resource Group. In this role, Waters will lead and execute growth strategies across LifePoint’s hospitals, including hospital strategic planning processes, service line development, post-acute service lines, strategic process improvements, physician relationship initiatives, and marketing and business development.

Prior to joining LifePoint, Waters was president and CEO for VIGILINT Protective Health Solutions, where he was responsible for the strategic, financial and operational performance of the protective medicine company. He also previously served as a member and managing director for The Chertoff Group, providing strategic advice and industry analysis to private-sector executives and senior government officials on intelligence and national security. He also was senior executive to the Department of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C.; president and COO at Piedmont Healthcare Management Group in Charlotte, N.C.; and vice president and director of business operations at Metrolina Health Initiative in Charlotte, N.C., among other roles.

“Bennet brings more than 16 years of operational leadership and strategic growth experience to LifePoint,” said David Dill, president and chief operating officer for LifePoint. “His expertise will be an asset to our hospitals and the Hospital Support Center as we continue to identify ways to grow and improve. I am pleased to welcome him to our team.” 

Waters earned his doctorate in Health Administration from the Medical University of South Carolina. He holds a master’s degree in Public Health from Boston University and a bachelor’s degree in Medical Ethics from Davidson College.

Kathryn Hays Sasser has been named vice president, litigation for the Legal & Informaton Governance Department and will lead the litigation and investigatory functions of the department. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Kathryn to the Legal & Information Governance Department at LifePoint,” said Paul Gilbert, executive vice president and chief legal officer for the company. “Kathryn’s deep understanding of litigation and wealth of legal experience support our company’s staunch commitment to regulatory compliance and ethical operations in all we do. I am confident that she will continue to be a strong and committed leader within LifePoint just as she has been in our community.”

Sasser has more than 20 years of experience in the legal industry. Previously, she served as litigation counsel for Asurion, LLC, an international insurance company, where she was responsible for managing the company’s litigation, arbitrations and investigations, as well as advising the company on business practices designed to reduce the potential for future litigation and arbitrations. Prior to Asurion, she was a partner at Walker, Tipps & Malone, PLC in Nashville and an associate at Vinson & Elkins, LLP, in Houston. A native of Louisiana, Sasser earned her undergraduate and legal degrees from Louisiana State University. Prior to entering private practice, she served as a Law Clerk to The Honorable Henry A. Politz, chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.