Ben Fordham, executive vice president, general counsel and assistant secretary for Community Health Systems, will retire at the end of February 2022.
Before joining CHS in 2007, Mr. Fordham spent three decades as a private practice attorney specializing in litigation, mergers and acquisitions, and business and health law, a Dec. 8 news release said. He began his tenure with the health system as vice president and senior litigation counsel, eventually becoming executive vice president and general counsel in 2017.
"Ben is a brilliant legal strategist who has provided expert counsel over 14 years of service to Community Health Systems," said Tim Hingtgen, CEO of the health system.
Justin Pitt, who currently serves as senior vice president and chief litigation counsel for the Franklin, Tenn-based health system, will serve as general counsel once Mr. Fordham retires.
Before joining CHS, Mr. Pitt was a litigator and lobbyist for the Tennessee General Assembly. He currently serves as a member of the American Health Lawyers Association and on the Federation of American Hospitals' Medicaid and Managed Care Committee, the news release said.
CHS operates 83 hospitals across 16 states.